MAX CAVALERA: 'I Never Think About Retirement'

In a recent interview with Metal Wani, Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY) was asked what he hoped his legacy would look like one day. He responded: "To me, hopefully it [will be] somebody that wasn't afraid to take risks, and wasn't afraid to try new things. I never let whatever — people or ideas or opinions — get in the way of something that is in your head, or is in your heart. If I feel it is right, I will go ahead and do it. And I think that's been always right, right from the start. It is how I even discovered the whole thing that you can mix tribal music with metal in the first place — it was by doing those kind of things."

Cavalera also dismissed talk of possible retirement, saying that he will remain musically active as long as he is physically able to perform.

"I never think about retirement or anything like that," he said. "SLAYER already freaked me out too much with that kind of stuff. It's a big freakout. I don't understand. To me, if I retire tomorrow, what the hell am I gonna do? Sit around the house and do nothing? I would drive everybody crazy, including myself. I would go nuts — literally, I would go insane. So I don't think of retirement ever. I wanna be doing this until I'm done, until I die. And then the passing-the-torch thing is kind of cool, 'cause I feel that my kids will carry on for me after I'm done. Eventually, at some point, it will come to all of us — it's inevitable. But whenever it comes, I know that I'll be very well represented — my kids will carry on for me. And that's kind of comforting for me as a person. And knowing that I left a mark, which is cool. It's more than I could ever ask. For a guy that started this shit in Brazil 30 years ago, to leave this kind of mark on the world is quite amazing. So I'm very, very proud of it."

Cavalera's 25-year-old Zyon doubles as the drummer in SOULFLY and thrash/punk group LODY KONG. The latter band is fronted by Max's other son Igor, who is 23.

SOULFLY's latest album, "Ritual", was released in October via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA). Cover artwork was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH, SODOM). Additional booklet art was handled by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, HATEBREED, KREATOR),who also handled the package design.

SOULFLY has announced its first tour in support of "Ritual". The trek, which will take place in January/February, will feature support from KATAKLYSM, INCITE, CHAOSEUM, ALUKAH and SKINFLINT.