MAX CAVALERA Is Returning To 'Tribal Groove Power' On Next SOULFLY Album: 'Let's Go Back To What It Was In The Beginning'

In a new interview with Dave Rumbler of Metal-Roos, SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera confirmed that he is working on the follow-up to 2022's "Totem" album for a 2025 release. Regarding the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material, he said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[It will be] very tribal, back to basics. I'm gonna let SOULFLY be SOULFLY again. I kind of stopped SOULFLY from being SOULFLY for a couple of years, and I kind of regret that a little bit. But now that I have CAVALERA and GO AHEAD AND DIE and KILLER BE KILLED, I get to really let SOULFLY be SOULFLY. Let's go back to what it was in the beginning. It's that tribal groove power that people love. So I'm creating a record with that."

Max, who turned 55 years old in August, went on to say that he has no plans of slowing down in the coming years. "I was put on this planet to do this, and that's all I wanna do," he said. "It's all I know how to do and it's all I wanna do… Of course, we change as people as we get older, but I think there's some things in me, they are the same as they were when I was 15 years old — my passion for metal, how I feel about going on the stage and the goosebumps, the excitement is like a drug. You can't really get that anywhere else except on the stage. And those things don't change. And I love that.

"To me, I'm always looking forward to whatever tour we're doing, whatever album we're making," he continued. "There are challenges, but at the same time, they are great life opportunities. And I live life for the moment. I'm not one of those guys that — I don't live thinking 10 years from now. I live for right now for this, 'cause I don't know what's 10 years from now. I live the moment, and in the moment, this is what's going on right now. I grab it with both hands, man, and enjoy. And I try to teach that to my kids — enjoy the moment. It's a great thing. It's good to be alive. It's good to share this feeling with people around you. It's incredible. It's an incredible thing."

This past September, Max told Matt Zaniboni of Metal Express Radio that the next SOULFLY album will be "a little bit of return to the early SOULFLY. I feel there was a magic around those early records that kind of got lost in the shuffle of the years… To me, when I'm creating this new record, for me, this is the album that should have been made after [2000's] 'Primitive'. So, I feel like like I have a chance to make the third record all over again, and I'm making it more towards the vibe I had on [1998's] 'Soulfly' and 'Primitive'. So, it's gonna be cool, man. I'm excited for that."

SOULFLY recently completed the "Superstition" U.S. tour. Support on the trek came from EYEHATEGOD (from October 22 until November 6 only),MUTILATION BARBECUE and SKINFLINT.

SOULFLY is continuing to tour in support of "Totem", which came out in August 2022 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" was recorded at Platinum Underground in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino and Arthur Rizk with assistance from John Powers. Produced by Max Cavalera alongside Arthur Rizk (KREATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, CODE ORANGE),the LP boasts guest appearances from John Powers (ETERNAL CHAMPION),Chris Ulsh (POWER TRIP),and John Tardy (OBITUARY). Rizk was also responsible for playing lead guitar on the record. The artwork for the album was created by James Bousema.

In a separate interview with Germany's Moshpit Passion, Max said that SOULFLY's upcoming thirteenth album will be "influenced by other stuff I'm listening to at the moment, like KUBLAI KHAN and JESUS PIECE and KNOCKED LOOSE, JUDICIARY. So there's really heavy breakdown grooves together with tribal drums. It's gonna be cool, man. It's gonna be a real cool album that I am very excited to create. And, of course, also the fact that my mother passed away last year, I'm gonna make this album for her. It's a homage to her. So it's gonna be also a spiritual record for me because of that. So it's gonna be a special record, for sure. It's been [two] years since 'Totem'. 'Totem' was our last record. I think we are inspired to create something special next year."

This past March, Max was asked by Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", if guitarist Mike DeLeon, who has been touring with SOULFLY for nearly two years, will be featured on the band's next LP. Max responded: "I'm leaving it open for now. Mike is gonna jam with us. We have some festivals in the U.S. I think we're doing, and we're also doing the LAMB OF GOD boat [Headbangers Boat], the cruise. That should be fun as hell. And Mike will play with us for that. He's a great guy. I love Mike."

He continued: "I don't know. It's too early to know where I'm gonna go with this record — if I'm gonna try to find somebody else to record or if we're just gonna roll with Mike. We don't know yet."

Prior to hooking up with SOULFLY, DeLeon had been a member of PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo's solo band PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, which he joined in 2015 as the replacement for Marzi Montazeri. More recently, Mike filled in for Zakk Wylde at the first rehearsal for the fall 2022 PANTERA shows.

In August 2021, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. FEAR FACTORY's Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the band's 2021 and 2022 run of shows.

Photo credit: Jim Louvau