MAX CAVALERA Names METALLICA Song He Would Love To Cover

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera was asked which METALLICA song he would like to cover if he had a chance. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would love [to do] 'Ride The Lightning', the title track [of METALLICA's second album]. It's a sick song. The riff is sick. The lyrics are sick. 'Flash before my eyes, now it's time to die.' It's, like, 'Aaarrrgh.' So good."

Max went on to say that he cut his hair for a copy of "Ride The Lightning" when he was "a kid in Brazil." He explained: "I had a cousin that was trying to make me go to the straight and narrow. He was, like, 'You've gotta cut that long hair. I'll give you whatever you want. I'll buy you an imported record.' And I was, like, 'The hair will grow back again.' So I shaved it. I shaved my head. That copy of "Ride The Lightning' was worth it. It's a record that's worth shaving your hair for.

"I love that record," Max continued. "I love the old-school stuff. And if I ever have a chance, that's a great song to do a cover song… It's a sick song. I love it, man. I love it. It's so heavy.

"METALLICA rules. What can you say?" Cavalera added. "It's a great band. I'm so happy that they're still going strong."

Less than two years ago, Max told RadioactiveMike Z that METALLICA "was a big influence on the early SEPULTURA records. You can hear the '…And Justice For All', 'Garage Days' influence."

Cavalera also said that he was very fond of METALLICA's 1991 self-titled album, despite some fans' dissatisfaction over the LP's more streamlined musical direction.

"I remember when I first heard the 'Black Album.' The first thing that jumps out is the production — it's an amazing, well-produced record," Max said. "There's really amazing songs in it. It's a controversial record for a lot of people, but I love it, man. I think there's some great songs in it. It's a bit different from the early stuff, but that's part of life. All of us musicians, we have to understand it's part of growth when bands do that. And I think they did it in a really killer way."

Back in 2005, Max was more critical of METALLICA's musical evolution, telling Movie Poop Shoot: "I think METALLICA, I feel that they were really on this path, like, maybe to be the most ultimate, unbelievable metal rock band, and for some reason they went the other way, you know. And I don't know. I can't answer why, but I know the lyrics stopped making as much sense. I don't know, maybe it's money. Money can do a lot of things like that. Who knows what went on their path but it is not the same band. It's kind of a bummer because I really liked them a lot and I thought they were, since, fucking BLACK SABBATH, there's nothing like that, with that level of attitude and intelligence in lyrics. James Hetfield wrote the most amazing lyrics in metal ever. But it's cool, as long as they're happy with it."

Asked if he thought the METALLICA members themselves were happy with it, Max responded at the time: "Uh, I don't think so. I don't think so. It's just like, I think once you make things like that, albums like that, you have to continue to make those kinds of records or you get depressed, so it's like once you did 'Ride The Lightning' and 'Master Of Puppets', you have to keep up, you know… I think a lot of people wanted them to be more like what they used to be, because they were revolutionary. Once you stop being like that, you know like 'Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire', that's HATEBREED's album's name, it's great. I think that's kind of what happened to METALLICA. Maybe they fulfilled all their goals and where do you go from there? And on one end it sucks, but sometimes I put myself in their position, and it's even maybe more sad to act like you're still that thing, that kind of guy with the huge, fat bank account. That's even more pathetic."