MAX CAVALERA On Playing With Brother IGOR Again: 'I Think Our Relationship Is Stronger Now'

TheMetalWeb.com recently conducted an interview with SOULFLY/CAVALERA CONSPIRACY frontman Max Cavalera. An excerpt from the chat follows:

TheMetalWeb.com: You've been quoted as saying that the CAVALERA CONSPIRACY feels like a different project than anything you've ever done. What of the project in particular makes you feel this way when you compare to past projects?

Max Cavalera: I think the main thing of that is the actual situation. Before we even get to the music, the fact that me and Igor [Cavalera, drums] are playing together after a twelve-year silence is quite amazing to me. It would have been a perfect marketing tool and I'm sure it is in some way, but, it's not made like that. This is truly a twelve-year silence that we didn't speak, talk, see each other and to me, it's emotional as hell. The last time I saw Igor on that tour bus in England after a killer sold-out show and then I don't see him for twelve years and I see him in Phoenix. It was during a SOULFLY show and we played together and this whole project was born from that. So, I'm still kind of learning to live with the whole thing. It's still new even for me and I'm sure it's new for Igor as well. It's a long time without seeing each other, but, it's been really good. I love the record. I love the fact that the fans love the record. They really dig what we put on the CD. So, it's cool.

TheMetalWeb.com: Speaking of your brother, obviously, you reunited with your brother Igor to collaborate on your current release "Inflikted". When the writing sessions began, do you feel it was a smooth transition or did you feel apprehensive, especially, being that it was 12 years since you've worked with him or had any sort of a relationship? That had to be a little tough in the beginning.

Max Cavalera: It was and it wasn't. A lot of things with me, and I'm not particularly too fond of it sometimes, but, they seem to work good, is the pressure. Like, the first time I spoke with Igor, the next day I'm actually on the stage with him doing "Roots Bloody Roots". You know if this whole thing isn't going to work, it's not going to work, not in secret, but, in front of a bunch of people. (Laughs) It's kind of one of those things. You've got to make it work somehow. I kind of like that. It's not really "fun" to do it, it's pressure as hell, but, you get through it and when you get through it, you get a different flavor. You make it through and you feel like you conquered something. So, it's not been smooth, but, it's been awesome with the pressure and all. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. We're kind of getting use to each other again, but, we're getting there little by little. Every time I see him again, we get closer, we talk more and we avoid the things that made us not speak. I've been really defensive from all that bullshit. I stay away from all that. Anything that can eventually turn into a break-up again, I'm like, no, I'm not going there. I'm not touching those subjects. So, it's been a better relationship now.

TheMetalWeb.com: Well, beyond the music, you guys are family. To hell with the industry. To hell with all that.

Max Cavalera: Yeah, but, it's not that easy. (Laughs)

TheMetalWeb.com: No, I know that. Things are said sometimes out of anger.

Max Cavalera: Everybody always said, oh, you should just grab the phone and call him. You know how many times I wanted to do that, but, it's not really that easy. It's just like watching a movie, it's so easy to watch a movie, like at the end of "Gladiator", and say, just kill the guy! (Laughs) Your sitting on your couch with your popcorn, it's easy to say, kill the guy. But, to actually do it, man, that's another thing, that's completely different. I'm kind of glad in a way that we did spend this time apart because I think our relationship is stronger now. It made our life a little bit more interesting in a weird way. It's more interesting to be playing with him again. If we never would have split up, I think it eventually may have been just another album, another tour, just like a thousand of them that we did. It becomes just another day job.

TheMetalWeb.com: Well, in that time, you guys have grown as people yourselves too. You're a little older.

Max Cavalera: Older, not wiser! (Laughs)

TheMetalWeb.com: You said it, not me. (Laughs) Ok, how did the guest appearance of Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) on the track "Ultra-Violent" come to be?

Max Cavalera: Rex. That was wild. That was from nowhere. There wasn't any plan of him or nobody. As we were in the studio, a friend of ours showed up and said Rex was in town. I said, really. Give me his number and let me call him, me and Igor want to say hi. So, we called him and Rex was like, "What's up? What you guys doing?" I said we were in the studio making a record with Igor, and Rex was like, "Yeah, I heard all about it on the Internet." (Laughs) So, I said, "Well, since we don't have a bass player, how would you feel about coming down here and giving us something, play a song or hang out or whatever," and Rex was like, "Yeah, of course, that would be great. I would like to see you guys again. I haven't seen Igor for a long time since SEPULTURA." The funny thing was, when we booked the studio, I said, let's book like 10 hours to record the bass because I didn't know how much time he would need and Rex did everything in a half hour. So, we had 9 hours to do whatever. (Laughs)

Read the entire interview at TheMetalWeb.com.