SOULFY Mainman Talks About His Facial Paralysis During Brazilian Press Conference (Video)

SOULFY took part in a press conference prior to the band's February 24 performance at Sol Music Hall in Goiânia, Brazil. You can now watch the question-and-answer session below. (Note: SOULFLY mainman Max Cavalera's answers are in Portuguese; the other members' responses are in English.)

SOULFLY has just completed its first tour of Brazil since 2002. The band's guest drummer for the trek was SOULFLY/ex-SEPULTURA frontman Max Cavalera's son Zyon Cavalera, who also plays in LODY KONG.

It is Zyon's unborn heartbeat that can be heard during the intro of SEPULTURA's classic song "Refuse/Resist".

Max Cavalera is recovering from a bout with Bell's Palsy, a temporary condition that is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side.

Cavalera was diagnosed with a case of Bell's Palsy last month upon his return from Australia. He consulted a doctor and was put on a course of antibiotics, is improving greatly and is expected to make a full recovery imminently. He thanks fans for their concern and well wishes and wanted his supporters to know that he is okay, since the condition manifests in the face and he ultimately didn't want fans to worry.

Of his recent illness, Max said, "I woke up one morning after coming home from Australia and the whole room was spinning. I looked at [Max's wife/manager] Gloria and said, 'There's something wrong here.' She said, 'Your face looks weird.' I went to the mirror and couldn't move half of my face. We thought I was having a stroke, so we rushed to the hospital. I learned my condition was called Bell's Palsy but I'd never heard of that. It's a fucking weird disease. My right eye won't blink, and half of my face feels like I've been punched by Mike Tyson! It hurts like hell. Anyway, I am leaving for Brazil. The show must go on and this Bell's Palsy ain't gonna stop a metalhead from his duties. I hope I'll be OK and thanks to all the fans concerned with me. Stay metal."

SOULFLY's eighth album, "Enslaved", is due on March 13 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at TallCat Studios in Phoenix, Arizona and was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, the seasoned knob twiddler behind some of the most notable bands in metal today, such as SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED, THE RED CHORD and more.

SOULFLY's current lineup features Max and guitar dynamo Marc Rizzo, with STATIC-X's Tony Campos taking up the bass. The lineup is rounded out by drummer David Kinkade (BORKNAGAR, ARSIS, MALEVOLENT CREATION),a new-school, extreme skinsman whose brutality behind the kit brings a new flavor to the band.