Tribal Metal - Soulfly

I may get some flack for talking about Soulfly on here but I have really grown to like this band and Max's spirit of experimentation.

I must admit that Soulfly did not feature on my radar at all for a long time, I had no interest in the band and often dismissed it as just another nu-metal act. However, all this changed last year when I bought Soulfly's latest album Omen. To my surprise, the Soulfly of 2011 sounds very different from the Soulfly I remembered on the debut album and Back to the Primitive. Gone are many of the 'Roots' influences found on Max's earlier Soulfly albums, and instead Max brings back Sepultura's earlier influences and from time to time Sepultura's traditional 80s sound. Omen is not a remake of either Beneath the Remains or Arise but in either case, Max is influenced by the style of those albums. The end result in Sepultura's terms is akin to a heavier / thrashier Chaos A.D. with limited tribal elements found on Roots and earlier Soulfly albums.

As good as Omen is, the album also peeked my curiosity about Soulfly's back catalog prompting me to try or in some cases re-listen to the band's earlier albums. In part I was curious to rediscover Max's earlier works but also to trace how Soulfly had progressed in its decade-long recording activity.

For anyone who knows Max Cavalera, and the history of Sepultura you will know that towards the end of Max's own career with Sepultura the band had shed its thrash metal sound and influences in favour of a groove-based sound mixed with tribal drumming, traditional South American tribal instruments and tribal chants. Quite a departure from their earlier days indeed!

Upon Max's departure from Sepultura and formation of Soulfly, the style explored on Sepultura's Roots was furthered with Soulfly's earlier releases arguably sounding more experimental and 'riskier' if you will than anything Sepultura had attempted.

I must admit that at the time Soulfly's self-titled debut and sophomore, Back to the Primitive, were released I found both albums to be cringe-worthy from the perspective of metal albums. I was profoundly disappointed that Max had decided to go down the path of 'nu-metal' and losing his senses, experimenting beyond the realms of anything remotely metal.

A decade later and with the help of the newer Soulfly albums, I have a new found appreciation for the band's earlier albums and Max's experimental side. I find both albums to be a fresh breath of air for music. I am still unsure whether to consider these metal given the very diverse pool of guests that are featured on both albums, as well as the variety of styles displayed. If I pressed, I would reluctantly call Soulfly's music 'tribal metal' (at least as featured on the band's earlier albums). I also found comfort in the fact that Soulfly's tribal aspects blend in well with the various scenes in the Predator movies - helping to only further my guilty pleasure about this band.

This band is unlikely to appeal to anyone who is an ardent fan of Sepultura's earlier albums to the exclusion of the band's post-Arise albums. However, for anyone who took a mild interest even in Sepultura's Chaos A.D. and Roots, Soufly's works in general are likely to appeal and satisfy any tribal dance and tribal drumming cravings. If all else fails just watch the first Predator movie with Soulfly's music playing in the background.

I will admit that listening to the band's earlier albums may require a wide open mindedness, interest in the unconventional and higher indifference to conservative classifications of metal. I don't profess to have all those but when it comes to Soulfly's music I seem to be able to tolerate more and even enjoy more of what elsewhere I would consider too cringe-worthy on the ears.

I can't stand them, but I'll give this album a listen. The Sepultura influence sparks my interest.

i think the new Sepultura sounds a lot like Chaos A.D.. that said, i like Soulfly too. even the first few albums.