SOULFLY is putting the finishing touches on its twelfth album for a tentative late 2021 release via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2018’s “Ritual” was recorded at Platinum Underground in Phoenix, Arizona with producer Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE.
In a new interview with Chris Enriquez of Saint Vitus Presents: Age Of Quarantine, Max stated about the upcoming SOULFLY disc (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’ve been working on the new SOULFLY since last year with my son Zyon [who plays drums in SOULFLY]. We brought Athur to Arizona. And that’s pretty killer. That’s some good shit. I’m excited for that.”
According to Cavalera, Rizk took the project “super seriously. He said, ‘Hey, Max, I don’t wanna do just another SOULFLY record. I wanna do the best SOULFLY record,'” he recalled. ‘I was, like, ‘All right. I take the challenge. Let’s do it, man.'”
As for the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material, Max said: “It’s full-on. I think it’s got kind of like the best of all the years. I think it’s a compilation Max Cavalera record of the whole 50 years. [Laughs] That’s what it feels like — it’s got old stuff, it’s got middle stuff, it’s got very SOULFLY vibes. It’s got a lot of groove. It’s got a lot of fast stuff. We’re in the process of finishing it up right now. Hopefully it’s gonna come out this year.”
In December, Max told the “Sappenin’ Podcast With Sean Smith” about the songwriting process for the new SOULFLY album: “The cool thing about Zyon, the way he plays drums, is he’s a bit like a wild animal — he has no restraint, man, and he just unleashes on the drum kit. Pure, pure brutality power drumming, and I love that. So that takes me back to a lot of the early records that I like — a lot of the old ENTOMBED stuff and CARCASS and NAPALM DEATH; out-of-control shit. So I think we have that kind of spirit going on on a lot of the new tracks.”
According to Max, he has also taken inspiration from “Max Trax”, the twice-weekly Internet video series he recently launched in which he discusses the inspiration for many of the songs spanning his nearly 40-year music career.
“I get inspired by the old songs,” he said. “I think the old material becomes an inspiration. So I think we’re gonna be able to create something unique from all that experience — from the old stuff to the new stuff. KILLER BE KILLED will probably be somehow an influence on the record, in some parts of the record,” he added, referring to his side project which has just released its sophomore album, “Reluctant Hero”, via Nuclear Blast. “So we’re just gonna maybe bring all that into the new SOULFLY.”
Last June, SOULFLY released a new digital EP, “Live Ritual NYC MMXIX”. The effort was recorded at The Gramercy in New York City on February 11, 2019 while SOULFLY was on tour in support of its most recent full-length album, “Ritual”. The audio for the EP was mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott (ABYSMAL DAWN) from Tastemaker Audio. Cover artwork was comprised of live photos taken by Rodrigo Fredes.
“Ritual” was released in October 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015’s “Archangel” was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA).
