Fan-filmed video footage of SOULFLY performing a brand new song called “Filth Upon Filth” on September 1 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City can be seen below.
Max Cavalera and his bandmates have spent the last few months working on the follow-up to 2018’s “Ritual” at Platinum Underground in Phoenix, Arizona with producer Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE.
In a recent interview with Chris Annunziata again of “The Metal Teddy Bear Experience” show, which airs on the 90.3 WMSC radio station, the Brazilian-born musician stated about the upcoming SOULFLY disc: “We’re still tracking right now. So the record is not gonna come out till next year. It’s a little bit of a long process. Because of COVID and everything, it had to be done a little bit differently. Actually, we’re gonna play one song called ‘Filth Upon Filth’ on this tour. It’s a killer song. It reminds me of old SLAYER; it sounds like SLAYER ‘Hell Awaits’ era meets SOULFLY, which is always a good thing.
“We still need to record drums,” he continued. “Right now we just really have the songs written — all the riffs. So we’re still building the music. But we did have one full song, which is ‘Filth Upon Filth’, and we get to play that on the next tour, which is great. So people do get a taste of the new record, which I think is amazing — to be able to give them a taste.”
Asked if there is an overall lyrical theme on the new SOULFLY album, Max said: “Some of it [is] dealing with, actually, the spiritual world and things like that, which is really cool. I think it’s always been kind of a SOULFLY theme anyway. There’s a song called ‘Spirit Animal’ that’s really cool. And there’s gonna be a couple of guests. I’m not gonna say who they are right now; I don’t wanna spoil the surprise. But, again, there’s gonna be some special guests singing on this record.
“[There isn’t gonna be] an overall theme,” he clarified. “It’s not gonna be a theme album like maybe [SEPULTURA‘s] ‘Roots’ was more like a tribal theme kind of record. This is more like a [mixture of subjects]. There’s a song about the environment and how we’re destroying the earth and all that, called ‘The Damage Done’. And that came out really good. So, yeah, [it’s] just my way of writing. It’s pretty simple. I don’t try to get fancy with it. I know what I do. It’s like my riffs — I know how to do them. I don’t try to fancy them up. That’s how they are — they’re simple but direct, and they work. And that’s what I love about it.”
This past April, Max told Chris Enriquez of Saint Vitus Presents: Age Of Quarantine that Rizk took the new SOULFLY 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.”
In December 2020, 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.”
Last month, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. A permanent replacement guitarist has yet to be announced. FEAR FACTORY‘s Dino Cazares is playing guitar for SOULFLY on the current U.S. tour. The 33-date trek will conclude in Tempe, Arizona on September 25.
In June 2020, 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).
