MAX CAVALERA Says Latest MORBID ANGEL Album Should Have Been Released 'As A Side Project'

Australia's Metal Obsession recently conducted an interview with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SEPULTURA). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal Obsession: SOULFLY's new drummer, David Kinkade, has described [the band's new album' "Enslaved" as "[SEPULTURA's] 'Arise' on crack." Would that be an accurate description?

Max: [laughs] I think he just said that for a bit of fun. Just fucking around with the new record. This new SOULFLY album, "Enslaved", is its own thing. It's definitely a SOULFLY record because all the trademarks are there, but it's probably the most extreme so far. I'm very proud of that. I specifically hand picked death metal-orientated riffs and beats, because David Kinkade comes from a death metal school of drumming and he can play that stuff really well. I made those beats and those specific parts with David in mind, so the new SOULFLY album could be the most extreme we have ever written. I mean, take "World Scum", for example. That's probably the most extreme song that I've ever done and I'm very happy that's the first single. It announces the record in a great way; it's so heavy and so brutal. It's like, "YES! We're back with a vengeance."

Metal Obsession: When listening to an advance copy of "Enslaved" last night. I got the impression that NAPALM DEATH and MORBID ANGEL were heavily influential towards the new album.

Max: Yeah man! It's very MORBID ANGEL-like. It's like the cousin of MORBID ANGEL in terms of how we play. [laughs]

Metal Obsession: Speaking of which. What are your thoughts towards the new MORBID ANGEL [album], "Illud Divinum Insanus"?

Max: I'd say they should have done it as a side project. The songs they had should have been on a separate album. Some of the songs were good; they sounded killer. If it were up to me, I would have written those songs on a completely different album and put those more experimental songs on another album. I think someone should have approached them and said, "You guys should do a side project," you know? I mean people waited almost eight years for a MORBID ANGEL record and I can understand their disappointment. I heard those songs and was in shock. I think people wanted something heavier, especially after waiting eight years. They wanted the real MORBID ANGEL. I can understand why so many people feel disappointed.

Metal Obsession: Who else would you say has influenced this album, musically?

Max: I'd say the whole era of death metal. Bands like SUFFOCATION, MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE, MASSACRE, DEATH, POSSESSED, DARK ANGEL. That whole era of death metal. There is a lot of European bands in there too. Bands like CELTIC FROST, BATHORY. I'd also say that KREATOR were a huge influence along with DESTRUCTION. I really like all of it. I mean I like all forms of heavy metal, not just death metal. I enjoy a lot of "regular" heavy metal as well, bands like ANGEL WITCH and SATAN. I love all of it, man. METAL CHURCH which isn't really fast, but is still pretty cool. I love MERCYFUL FATE, too.

Metal Obsession: Are you at all worried what will become of heavy metal in the next couple of years when all these classic bands start to disappear?

Max: Not at all, because heavy metal has a tendency to carry on whatever happens. I think Gene Simmons once said that "heavy metal is like a car that's made in Detroit. It will be here forever and never die." [laughs] That's a very good way of putting it and I believe it to be true. Heavy metal may change from time to time, but it refuses to die which is amazing. To be honest, I actually enjoy the new wave of metal bands coming out. Bands like OCEANO, WHITECHAPEL, THE ACACIA STRAIN and GOJIRA. I like it all. Some of the descriptions for these bands are a bit weird like mathcore and deathcore, but it's all good. The producer on our new record, Zeuss, he's actually worked with a lot of those bands and I love the fact that he's worked with these bands. Because I wanted a similar heavy sound for "Enslaved" and I got it with Zeuss. The sound on "Enslaved" is very modern. It's up to standards of what you'd hear from a solid band today, but with a lot of death metal influence.

Read the entire interview from Metal Obsession.