Another cold night in wintry Wolverhampton beckons but KK’s Steel Mill is always a welcome sight. A former factory building owned by former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing, the venue, opened in 2018, has already gained a great reputation, landing many top quality metal acts ahead of other local rivals.
It’s one thing to see siblings together in music, but two generations in one band is not as typical. Go Ahead And Die features legendary Max Cavalera (ex-Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy, Soulfly, etc.) and his son, Igor Cavalera Jr. (Healing Magic, Lody Kong). What’s more, Johnny Valles (live drummer for Cerebral Rot, Black Braid, etc.) has picked up the drumming role on their latest album, Unhealthy Mechanisms (Nuclear Blast Records). The three-piece specializes in a groovy death metal band with some crossover punk spilled over the top.
A lot has changed in the twenty years since my first Bloodstock. What began as a relatively small indoor gathering in the middle of Derby city centre now welcomes around fifteen thousand metal fans from around the world annually. From two days, two halls, a signing room, and a “Metal Market” to four days, four stages, a signing tent, art gallery, gaming zone, and curiosities such as Viking battles and even early morning Heavy Metal Aerobics sessions, the changes to Bloodstock have been gradual but necessary.
Okay, so it was decided that Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions (Nuclear Blast) were to be plucked from the Sepultura catalog for re-recording by founding members Max and Igor Cavalera. Can we all agree on that? Great. Now legions of fans will pound and holler about “we already have those available on CD and on streaming.” Then the other side of the audience moans about the Cavalera siblings being greedy or some such shit.
To be perfectly frank, the biggest issue with Static Abyss’ Aborted from Reality (Peaceville Records) is that they decided to release the album the same year as Obituary’s recent destroyer, Dying of Everything. It’s been a consistent thorn on the side of Chris Reifert and Greg Wilkinson for quite some time as Obituary has always outshined their most well-known project, Autopsy, as well.
Max Cavalera, a true legend and without a doubt one of the hardest working men in Metal, is back with the first new Soulfly music since Ritual in 2018. Although never one to sit on his laurels, since then Max has also treated us to Reluctant Hero (2020), the second album from his Killer Be Killed side project, and last year’s excellent nod to the old school and self-proclaimed “Caveman Metal” record, Go Ahead And Die, with his son Igor. Continue reading
The Gramercy Theater was electrified with anticipation as the venue became filled to capacity. It’s a surprise to no one that this show is sold out – this was special. Special to the old heads that cut their metal teeth on Sepultura from the very beginning. Special to the later fans that came up with Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy. All these people came out to show their love and respect to Max and Iggor as they came to honor their legacy and make the masses move to songs from the classic albums Arise and Beneath the Remains.
Whenever an established act loses its frontman, especially one as talismanic as Max Cavalera, fans are usually left choosing sides. Do you go with the musician striking out on their own or do your allegiances remain with the band? Largely dependent on the situation, an amicable split can leave listeners happily following both parties down separate paths to the promise of glory but when open hostility is at the heart of the separation, loyalties are often put to the test.Continue reading
We chatted with Igor “Iggor” Cavalera on the upcoming “Return Beneath Arise” with his brother Max Cavalera of Soulfly. We talked to the metal drumming legend about their upcoming tour celebrating Sepultura history, the early days of the band, recording “Beneath The Remains, and “Arise,” working with producer Scott Burns, being in a band with his Max Cavalera, classic Sepultura breakdowns, how his drumming has changed over the years, his web series on drumming, working with bassist Mike Leon (Soulfly) and drummer Daniel Gonzalez (Possessed/Gruesome), his other projects including Absent in Body (Relapse Records), and more! Continue reading
Formed in 2004 by Richie Cavalera, the stepson of former Sepultura frontman, Max Cavalera, Arizona groove thrashers Incite have undergone several changes in personnel during their eighteen-year existence but their edge has not been dulled even slightly. Wake Up Dead (Atomic Fire Records), the band’s sixth full-length studio album, is another seething mass of riffs and rage that sees the return of bassist Christopher “EL” Elsten and drummer Lennon Lopez while also welcoming guitarist Eli Santana to the fold.