After 24 years, Soulfly/ex-Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera shouldn’t really have to prove himself as relevant metal artist; he stands tall as one of the most prolific frontmen in the genre, and has earned global respect for his consistency and creation of one of the finest trash bands of the 80’s.
It’s a big album for Max and co, since it marks Soulfly’s seventh record over trash-titans Sepultura, whom Max only recorded six albums with. Omen is a brash, brisk, stripped down statement of intent that sees the rhythmic Brazilian grooves, the tribal barking, and world music which graced the past six Soulfly records scarce.
Instead; Max pays homage to the music that shaped his own musical direction — a relentless barrage of hardcore/thrash/metal. Opening track, Bloodbath & Beyond has the intensity and reminiscence of the work Cavalera did with his brother on 2008’s Cavalera Conspiracy album. On completion, it begs the question: was there anything new there?
Whilst the record remains well paced and consistent, with Marc Rizzo’s lead guitar work beautifully crafted over riff after riff after chugga-chugga riff, Soulfly do not offer anything outrageously different, nor does Max throw any key lyrical work or riffage to separate it from the 80’s albums he recorded with Sepultura. Or any other 80’s trash band for that matter.
Max’s serial killer dedication feels about 15 years late: ‘Jeffrey Dahmer – master cannibal. Jeffrey Dahmer – master of the gruesome’ is comical. Though tracks like the blistering Vulture Culture, and the glorious Counter Sabotage showcase Cavalera’s sharp craftsmanship and will most likely cause mass nostalgia to Sepultura fanboys and girls around the world.
Collaborations with Tommy Victor from Prong on the pulsating groove of Lethal Injection and Greg Puciato from Dillinger Escape Plan on the moshpit inducing Rise of The Fallen stand out as instant highlights too, continuing in Max’s tradition to collaborate with other artists.
Final track Soulfly VII is a chilled out and melodic affair yet with Omen, undermines an album what could’ve easily ended with the bleeding guitar feedback of Counter Sabotage. Max must not feel inclined to break tradition.
Omen is very much one of those dreaded Marmite albums that’ll have fans either questioning Max’s motives or praising him for revisiting his roots before his own roots go grey.
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You can check out the first single from Omen, Rise of the Fallen (featuring Greg Puciato from The Dillinger Escape Plan) here.
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