Cavalera Conspiracy
Inflikted
Roadrunner
The world of rock saw some pretty heavy reunions in 2007. The Police set aside their egos and took to the stage, David Lee Roth rejoined Van Halen – a move that many thought would never happen, and the wet dream of reunions finally went down near the close of the year when Led Zeppelin played their first full concert since 1980. With such high profile reunions stealing the spotlight, little attention was given to Cavalera Conspiracy.
Here’s a little background for those who didn’t grow up steeped in death metal. Brazilian brothers Max (vocals/guitar) and Iggor Cavalera (drums) were the heart and soul of Sepultura, arguably one of the best thrash bands in history. The brothers had a falling out, the reasons for which never officially released, and Max left Sepultura to form Soulfly. Iggor, still with Sepultura, began playing behind a new vocalist and the band went on. The relationship between the brothers crumbled and the two hadn’t spoken in over ten years until recently when they decided to take a stab at burying the hatchet on a whole lot of bad blood. The fact that the two made their peace with one another and managed to rekindle the flame of their musical partnership is nothing short of a metal miracle.
The result is an album that drops like a bomb. Inflikted, which features Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo on guitar and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier on bass, picks up where Sepultura’s Roots left off. The “thunder drums” of Iggor sound as if he’d been locked in a closet for the last decade and only now was allowed to handle the sticks, and, unlike the more nu-metal influenced Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy finds Max at his most vicious. Bringing in another friend from the old days, Pantera/Down bassist Rex Brown guest stars on “Ultra Violent.”
This band, and this album, will not let down Sepultura fans who have been waiting for this reunion for over ten years. Expectations were high, but fear of being let down was even higher. Rest assured, old fans, Cavalera Conspiracy is not a mercy project, nor is it about cashing in. It’s about bringing the metal back.
Songs to split your head open on: “Inflikted,” “Sanctuary,” “Hex,” “Bloodbrawl,” “Nevertrust.”
Cavalera Conspiracy: http://www.cavaleraconspiracy.com
