Soulfly is a pretty notorious band in the metal world. Max Cavalera, the founder, frontman, and main songwriter for the band, is within the upper echelon of the metal hierarchy. He is legendary mostly for his stint in one of the best metal bands of all-time, Sepultura, but has spent the last 15 years turning Soulfly into what it is now, a stalwart of the metal community.
However, despite Soulfly being well-known and inspirational in the metal world, it is mostly a hit-or-miss band. Their first album was great, a nice mix of the tribal metal Cavalera became known for in Sepultura with the nu-metal that was popular at the time. However, for the few years that followed, Soulfly became strictly a nu-metal band, losing itself within the times. But when "Dark Ages" dropped in 2005, a new wave of inspiration hit the band. Dropping all influences, the band seemingly began to focus on creating solid metal outings that sounded like no one else, and the band has been on a pretty great roll since then.
So, 7 years and 3 albums later, the band drops "Enslaved." In the months prior to its release, many of the band members hyped it up as a return to Cavalera's "death/thrash" heyday in Sepultura. Did it live up to this hype?
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1.) "Resistance"
This song begins with a strong bassline and a strong hook that continues through its short shelf life, but it's most noticeably an introduction song. I'd compare it to "Execution" off of Slipknot's most recent album, in that it doesn't go anywhere, but rather introduces the rest of the album. If you're buying songs off of iTunes or something similar (as opposed to the entire album) just give this one a skip. However, it does start the album off in a good way.
2.) "World Scum"
Another song intro'd by a strong bass line by new bassist Tony Campos, which quickly diverges into the death/thrash territory that the band hyped. Cavalera has help from Cattle Decapitation vocalist Travis Ryan on this song, and his addition easily makes this not only one of the heaviest songs on the album, but one of the heaviest tracks that Soulfly has ever done. It's clear to tell why they chose this song to be the first single released a couple of months back, as it showcases what's to come on the rest of the album; new drummer David Kinkade described it perfectly as "'Arise' on crack" (referencing one of Sepultura's best works).
3.) "Intervention"
This song sounds like more of the usual Soulfly. It's a lot chunkier than "World Scum" in that it features more prominent hooks and turns. Longtime Soulfly guitarist (and frequent Cavalera Conspirator) shines on this one. The most noticeable difference in this and previous Soulfly songs is the breakdown near the end, which Soulfly really hasn't tried before. Regardless, a good song. 8/10
4.) "Gladiator"
An interesting intro leads to a riff-heavy song that's one of the catchier songs on the album. However, don't take that as being a "radio-friendly" song. This one sounds like it could have been on the last Cavalera Conspiracy album, as it features the kind of groove that's normally reserved for that band, but it's still heavy. Rizzo gets some more time to shine, and he gets to flex his virtuoso muscles a little with sitar-influenced breakdowns in between grooving and soloing like a madman. Probably one of my favorite songs on the album, because it's a song that takes only a single breath in between the many twists and turns, and the chants of "Hail Caesar!"
5.) "Legions"
A sound effect of marching intros this song, which quickly turns into another fast-speed groovefest, led by Rizzo yet again. This song sets itself apart from "Gladiator" in that it's catchy, but is more chunky in parts yet faster throughout the verses. By this point in the album, Soulfly have created yet another sound for themselves. Rizzo leads with a very melodic solo about halfway through the song, another thing that is very unheard of in Soulfly's discography, but it quickly returns to the metal insanity before settling down with the calming sounds of distant gunfire.
6.) "American Steel"
What sounds like it may be a Toby Keith anthem sung at a Republican convention is very much not. This song is a fast-paced thrasher throughout the first minute of its running time, and then turns into a chunky groove metal piece after that (the change is very unexpected, which is interesting). Cavalera gives one of his heaviest, most guttural performances in this song, proving that despite his age (which usually limits metal vocalist over 40), he is nowhere near being done, and sounds more pissed than he has in quite some time.
7.) "Redemption Of Man By God"
This song features one of my favorite (and one of the best) metal vocalists, Dez Fafara from Devildriver, so odds are that I'm going to like it. And that I do. A creepy, calm intro brings the song in, and sounds very unlike normal Soulfly, before turning into another heavy thrash-fest. The trade-off between Cavalera and Fafara sounds good, with Fafara's higher-pitched shrieks adding extra depth to the formalities. I'd compare this tune to "Lethal Injection" off of their last album, "Omen", in that the guest vocalist (in that song's case, Tommy Victory from Prong) doesn't change the format of the song, but rather adds to what's already there. Another great song, featuring a tempo change near the end that's really unexpected but still keeps you interested.
8.) "Treachery"
A brutal "This is treachery!" scream brings this song in, before turning into what is probably the fastest song on the album. Kinkade's drumming and Rizzo's guitar work really lead this song, as this song is all about the thrash. The grooves in this song are rare, but when they hit you, they hit you hard. And despite it being the fastest song on the album, that doesn't stop it from featuring a very melodic solo from Rizzo, who finally gets to show his expert guitar skills on this album. Kinkade's inhumanly-fast double bass drum kicks end the album in style.
9.) "Plato O Plomo"
To be honest, I have no idea what the song title means or lyrically implies but this is another good song. This is one of the groovier songs on the album, and sounds similar to something you'd hear on an Ankla album. There are many Latino references in the song, not only from the Portuguese lyrics, but from Tony Campos' added vocals, the tribal/flamenco guitar by Rizzo, and the additional content within the song. If you like Latin-flavored metal, then this is your jam.
10.) "Chains"
This is definitely one of the more "epic" songs that Soulfly has ever done, from the extended intro to sheer length (it's over 7 minutes long). It's definitely a slower, chuggier song than Soulfly is used to, but it somehow works to the band's advantage; I'd go as far to say that this song is a bigger departure than anything else on the album, in that it's more doom-inspired. Of course, there are moments of thrash, but this is largely a slower-paced song that builds up throughout its running time. Definitely one of my favorite songs on the album.
11.) "Revengeance"
This song is a great closer to the album, in that it features all three of Cavalera's sons, including his stepson Richie Cavalera, the vocalist to the criminally underrated metal band Incite. This track definitely follows the death/thrash influence to its end, and showcases all three of Cavalera's sons' talents masterfully.
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Vocals:
Max Cavalera definitely has his own distinct style of vocals, and it hasn't changed or varied much in the nearly 30 years he's been in the metal scene. If you've enjoyed any of his vocal material from his days in Sepultura, Naildown, Cavalera Conspiracy, or even this band, Soulfly, then you'll appreciate his work on this album. He definitely tries to give it a deeper, more guttural approach this go-around, but it's largely the same (which is a good thing). The lyrics on this album deal with slavery (which is a given, due to the name of it), and Cavalera's fear of it.
Guitar:
What more can I say about guitarist Marc Rizzo besides that he's a virtuoso? He's been a stalwart of Soulfly and one of Max Cavalera's major contributors for nearly a decade, and released several instructional/instrumental albums that showcase his ability. Despite being under-used on many of Soulfly's albums, he finally gets a chance to break loose and shine on this album.
Bass:
This is the first Soulfly album I've listened to that had a very noticeable bass sound. Tony Campos, formerly of Asesino and Static-X, really gets to showcase his metal chops on this album, and proves himself. The bass is great on this album, especially in tracks such as "World Scum" and "Plato O Plomo." This definitely reveals that Campos has been underrated for far too long.
Drums:
New drummer David Kinkade, from the death metal band Borknagar, increases the tempo of the song with his drumming alone. Drumming has never been something that stood out to me on a Soulfly album, but Kinkade does a great job with the material, turning what could have been basic Soulfly material and infusing his death-inspired drumming with it. His double bass kicks, especially in songs such as "Gladiator," "World Scum," and "Treachery" are daring you to not head bang (which is impossible).
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If you've ever liked Soulfly, or you are one of those holdouts who only liked Cavalera's old stuff with Sepultura, then you'll like this album. It's the album I've been waiting for him to make for years, and it's definitely light years beyond what Sepultura's making nowadays without him.
This is the perfect mixture between regular Soulfly material and "Arise"-era Sepultura, when many believe Cavalera was in tip-top shape. It's personally my favorite Soulfly album by far, and if you like metal music in general, you'll find something to like (or love) about this album.
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