Thrash metal has undergone something of a renaissance in recent times. Advanced warning: this is going to be a bit of an extended metaphor, but stick with it.
The biggest bands in this particular game, namely MACHINE HEAD, LAMB OF GOD and SOULFLY, have blown previous lacklustre records out of the water with blistering efforts – ‘The Blackening’ and ‘Sacrament’ respectively for the former two, and SOULFLY’s magnum opus of recent times, ‘Dark Ages’; an absolute behemoth of a record fuelled by frontman Max Cavalera’s emotional turmoil, it remains one of metal’s great underrated albums of the 21st century to date.
However, following the aforementioned game-changers, none of the follow-up records had quite the same effect – ‘Unto The Locust’, ‘Wrath’ and ‘Omen’ just lacked that je ne sais quoi. Where SOULFLY may have bucked the trend though, is to come out all guns blazing once again with ‘Enslaved’.
Having formed SEPULTURA in 1984, it’s amazing how Max Cavalera can still work this hard. Not only are SOULFLY still bringing out records with this much vibrance and vitality, he also has an ongoing project with his brother and fellow SEPULTURA founding member Iggor, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY. If he is tired, it certainly doesn’t show – the pace and force are unyielding, up-tempo and brutal simultaneously. Filler is few and far between, from the polished groove of ‘Gladiator’ to the favela flavour for the old-school of ‘Plata O Plomo’, this is an extremely accomplished effort.
The highlight of this record, though, has to be ‘Revengeance’ – a visceral, cathartic cut in tribute to Cavalera’s murdered stepson Dana, featuring stepson Richie and sons Igor and Zyon; it’s unlikely that you’ll hear a more emotional outpouring all year. Max has described this record as “(1991 seminal Sepultura record) ‘Arise’ on crack”, but it goes so much deeper than that. This is the first real essential metal purchase of 2012, and I can only hope this promotes them to a higher plateau – this could be a massive year for SOULFLY, and deservedly so. Phenomenal stuff.
OLLIE CONNORS