April of 2008 - RAG Magazine

chaotic at the same time.
Inflikted (which debuted March 25, 2008 on Roadrunner
Records) incorporates rhythmic, Brazilian riffage, and hardcore
punk-esque vocals. Max admits, “This album is reinvented...
Death/Thrash era mixed with now. All those elements are part
of the Conspiracy.” Yes, Inflikted is defiantly oozing with energy,
raw vocals, guitar riffs, and drum beats that make the hairs on
your neck stand up; then there are the lyrics that you can’t get
out of your head, no matter how hard you try.
When listening to Inflikted straight through, from beginning to
end, you can hear and (almost) feel the violence and anger
injected in every inch of the album. Inflikted is thrashy and fierce,
but at the same time, you can jam and groove to the songs.
With lyrics like “fed up and fucked up, born from war and tension,”
from “Bloodbrawl,” and “I‘ll be the end and the beginning, I‘ll be
the soul without fear,” from “Dark Ark,” you can sense the
brilliance that runs through the veins of Cavalera Conspiracy.
That being said, Cavalera Conspiracy makes it extremely evident
that they don’t give a shit what anyone other than their fans
think.
Cavelera Conspiracy
By Jazilette Picard
After a ten-year separation, brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera
buried the hatchet and created: Cavalera Conspiracy. Inflikted
is the brothers’ first record together since Sepultura’s 1996
release, Roots. And Inflikted could not have come at a better
time. “The music came and everything became right again,”
says front man Max Cavalera. He continues, “Me and Iggor speak
through music more than we speak through words, and our
relationship is stronger than ever.”
Inflikted is full of aggression and angst-ridden lyrics, in
“Nevertrust,” it screams out anarchy, and with “Must Kill,” there’s
morbid chaos. Each track on the album exudes intricate and
fast-paced percussion as well as simple guitar riffs that hook
you almost instantly. Inflikted also contains the B-side, “Exorcist,”
which is a cover of a Posessed’s tune. Confesses Max, “This
is the metal I wanted to show my fans. I drew more inspiration
from movies like ’A Clockwork Orange’, ‘Apocalypse Now,’ and
‘City of God,’ which was a different experience from what I do in
Soulfly,”
Inflikted showcases Max’s newfound inspiration through his
lyrics. which are very complex and a bit rigid at times. Somehow,
Max By Joseph Cavalera Vilane is able to make every word sound melodic and
40| DEC RAG MAGAZINE
Cavalera Conspiracy aren’t going out of their way to play music
that appeals to the general audience; all they want to do is play
raw metal that their supporters appreciate, and have been
waiting patiently for. Inflikted is death metal meets powerful,
melodic, electro punk; further, along with Max’s trembling growls
and Iggor’s murderous drumming, there are also a few guest
appearances: Max’s close friend Rex Brown (Pantera) covers
bass on “Ultra-Violet.” In fact, Rex and Max toured in 2001, and
Max is surprised that he didn’t die on the Pantera tour. Confesses
Max, “too much alcohol.” Max also collaborated with his
stepson, Ritchie (Incite), on vocals. Reveals Max, “Having Ritchie
on the album made this family even tighter. Iggor and Ritchie
are very close; he gave him his first Mohawk in 1994. Iggor just
asked me one night if he could borrow Ritchie, and when Iggor
came back, he told me that he had just ‘shaved my son’s head.”
Cavalera Conspiracy already have a music video circulating for
the single “Sanctuary,” which is like a four-minute horror movie
that apparently explains everything that is Cavalera Conspiracy:
death, murder, fear, and violence. Cavalera Conspiracy kick of
their tour promoting Inflikted on May 30, 2008, at the Electric
Weekend Festival, in Europe, and according to Max, fans should
expect nothing short of, “fucking insane shows…” “This tour is
going to be kick ass,” continues Max. “We are gonna drop
eleven songs off the album, all at once! It’s gonna sound like
one long song, and then we’ll do covers, and jam.”
Although Inflikted was not planned, the record was like a journey,
and Max Cavalera does want people to take something away
from this new record. “Never say never…mend broken
barriers…I hope this inspires people to say, ‘fuck that, let’s
reunite,’ like Max and Iggor.” We did it, it‘s real, and it‘s here.”
Cavalera Conspiracy’s Inflikted tour is going to be the much
awaited reunion of the classic lineup of Max and Iggor Cavalera,
and it’s going to be nothing short of kick ass! Cavalera
Conspiracy are going to leave you craving for more destruction,
whether it’s through their album or live shows. And to borrow a
line from the band, at the end of the day Inflikted will surely
have you “unleashing the wicked.”