Soulfly is a Brazilian-American metal band from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. The band was formed in 1997 by Max Cavalera and is based in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He is mainly classified in thrash metal and death metal with elements of hardcore and nu metal. Cavalera, guitarist-singer and founder of Sepultura, leaves this last group to create Soulfly after personal disagreements. The band released a total of eight studio albums, an EP, several singles and a DVD. The eighth album Enslaved is published on March 13, 2012>.
The album Primitive is ranked 32> of the Billboard 200. The first album, Soulfly, is certified gold by the RIAA>. The group knows, in its existence, many changes of line-up and Cavalera remains the only constant member. Soulfly incorporates several styles of metal, as well as tribal music and Brazilian music. His favorite themes are the spiritual and the religion, the war, the violence and the anger.
Cavalera is troubled when recording Soulfly's debut album and explains, on the group's website, having formed the group "with the idea of combined sounds and spiritual beliefs. ". With his departure from one of the most renowned thrash metal bands in the world, he also faces the death of his son-in-law, Dana Wells. The first self-titled album was released in April 1998, and it is ranked number 79 on the Billboard 200. In addition to the band itself, participate to this album personalities like Mario C., Burton C. Bell, Dino Cazares and Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory, Fred Durst and DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit, Chino Moreno of Deftones, Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill and Jorge do Peixe and Gilmar Bola Oito of Chico Science & Nação Zumbi. He is recorded at Indigo Studios Ranch in Malibu, California and is produced by Ross Robinson.
Cavalera has also expanded to other areas than metal. He became a speaker at music conferences, appeared in the New Music Marathon in New York, and at the Crossing Border Festival in The Hague, in the Netherlands. Bas, and at the end of 1997, he sings for a TV commercial for Sprite in Brazil. A variety of influences, including metal, appear on the Primitive album, and it is the band's best-selling album in the United States, reaching the top of the list. Billboard 200 and the 11> place independent rankings. Joe Nunez replaces Roy Mayorga on drums for Primitive . The album, produced by Toby Wright, includes a number of collaborations, including Slipknot's Corey Taylor and Stone Sour, Sean Lennon, Deftones' Chino Moreno, Slayer's Tom Araya, Will Haven's Grady Avenell. In addition, the visuals are created by Neville Garrick, illustrator of Bob Marley's albums. The release of the album is followed by world tours with eg Pantera, Morbid Angel and a date at Ozzfest.
