Review Summary: Back to the primitive
The first Max Cavalera disc I picked up opened with the in-utero heartbeat of his unborn son, and now 32 years later that son supplies the heartbeat behind the kit of his father’s most career focused band. Although Zyon has been providing vicious rhythm for 12 years through 5 albums dating back to “Savages”, it’s only now I’m convinced of his creative input. The influence of Zyon on “Chama” cannot be underestimated. How else can you explain the fury and madness behind “Chama”. It’s young man’s fury.
But Max is also invigorated after the recent re-recording sessions with his brother Igor of the early Sepultura records. These sessions must have relit a fire of his own youth as the dark energy of “Morbid Visions” and “Schizophrenia” pervades the 33 minutes of “Chama” which gives it a rawness and authenticity that is the lasting impression of the record. To the point you can imagine the getup of Max and Zyon during these “Chama” inception and execution days of black studded jackets, as I observed during Igor and Max’s touring of the re-recordings.
“Chama” is more than an energy throwback to young man’s metal, it’s got a message and meaning that the Cavaleras have long held regarding indigenous rights and preservation of culture. The whispered, scrambled lead in to “Indigenous Inquisition” reminds me of “Hell Awaits”, the remainder is a beating of the drums before the tribal onslaught of sticks and arrows as “Storm the Gates” breaks through. Led heavily by percussion, “Storm the Gates” is pure Soulfly, a filthy 2025 incarnation with the barking of Max deep in the mix with sticksman Zyon prominent.
The cacophonous “Nihilist” lends from its title, laying waste with manic grooves and occasional lairing of lead guitar. It is industrially heavy and devoid of subtlety as Max has been known to explore with past projects like Nailbomb and Go Ahead And Die.
The suffering of his birthplaces’ tribes is (again) put to music in “No Pain = No Power”, the first relative sense of normalcy in the guest chorus vocals with compadre Dino Cazares also involved to provide one of the more memorable moments in “Chama”. Michael Amott guesting on “Ghenna” doesn’t give the flavour as expected with Amott slotting into the industrial mindset that is decidedly more reunion era Fear Factory that Arch Enemy have ever been.
It’s a dark edition of Soulfly which in truth has been the trajectory since Zyon joined after the “Enslaved” album. And even though Max has aged like fine wine, this powder keg is more akin to 6% XPA, a drop for young men and those built with that mettle. Only a serious lifer like Max could put down songs like “Black Hole Scum” with its devastating late breakdown or “Favela / Dystopia” 40 years after breaking out of his own favela. The Cavalera brothers of 1986 would be chuffed with the intensity of “Favela / Dystopia”, mean with riffs and attitude.
“Always Was, Always Will Be…” could very well be a nod to Australian indigenous peoples’ mantra of who the land belongs to, as it fits perfectly with the album’s thread, the song itself a slow burning karla nyidiny but also a continuation of the haunting on this record.
Across and within the ten tracks there’s a wicked amalgam of black thrash, punk, groove and nu-metal with an industrial edge but also has flashes of Brazilian tribal, and it wouldn’t be a Soulfly release without an instalment of the moniker track. To hell with expectation and accessibility, Max and Zyon have instead chosen the path of most resistance and with “Chama” would be /proud to commit commercial suicide/.
