Soulfly at the Gramercy Theatre

Max Cavalera with Soulfly at the Gramercy Theatre

Max Cavalera parted with Brazil’s pioneer thrash metal band Sepultura in 1996 and formed Soulfly in 1997, based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Soulfly incorporated thrash metal with Brazilian tribal and world music and sang about spiritual and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly released eight studio albums, one tour EP, several singles, and one DVD video. Cavalera remains the only constant member of Soulfly.

At the Gramercy Theatre tonight, Soulfly played extreme grindcore with blasting beats (by Max’s son, Zyon Cavalera), groove-driven riffs and guttural war cries. While some of the band’s albums have been criticized by metal fans for mixing too many styles and not being heavy enough, the live performance brought those influences together and made them all ultra-heavy. The band crunched, and unlike many metalcore bands that dismiss a lot of lead guitar in favor of power chords, Soulfly showcased Marc Rizzo’s speedy guitar licks. I wish I could have stayed for the whole set, but I wanted to catch some of Every Time I Die’s concert at Irving Plaza.