By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times
Max and Iggor Cavalera are the original founding members of Brazilian heavy metal legends Sepultura, and specifically the team behind the band’s early albums — including seminal releases such as “Arise,” “Chaos A.D.” and “Roots.”
The Cavalera brothers have gone on to cement their legacy in metal music — Max with Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy (also featuring Iggor) and Killer Be Killed and Iggor with his highly-acclaimed project MIXHELL.
Last year, they stormed across America with off their much-anticipated “Return to Roots Tour.” In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Sepultura classic album “Roots,” Max and Iggor — along with their Cavalera Conspiracy brothers Marc Rizzo on guitar and Johny Chow on bass — performed the album in its entirety at each show.
Now, Brazilian metal master Max Cavalera is back on the road with Soulfly on a tour with Cannabis Corpse that plays October 23 at the Voltage Lounge (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215- 964-9602, www.Voltagelounge.com).
Once again, a side project plays a big role in the show – Max Cavalera’s former side project Nailbomb.
Cavalera created a massive buzz earlier this year when he announced Soulfly’s North American “Point Blank” tour.
Each night on the tour, the iconic top-charting band – featuring Max Cavalera on vocals and guitar, Mike Leon on bass and backing vocals, renowned guitarist Marc Rizzo on leads, and Zyon Cavalera on drums and percussion – will perform Nailbomb”s classic full-length album, “Point Blank,” in its entirety.
Nailbomb was an industrial-influenced thrash metal project established by Cavalera and Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel in 1994. The band recorded one studio album, “Point Blank,” and played one live performance before disbanding the following year.
The album has remained an underground favorite of heavy metal fans since its release, and as expected, the original announcement of this tour stirred up a frenzy.
“The idea for this came from my wife,” said Max Cavalera, during a recent phone interview from his home in Phoenix, Arizona.
“It was her idea to have Soulfly play the Nailborn record. I gave it a little thought and realized it was a good idea – Soulfly, a powerhouse band, playing ‘Nailborn,’ a powerhouse album. Fans always have wanted to hear Nailborn.
“‘Point Blank’ is one of the five favorite albums I ever did and it’s still relevant today. We are rolling and it’s fun. It’s a different rush of adrenalin for us. At my age and at this point in my career, I need a breath of fresh air.”
When Cavalera toured last year with his brother, they focused on the “Roots” album.’
“Nailborn’s record is a lot different than ‘Roots,’” said Cavalera. “With Nailborn, the energy, the anger, the brutality that I love about metal is all there.
“The Cavalera Company tour was great. I love being on the road. I feel more comfortable on the road than I do at home. The shows are my favorite part. Each day had 23 hours of messing around and one hour of the show – the greatest hour of the day.
“My son Zyon Cavalera plays drums for Soulfly and is also in the opening band Lody Kong with his brother Igor Cavalera – a band that is a three-piece like Motörhead.
“With this tour, it’s like a metal Partridge Family on the road. It’s hilarious – and it’s fun. It’s exciting to see the kids doing good things. I’m such a big metal fan that it gets me really excited to see them playing this music.”
Video link for Soulfly – https://youtu.be/ibEkdJkXrFY.
The tour also has Cannabis Corpse and Noisem on the all-metal bill.
Cannabi Corpse
Cannabis Corpse is a marijuana-themed death metal band that formed in 2006 in Richmond, Virginia. Since then, Cannabis Corpse has released three albums and one EP.
The band features members of Municipal Waste, GWAR, and Antietam 1862. The band’s name originates from a parody of the name for veteran death metal band Cannibal Corpse.
The band delivers a deadly dose of brutal death metal with its long-awaited new album “Left Hand Pass,” which also features guitarist Ray Suhy.
Under the influence of the genre legends who preceded them, the trio give rise to unrelenting piece of crushing, weed-themed death replete with their signature, THC-fueled, horror fiction lyrics.
While the Cannabis Corpse songs are fully original, the group’s album and song titles are parodies of many other death metal bands’ album and song titles – for example, “Tube of the Resinated” from Cannibal Corpse’s “Tomb of the Mutilated.”
Philip “Landphil” Hall and his brother Josh “HallHammer” Hall along with Andy “Weedgrinder” Horn recorded a demo which eventually became “Blunted at Birth” and the band signed with Richmond, Virginia-based Forcefield Records.
“I formed the band in 2006 with my brother,” said Philip Hall, during a phone interview last week as the band traveled to a gig in Seattle.
“We’re twin brothers and we spend a lot of time together. We had a lot of the same experiences and we liked a lot of the same bands. We enjoy playing together and we were looking for some good technical death metal.
“We were making some death metal we liked and it snowballed from there. It was well-received so we decided to put a live band together. At first, all the guys were from Richmond. But, band members have come and gone. In 10 years, we’ve really improved a lot.”
“Left Hand Pass” has received a lot of positive reviews in the metal community.
“We were working on the album for the last two years,” said Hall. “Josh and I self-produce all our music. We do all the tracking and editing ourselves.
“Most of the tracks are ones I’ve written. Then, my brother and I record them and send them to Ray. We still live in Richmond while Ray lives in Red Bank, New Jersey.
“In our live show, we play a mix of everything. We just try to make our set as brutal as possible – brutal, old-school dark metal.”
Video link for Cannabis Corpse – https://youtu.be/kpIQ8uiGWZg.
The all-ages show at the Voltage Lounge will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.
