Soulfly, led by the legendary Max Cavalera along with guitar wizard Marc Rizzo, Max’s son Zyon and the addition of latest recruit on bass, Mike Leon return with album number 11 in “Ritual”. Say what you will about Soulfly but they remain creatively consistent when delivering news songs in an age when bands are taking more and more time in between albums. Add to the fact that Max himself is one busy guy with several projects always on his radar at any given time simply means there’s no time wasted when putting out new music. While some of the last few albums have maybe suffered a little from that fact as well as a need to explore different avenues and embrace a more thrashier and extreme approach, with “Ritual” it seems that things have come full circle as Soulfly return to what they do best.
I have to admit that while the last Soulfly album “Archangel” had the makings of a classic metal record – the artwork alone was mesmerizingly brilliant – the lasting power overall didn’t quite deliver with repeated plays after a while which was disappointing. In fact the last few Soulfly albums haven’t quite grabbed my attention in the same way that albums like “Prophecy” and “Dark Ages” did despite retaining much of Soulfly’s signature sound. What was probably missing was the groove factor and here on “Ritual” it was that realization that was the key to what made Soulfly such a great band. The thrashier, more technical aspects were cool, “Conquer” had it’s moments but the more extreme nature of the later albums like on “Savages” saw things get lost in the mix a bit.
“Ritual” sees Soulfly come full circle with a sound that quite frankly finds the right balance between early Soulfy and what could be considered the more thrashier and aggressive sounding aspect of the band. Max Cavalera has always been known to be in his element when those groove metal beats finds it’s way through his voice and guitar and here it’s on point in every way possible. The 11th album may very well be some of the band’s finest work to date and it all starts off with the title track which is vintage Soulfly through and through but combined with their modern sound. Zyon Cavalera on drums is a beast and hooks you right into his groove oriented tribal beats which break down massively half way.
While previous albums have featured an array of guests, this time around it’s at a very bare minimum but with notable choices. Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe makes an appearance with almost lead vocals on “Dead Behind The Eyes“, a harder edge track with a sort of punky vibe mixed in while Immolation’s Ross Dolan provides some tightness in the mid-section of the death metal inspired “Under Rapture“which sees Max Cavalera contemplate life and death in what is one of the highlights of the album. The extra heavy machinery added by Ross is a brilliant move and truly makes this song come alive.
If you want the perfect summation of this album and how Soulfly have managed to blend the early sounds with the later styles, see no further than “The Summoning“. The energy bounds about plentiful here and ends with a thumping electronic beat but done metal style. Of course there’s many more memorable moments on the album which gives way to the idea that Soulfly have really stepped up their game with “Ritual”.
The double bass drives “Evil Empowered” while “Blod On The Street” goes the opposite direction and does a throwback to the Roots of Sepultura. “Bite The Bullet” has a stack of highlights packed into it’s 4 minute timescape and “Feedback!” pays tribute musically to some classic heroes like Motorhead but injected with a healthy dose of Soulfly’s more heavier leanings. “Ritual” has it all in terms of what fans have come to know and love about Soulfly. It’s the perfect balance between what was and what is and while it’s taken a few years to get back on track, Soulfly have done themselves justice with this one.
TRACKLIST
Ritual
Dead Behind The Eyes
The Summoning
Evil Empowered
Under Rapture
Demonized
Blod On The Street
Bite The Bullet
Feedback!
Soulfly XI
