I am a big admirer of Max Cavalera. I especially like the stuff he did when he was in SEPULTURA and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, but also his Industrial Metal project NAILBOMB, on which he worked with Alex Newport, the main man within FUDGE TUNNEL. I even love the SEPULTURA albums he rerecorded with his brother Igor under the name CAVALERA. The band that didn't always impress me was SOULFLY. At the start I felt that their Groove Metal was a bit too much into the jumping scene, at least for my taste, but I could still enjoy listening to them. It was only when the albums got a lot Heavier and Thrashier, a lot more like SEPULTURA if you will, that the band really got my full attention. The one thing that always stood out was that there would be one song on every album that was a complete differentiation from the rest. But that was what made SOULFLY into SOULFLY. As I hadn't been following the band too closely the last couple of years, I thought it would be fun to reintroduce myself to them by reviewing the latest SOULFLY offering "Chama".

Gone is the jumping up and down from the early years, only to be substituted by a much more Industrial Metal vibe, whilst keeping a little bit of Groove Metal vibe, but also a little bit of Thrash Metal atmosphere in there. It makes for interesting listening, as to me this sounds like Max Cavalera is trying to recreate the effect that NAILBOMB had some thirty years ago. I'm afraid that I have to tell you that if that is the case, it hasn't worked. The main reasons for that being that the sound is too organic to be classed as Industrial. Plus the songs that are put on "Chama" are very sloppy and as loose as a retired size queen's private parts It makes SOULFLY sound as if they are on a really bad trip and haven't been able to give their instruments the settings and therefore the sounds that would give them a coherent, strong and convincing sound. Nope, to me they now sound like a lost puppy.

"Chama" is not only an album that isn't worthy of the name that SOULFLY always has stood for, it is a real disappointment when it comes to anything related to the name Max Cavalera. I for one am glad that this album only is 32 minutes long. I hope that when the time comes SOULFLY will be able to revenge "Chama" with music that can be proud to carry that band name.