Watch: SOULFLY Performs New Music ‘Favela Dystopia’ From Upcoming Album

SOULFLY performed a brand new tune referred to as “Favela Dystopia” dwell for the primary time on July 8 at Maimunarnika in Sofia, Bulgaria and once more on July 10 at Dorćol Platz in Belgrade, Serbia. Fan-filmed video of the Belgrade efficiency of the observe will be seen beneath.

“Favela Dystopia” is predicted to look on SOULFLY‘s upcoming follow-up to 2022’s “Totem” album, tentatively due in late 2025 or early 2026.

In a latest interview with MetalUnderground.com, SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera spoke about his plans for the band’s subsequent LP. He mentioned: “We’re engaged on the brand new file proper now. It is going good, man. We’re taking our time to do it proper. We’re within the means of ending the recordings proper now, after which we’re gonna begin getting stuff blended and discovering the songs which might be gonna go on all of the socials, Spotify and all that jive. However, yeah, I am very happy with the file.”

Concerning the musical route of the brand new SOULFLY materials, Max mentioned: “The file, it is cool. It feels to me [like it] has the adventurous spirit of the primary file [1998’s ‘Soulfly’]. Sonically, it is fairly totally different from the primary file — it is extra intricate and possibly even heavier, heavier grooves. However by way of spirit and perspective, it is just like the primary file, which I believe is cool that I acquired to determine a solution to put my thoughts again at the moment and what made me create that file and use it once more on a brand new file. It is fairly enjoyable. It is type of onerous to do, however I believe it was an thrilling factor to deal with. It was type of, like, ‘Let’s attempt to do that. Let’s have a look at if you should utilize your first album as in some way some type of inspiration to your thirteenth file. [Laughs] And that was nice, man. I like that. I like that type of vibe that the file has.”

Cavalera continued: “That is the cool factor about this file. It is type of, in a manner, a return to what me and followers of SOULFLY fell in love with SOULFLY for. After which all through the years, most of the different information had loads of totally different vibes in it. A few of them went extra thrashy with stuff like ‘Darkish Ages’ [2005], ‘Omen’ [2010], ‘Conquer’ [2008]. So, to me, making a file that sonically is impressed by the very first thing that you simply did as a band, it was a problem — there is a problem in that — ‘trigger it is simpler mentioned than achieved. As a result of I do not wanna simply copy that first file both. There isn’t any level in doing that. I am simply utilizing it as inspiration. It is actually simply full on for steel inspiration. The songs [themselves], they’re gonna have their very own persona and their very own vibe. However, yeah, it is popping out fairly attention-grabbing. I am excited to listen to what the followers are gonna take into consideration this one.”

Requested a couple of attainable launch date for the brand new SOULFLY album, Max mentioned: “Proper now I believe we’re taking a look at October. That is they’re speaking about. And we do have a European tour that begins in June. It goes from June to late July. We’re gonna be enjoying one or two songs of the brand new file on that tour, which I believe is nice. Anytime I had an opportunity to do this, it has been nice. I keep in mind enjoying ‘Primitive’ [the title track of SOULFLY‘s second album, which came out in 2000] on the primary file tour, as a result of I wrote ‘Primitive’ on the similar time I wrote the primary SOULFLY file. I simply could not slot in. There was too many songs, and I used to be, like, ‘All proper. Fuck it. I do not want one other tune on this file.’ However then we went on tour, and I acquired an opportunity to play the tune ‘Primitive’ dwell earlier than the ‘Primitive’ file got here out, so that folks acquired a style of the second file developing. So it is type of comparable type of factor — folks get a style of this album a bit bit earlier than. Particularly this point in time with the Web, folks gonna get it on YouTube, they’re gonna watch it, they usually’re gonna really feel the file earlier than October, at the very least.”

This previous Could, SOULFLY recruited Chase Bryant (WARBRINGER) to play bass on the band’s European tour, which kicked off on June 7 on the South Of Heaven pageant in Maastricht, Netherlands.

A month earlier, SOULFLY parted methods with the band’s longtime bassist Mike Leon.

Leon, previously of HAVOK, joined SOULFLY in September 2015 because the substitute for STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos, who left SOULFLY in Could of that yr.

“Totem” got here out in August 2022 by way of Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2018’s “Ritual” was recorded at Platinum Underground in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino and Arthur Rizk with help from John Powers. Produced by Max Cavalera alongside Arthur Rizk (KREATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, CODE ORANGE),the LP boasts visitor appearances from John Powers (ETERNAL CHAMPION),Chris Ulsh (POWER TRIP),and John Tardy (OBITUARY). Rizk was additionally accountable for enjoying lead guitar on the file. The paintings for the album was created by James Bousema.

In August 2021, SOULFLY parted methods with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo because of private variations. FEAR FACTORY‘s Dino Cazares performed guitar for SOULFLY on the band’s 2021 and 2022 run of reveals.

Guitarist Mike DeLeon has been touring with SOULFLY for greater than two years. Previous to hooking up with SOULFLY, DeLeon had been a member of PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo‘s solo band PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, which he joined in 2015 because the substitute for Marzi Montazeri. Extra just lately, Mike crammed in for Zakk Wylde on the first rehearsal for the autumn 2022 PANTERA reveals.

In a November 2024 interview with Dave Rumbler of Metallic-Roos, Max, who turned 55 years previous in August 2024, mentioned that he has no plans of slowing down within the coming years. “I used to be placed on this planet to do that, and that is all I wanna do,” he mentioned. “It is all I understand how to do and it is all I wanna do… In fact, we alter as folks as we become old, however I believe there’s some issues in me, they’re the identical as they had been after I was 15 years previous — my ardour for steel, how I really feel about happening the stage and the goosebumps, the thrill is sort of a drug. You’ll be able to’t actually get that wherever else besides on the stage. And people issues do not change. And I like that.

“To me, I am all the time wanting ahead to no matter tour we’re doing, no matter album we’re making,” he continued. “There are challenges, however on the similar time, they’re nice life alternatives. And I dwell life for the second. I am not a kind of guys that — I do not dwell pondering 10 years from now. I dwell for proper now for this, ‘trigger I do not know what’s 10 years from now. I dwell the second, and within the second, that is what is going on on proper now. I seize it with each palms, man, and revel in. And I attempt to educate that to my youngsters — benefit from the second. It is an awesome factor. It is good to be alive. It is good to share this sense with folks round you. It is unbelievable. It is an unbelievable factor.”