Movies And Metal

Ever since Soulfly mainman Max Cavalera decided to do away with the blatant nu metal-isms of the band’s first handful of releases and return to his thrash metal roots with 2004’s Prophecy, the band has enjoyed a consistent run of top-notch albums proving why Max is held in such high regard by metal fans the world over.

Omen –Soulfly’s seventh studio album – kicks straight in with Bloodbath & Beyond, a raging slab of hardcore-infused thrash that literally comes screaming from the speakers. The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato guests on the hook-laden Rise of the Fallen, adding a little diversity to proceedings, while Prong’s Tommy Victor contributes to Lethal Injection, with its stop/start riffing and manic time changes. Apart from these and the obligatory self-titled instrumental chill-out that closes each Soulfly album, the rest of the album is pretty straight-up metal in the vein of – yes, it needs to be said – classic Sepultura, which is a good thing as the Seps themselves don’t make albums this good anymore. Mention must also go to guitarist Marc Rizzo, whose distinctive style of shredding permeates every track without ever sounding gratuitous or unnecessary.

Even though all the boxes are ticked, however, the album isn’t without a few niggles. There are one or two tracks that border on filler, most notably the underwhelming and by-the-numbers Great Depression, and the slightly ridiculous Jeffrey Dahmer which does raise a question or two about Max’s lyrics; probably best to leave the serial killer stuff to Slayer.

Maybe not quite as satisfying as their last few releases, Omen is still a great piece of brutal, stripped-down metal that will please long-term Cavalera fans. It won’t break any boundaries or push the envelope in the way that their early works tried to do, but that isn’t the point any more. Max knows what this band does best and is happy to give it to you. Considering that this is his full-time band, it makes you wonder how brutal the next Cavalera Conspiracy album will be…

Rating: 7/10

Standout Tracks: Rise of the Fallen, Lethal Injection, Kingdom, Mega-Doom, Counter Sabotage, Soulfly VII.

For Fans of: Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy, Machine Head, Slayer, Megadeth, Carcass, Morbid Angel.

For more information on Soulfly go to: www.soulfly.com

Click on images to purchase Omen.