Soulfly Album: “Conquer”

2008 is a good year for Max Cavalera. He and his brother recently got together for the first time in nearly 12 years since playing in Sepultura, and recorded the Cavalera Conspiracy album Inflikted. After that, you'd think it'd be enough. Months later, we have Soulfly's sixth album Conquer. While Inflikted was more about Max and Igor letting their punk, thrash, and hardcore influences out, this album definitely shows the influences of extreme talents like Slayer, Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death. It is a never-ending bulldozer of energy and aggression that keeps rolling and doesn't let up until the instrumental "Soulfly VI" (a tradition on each album, each instrumental numbered by the album: self-titled-Soulfly, Primitive-Soulfly II, 3-Soulfly III, Prophecy-Soulfly IV, Dark Ages-Soulfly V). The instrumental here is quite different because of the use of electric and acoustic guitars and drums where the other instrumentals were mostly acoustic, so I consider it to be the slow rocker of the Soulfly instrumentals. One thing interesting is that for Soulfly's first three albums, the lineup was always different. The current lineup has been able to maintain itself for three albums, which is great because it's the best one especially because of lead guitarist Marc Rizzo, who is not only excellent at rhythm guitar playing, but lays down amazing guitar solos. Prepare to hear some sick shreddage here. Did I mention that Conquer is the first Soulfly record where mixing duties were handled by Andy Sneap (Machine Head, Testament, Megadeth, Arch Enemy)? The resulting sound is a mixture of old and new: the Soulfly sound of previous albums Prophecy and Dark Ages, but with a heavier overall edge, and quite a few twists.

Who would have thought that Max would able to keep Soulfly together long enough to make six albums? Nobody thought he would do anything worthwhile after leaving Sepultura. Say what you want, but he deserves more credit than he is given.

As a real old fan of Sepultura this record, to me, is Soulfly's best record. As a fan of music I love to see bands grow and that is exactly what they have done. Since Marc Rizzo joined the band the records have become more soulful, intense, and metal. Conquer is not only their best release but their most technical without losing their roots in making the crowd move. I would highly suggest this record to metal heads that love Arise and Dark Ages because of the soulfulness and technicality. You can tell they spent some time on theses songs compared to Cavalera Conspiracy. Just buy it you'll love it.

Ive been a really big fan of max calavera and his music, when this album was released I got it and it was incredible! Very fast and good guitar solos, especially in paranoia and doom! And how they give it some slow parts in the songs like unleash with the slow part in the middle and the end of doom. This album is very very VERY good and i love it! =)

best album of soulfly, long live max, it's just mind blowing, suuuuuperbbb! just get it.

yes folks we have it right here 2008 album of the year and it is Labor Day weekend so not much left to come out besides the new Metallica so anyway lets get down to business this one took me by surprise because the last Soulfly album Dark Ages was borderline incredible this one is arguably thier finest moment clocks in at 71 minutes or so and never a dull moment they tear your head off with their thrash and then they get into experimental tribal stuff which is common for them but just briefly in most songs, highlights include most everything but # 1 blood fire war hate is a great starter # 3 paranoia # 4 warmageddon # 7 fall of the Psychophants #8 Doom and especially # 10 touching the void total Black Sabbath worship {they even say in the lyric sheet [to Black Sabbath]and then end it with Soulfly VI [instrumental] which is something that Ritchie Blackmore would have done on any Rainbow album good stuff indeed and the bonus tracks of Bad Brains and I really liked Marilyn Mansons The Beautiful People HELL YAH

if Max Cavalera stepped in the ring with all 9 members of SLIPKNOT and compared new albums 9 people would be dead and Max would have 9 Stonehenge masks as a trophy