Those familiar with some of my rants at the Fried Chicken Cadillac are aware of my views on reunions; and especially the ongoing, never-ending-never-going-to-happen reunion of the classic Sepultura lineup. The amount of back and forth is beyond nauseating. It's as if a animal has been shot, refuses to die but continues to bleed. I thought the end was near when Max and Igor Cavalera reunited under their own flag, the Cavalera Conspiracy. This band would either pave the way to a reunion, or, what actually happened: nothing. I'm fine with nothing. I can settle for nothing. My thoughts on a Sepultura reunion are said and done.
So why am I bringing this up again? New light has been shed. An epiphany, if you will. During my mindless searching across the Internet for heavy metal gossip and factoids, I came across a post on Blabbermouth containing footage of Soulfly, Max Cavalera's main project, preforming two Sepultura classics in Sao Paulo, Brazil. What's special about the two videos (posted below) is that his son, Zyon (who's the drummer for this particular tour), and brother and former Sepultura drummer, Igor, as the guys playing the drums in the videos. Max is quite fortunate to have his son sit behind the kit and I'm sure fans who attend the show appreciate the novelty of family sharing the stage (even Lemmy has shared the stage with his son). Where I draw the line, however, is bringing your brother on stage to play the music of another band. It actually would have been really cool to see Igor play 'Eye For An Eye', but to jump in during Soulfly's set, a band he's not even in, and play a Sepultura song? Enough is enough.
Max Cavalera, you are in denial! Quit reaching the tentacles of your past legacy into everything you do.
It's impossible to go on Youtube and look up live Soulfly footage without coming across countless videos of the band covering Sepultura songs to the point where it outnumbers footage of Soulfly playing their own songs.
It's gone way to damn far. I understand musicians playing the music of their former bands. Both Ozzy and Dio would play Black Sabbath songs, respectively, during their solo careers. Max, however, is taking it to a whole new level. Max thrives on nostalgia to the point of excess. I understand playing 'Roots' and 'Troops of Doom' during Soulfly's infancy stages, perhaps to fill up an hour set list, but it's been several albums later and things haven't changed. Why are you making room for another band's music (even if you wrote the songs) when you have an abundance of new material?
Andreas Kisser was spot-on when he commented on Soulfly's rotating door of musicians. But does it matter? Soulfly doubles as Sepultura cover band anyways. It's kinda like that episode of Metalocalypse where the band finds out that Toki is in a Dethklok cover band. The difference here is that Max never stopped being the star. He's the key to Soulfly's success. It seems belittling to the members of Max's current bands to play someone else's songs night after night.
I honestly don't think Max is over Sepultura. Yet he basks in his past glory while thriving in his present day success. Having Igor thrown into the mix only perpetuates the nostalgia.
It's been well documented that Max is willing to burry the hatchet and give the fans a reunion. Any kind of insight on that matter can be read here. In the article Max says the blame lies with Andreas Kisser, who is also down for a reunion, but allegedly has a list of demands. Cavalera can wait for Kisser to come around. Things are going well for Soulfly and the Cavalera Conspiracy (a band's success I believe leans solely on the nostalgia of a Max-Igor reunion) that a Sepultura reunion would be just one more thing on his plate. Cavalera's response maks a reunion seem like an afterthought. 'Yeah, I'm down for a reunion. Lemme see if I got some free time in between tours.' If Max's current projects are doing so well, why lean on past efforts?
I'm sure Max is content doing what he's doing. I'm just calling it into question. I'd understand it more if Sepultura wasn't an active band, but they are. You don't see Queens of the Stoneage covering Kyuss songs, do you? You don't see Megadeth playing early Metallica songs simply because Mustaine has the rights to a few of them. Continually playing Sepultura songs is like a passive agressive way of trying to say that Max is Sepultura. Is Max doing Kisser and Co. a favor by letting letting the band keep the Sepultura name while they slowly destroy the band's once good name? I think Max needs Sepultura, and the current Sepultura could sure use a boost from his presence.
I think instead of criticising Soulfly for it's rotating door of musicians, why doesn't Andreas Kisser talk about how Max cannot let go of his past. If it's not denial, it's an obsession. If Max can put off a reunion, why can't he put off playing Sepultura songs?
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