Max Cavalera

Max Cavalera
Performing with Soulfly at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands on June 6, 2006
Background information
Birth name	Massimiliano Antonio Cavalera
Born	August 4 1969 (1969-08-04) (age 38) Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Genre(s)	Death metal, Heavy metal, Thrash metal, Nu metal, Groove metal
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar, Berimbau
Years active	1984-present
Label(s)	Roadrunner Records
Associated acts	Sepultura, Nailbomb, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy
Website	Soulfly Official Site
Notable instrument(s)
ESP Max Cavalera AX signature model

Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian American singer/guitarist/songwriter of Italian heritage from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s. Cavalera was also involved in a short-lived side project Nailbomb. Cavalera is currently performing with Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy.

Biography

His father Graziano Cavalera was the Italian Ambassador to Brazil, Graziano and his family stayed in Brazil after his tenure as ambassador ended and Graziano is buried in Belo Horizonte. He formed Sepultura with Jairo Guedes, Paulo Pinto and his younger brother Igor Cavalera. During the early days of Sepultura, his name was Max Possessed. In the early 1990s he relocated to Phoenix, Arizona U.S.A., with his American wife/manager Gloria, and is now a U.S. citizen. He did not become a born-again Christian after he quit Sepultura, as some say. He is simply influenced by religion and spirituality as a whole. His music explores religious topics, often with a very critical tongue. As his albums have all been dedicated to God, he has often been depicted by the press as a man of religion, especially in America; something that Cavalera himself cannot understand. As he himself put it:

Allmusic also states that he has been interested in making music to cover up his depression. Max has recently stated that he has reunited with his brother Igor, in their new band Cavalera Conspiracy (the name has been changed from Inflikted to Cavalera Conspiracy due to legal reasons). Cavalera Conspiracy features Max Cavalera on vocals and rhythm guitar, Igor Cavalera on drums, Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo and Joe Duplantier from Gojira on bass. Cavalera Conspiracy's debut record is currently expected to be released by Roadrunner Records in February of 2008. Rex Brown from Pantera and Down cameos on bass on one track, and another track features a collaboration with Max, Joe and Richie Cavalera (Incite) on vocals. Recording for the album took place this past July at Undercity Studios in Los Angeles, with Logan Mader (ex-Machine Head guitarist) of the Dirty Icon Production team, and mixing at Undercity is currently underway. Among the 11 songs set to appear are: "Inflikted," "Bloodbrawl," "Holy Poison," "The Doom Of All Fires," "Ultra-Violent" and "My Sanctuary". A B-side cover of the Possessed's "The Exorcist" was also recorded.

Instruments

Cavalera plays an ESP 4 String signature guitar, and in the past with Sepultura, A B.C. Rich Warlock. Designed to his specifications and based on the Viper design, the guitar features a Seymour Duncan SH6 Distortion pickup, and is adorned with his signature Brazilian flag graphic. A budget version is sold under the LTD moniker, which has a stock pickup and lacks the flag design. There is another signature guitar produced by ESP. This white guitar features Soulfly logo inlays and is based on the AX model. While his signature guitars are shipped fully strung with six strings, Cavalera's own guitar is only strung with four. He also used a series of Gibson SG guitars during his later years in Sepultura and on the first two Soulfly albums and the tours that supported them.

Collaborations

He has collaborated with many different artists whilst in both Sepultura and Soulfly. Of late he joined forces with former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl to produce "Red War" which appeared on the self-titled release of Dave Grohl's metal project, Probot. Cavalera has worked with the following people and bands, among others:

Cavalera also has appeared in The Scorpion King in an off-camera role. He provided the guttural screams for Dwayne Johnson.

Discography

• Sepultura - Bestial Devastation (1985)
• Sepultura - Morbid Visions (1986)
• Sepultura - Schizophrenia(1987)
• Sepultura - Beneath the Remains (1989)
• Sepultura - Arise (1991)
• Sepultura - Chaos A.D. (1993)
• Nailbomb - Point Blank (1994)
• Nailbomb - Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide (1995)
• Sepultura - Roots (1996)
• Soulfly - Soulfly (1998)
• Soulfly - Primitive (2000)
• Soulfly - 3 (2002)
• Soulfly - Prophecy (2004)
• Soulfly - Dark Ages (2005)
• Soulfly's sixth studio album (2008)
• Cavalera Conspiracy first studio album (2008)

References

1. ^ [1]

External links

• Soulfly Official Site
• New Band of Cavalera's Brothers
• Roadrunner Records' Soulfly site
• Phoenix New Times article on Max
• NY Rock interview
• Asice.net interview