Max Cavalera
Max Cavalera |
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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:
I do hate a lot of 'religion' but people like Christ - yeah they inspire me. I mean if you look at Christ, He was hanging around with the lowlifes, prostitutes and the losers you know, not going around with those high society motherfuckers you see trying to sell Jesus today![1]
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. 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 Inflikted is currently expected to be released by Roadrunner Records on March 25, 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 Inflikted 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 has just finished. Among the 11 songs set to appear are: "Inflikted", "Bloodbrawl", "Terrorize", "The Doom Of All Fires", "Ultra-Violent", and "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:
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Cavalera also has appeared in The Scorpion King in an off-camera role. He provided the guttural screams for Dwayne Johnson.[citation needed]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209163/fullcredits#cast
Discography
- Sepultura - Morbid Visions (1986)
- Sepultura - Schizophrenia (1987)
- Sepultura - Beneath the Remains (1989)
- Sepultura - Arise (1991)
- Sepultura - Chaos A. D. (1993)
- Nailbomb - Point Blank (1994)
- Sepultura - Roots (1996)
- Soulfly - Soulfly (1998)
- Soulfly - Primitive (2000)
- Soulfly - 3 (2002)
- Soulfly - Prophecy (2004)
- Soulfly - Dark Ages (2005)
- Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted (2008)
- Soulfly's sixth studio album (2008)