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While not as divisive as say Deafheaven or Ghost, Soulfly have their fair share of detractors. It seems many people just can’t get over the nu-metal stylings Max Cavalera and his team pumped out early in the band’s career. Times have changed a lot since then.

Recent albums, and there have been plenty of them, have definitely taken a more death/thrash path while maintaining the band’s signature moves.


So with their tenth album (Who would’ve thought we’d be saying that in 1998?) Soulfly deliver what might be their darkest effort with Archangel.

Joining Cavalera once again are long time guitarist Marc Rizzo, bassist Tony Campos and for the second time, Max’s son Zyon on drums. Naturally, Archangel shares similarity to their previous release Savages, but comes across as generally more atmospheric and not as fast overall.

Opening the album is “We Sold Our Souls to Metal.” Sure, it’s a little cheesy as are some other moments on the album, but no one can doubt Max’s undying dedication to the genre. It does storm out of the gate with speed and aggression. And as much as you want to roll your eyes at the chorus, it does ring out as a call to arms for the mainstream metal masses. For the Soulfly lifers it’s bound to become an anthem. Just don’t try to tell the muscular dude in the skin tight Hello Kitty tank top at their Toronto show a couple years ago any differently.

The majority of Archangel covers familiar territory for the band.

Chugging rhythms hammered out of Max’s four-stringer, Rizzo’s recognizable leads and of course the unmistakable roars Max belts out. There are some surprises though. “Bethlehem’s Blood” has a dark undercurrent and biting riffs but the brief horns were not expected. That sort of regal exclamation doesn’t just show up here though. The title track, “Titans” and “Shamash” all feature some choral flavor that works well given the title track’s theme.

As usual, there are a number of guest that appear on the album. Todd Jones of hardcore agitators Nails guests on “Sodomites.” This track incorporates the aggression of hardcore to suit Jones’ shredded throat. King Parrot’s Matt Young shrieks on “Live Life Hard!” trading off with Max on this adrenaline-fueled banger with its confrontational lyrics.

Album closer “Mother of Dragons” comes with three guest vocalists. Anahid of Master of Persia as well as Ritchie and Igor Cavalera Jr. lend their throats on the short and sweet track. It’s a powerful way to close things up with Rizzo displaying his best leads on Archangel.

As stated, Archangel is definitive if not typical Soulfly. Those bouncing, mosh-ready riffs incite furious headbanging and simple yet effective choruses inspire fans to bellow right along. Perhaps the album’s best track, “Deceiver” sits as the penultimate number. Here we get wicked solos, speed metal rhythms and a classic duh-duh-dun riff under a solo that leads into a chugging death vibe.

Archangel isn’t going to win over the naysayers, but it’s a more than solid addition to their catalog and easily a step up from Savages. The atmosphere and dark underpinnings that course through the album give it a different feel while the meat and potatoes elements of Soulfly we’ve come to expect are executed with dedication and gusto.

(released August 14, 2105 on Nuclear Blast Records.)