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Bacteria13
Hatross Overlord


Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 2465

PostPosted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 5:34 pm    Post subject: SOULFLY - PROPHECY Reply with quote

SOULFLY - PROPHECY (ROADRUNNER RECORDS)

While Sepultura flounder in Metal wilderness, their better days seemingly behind them, Max Cavalera's Soulfly is flying to greater heights than originally prophesied. And whilst Sepultura's 'Roorback' was a vast improvement on their last previous efforts, it still failed to rally the troops back to the fold. A friend of mine said that it was simply, 'too weird'.
Soulfly can be weird too, if you translate 'weird' as including different instruments and playing non-Metal songs with an almost Rastafarian spiritual influence. However, unlike Sepultura's indecisiveness (are they Metal/Hardcore/Metalcore or all of the above?) Soulfly know which camp their tent is parked in, and consequently 'Prophecy' is incredible because of it.
The title track kicks things off with a 3-minute plus thrasher which harks back to the days of 'Roots', and as you listen it's this impression that will immediately hit you - that 'Prophecy' could be the natural follow-on to that ground-breaking album. 'Living Sacrifice', 'Execution Style', 'Born Again Anarchist', 'I Believe', this is by far the heaviest album Max has recorded in a long time, even, I'd dare say, since his Nailbomb project. But the beauty here is that there are dashes of musical subtlety painted throughout that seduce the listener, calming and soothing him before pounding him into oblivion - the aforementioned 'I Believe' is a prime example. Soulfly also hammer out that classic Helmet song 'In the Meantime', to devastating effect.
Keeping a Soulfly tradition, there are guest-artists abound, the most notable figure ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, strumming the strings on a total of five tracks. On the standout song 'Moses', recorded in Serbia, Max collaborated with the Bosnian band Eyesburn to create something quite unique in Metal circles today. This incredible combination of roots-reggae, horns and blistering Thrash Metal will literally blow you away, and believe me when I say you won't be able to stop singing, 'Moses, Moses, where are you? Please show up, tell the children what to do'.
'Prophecy' is definitely one of the musical highlights of 2004, and without doubt an album that you'll come back to again and again.

Smile

Bacteria13.


Last edited by Bacteria13 on Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:58 pm; edited 2 times in total
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yuri
Who'sGOD Who'sDOG?


Joined: 04 Feb 2000
Posts: 5248
Location: South of Voivodland

PostPosted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 11:23 pm    Post subject: Prophecy: A mixed Affair Reply with quote

Who would have thought back in the Glory days of Sepultura, circa 1993, that a decade later, we would have a "Pink Floyd-Roger Waters" styled division, with two camps trying to outdo the other.

Sepultura's Nu-metal ties are no secret, and Max Cavalera took those ties with him and applied them liberally to his post-Sepultura band Soulfly, but, for some reason we find him today trying to recreate his classic sound with Sepultura in his new album "Prophecy".

Pop in the CD and get ready to be blown away by the first two tracks, (Prophecy, Living Sacrifice) which easily could pass off as Chaos AD era session songs, complete with chunky riffs and thunderous drums.
Unfortunately, by the third track (Execution Style,) inspiration starts to run thin, and the track needs some helping in the form of Andreas-Kisser-styled dissonant arpeggio-solos and riffs lifted right off Chaos AD's "Refuse Resist".

Max (or maybe Roadrunner) is obviously trying to out-Sepultura Sepultura by recycling some of their brilliant past.
Max's recording band (featuring bassist Dave Ellefson of Megadeth fame and guitarist Marc Rizzo of IllNino) can obviously play their instruments, but it is a shame to have grown musicians mimic someone else's sound and style.

The rest of the album is a mixed affair, with some really interesting tracks such as the metal-meets-ragga "Moses," the obligatory Chaos AD "Biotech" rip-off "Born Again Anarchist", a really boring Helmet "Meantime" cover and a really cheesy pseudo-flamenco "look-ma-we-can-play-our-instruments" track that would have real flamenco musicians laugh in amusement.

All in all, this album provides some great moments, but overall, it is a mixed affair.
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