Soulfly fire up for furious return to Aussie shores

Led by Max Cavalera, Soulfly have led the charge in groove metal right across the world for nearly three decades. Now, with their thirteenth album, Chama, the group have marked a return to their primal, tribal roots, weaving Brazilian culture, spirituality, and rhythm into their ferocious sound. Featuring heavyweight guest appearances from Dino Cazares (Fear Factory), Michael Amott (Arch Enemy), and more, the record also pushes the group into a new era with Max Cavalera’s son and the band’s drummer, Zyon, taking on a co-production role. Ahead of their performance at Froth & Fury festival at Perth HPC on Saturday, January 24, alongside Polaris, Lagwagon, and touring partners Nailbomb, BRAYDEN EDWARDS spoke with Soulfly singer, guitarist and co-founder Max Cavalera to find out the story behind the album and what Aussie fans can look forward to when they hit our shores.

Congrats on the release of your new album, Chama! You’ve described the record as ’tribally fuelled’ and ‘a revival of your original sound.’ Why did you feel you wanted to bring Brazilian heritage and the style of your early years to the fore on this release?

It happens naturally. I think of this album as tribal technology with the mix of tribal rhythms and technologic noises. It’s where the past meets the future, and I love the natural anger and darkness of this album.

The name of the album, Chama, means ‘flame’ in Portuguese. How does that sum up the narrative behind the album?

It’s about the original flame that lit up Soulfly in the beginning. I was inspired by the same motivation as I was at the beginning, but it’s also a story of the boy “Chama” who lives in the favelas of Rio and goes into the jungle to find his true inner power.

South America has been getting fucked over by ’the West’ for centuries and unfortunately it seems we’re entering a precarious new chapter of that, given recent developments. How can music play a role in standing up for identity and sovereignty in the face of this? 

South America is strong, and it will survive this. Just like in Nicaragua in the 80s, Chile with Pinochet, or Brasil in the 70s with the dictatorship. We will scream for vengeance, protest and survive.

It’s also the first album that you’ve had your son Zyon take on the role of producing this album. What’s something that surprised you about his approach to this record?

Zyon’s production is incredible in this album. He went over and above my expectations. It was like a breath of fresh air having new blood on the production. It shows in the sound and intensity of the album. I think besides being one of the best drummers in the world, he has an amazing future in producing. I’m excited to hear what the future brings to him.

Have you had much of a chance to play these new songs live? How have they gone down with the fans, and can we look forward to hearing some of it in Perth?

We’ve played Storm The Gates, Nihilist, No Pain = No Power, Favela/Dystopia and Chama, and the reaction was insane. Some of these songs are classics already, and we will play them in Perth. Perhaps even a surprise song as well.

You’re touring the country with Nailbomb, who are also on the Froth lineup. What made them a good fit for your tour, and what can we look forward to at their set in Perth?

Nailbomb is the shit! It’s the true ultimate Punk/Fuck Off band of all time, and we toured some of the festivals last summer in Europe/UK. Everybody loved the Nailbomb set. Australia, get ready to have your ears ravaged by Nailbomb!

Beyond the live shows, what else are you looking forward to on your visit to Australia, and what’s on the other side of this tour for the band? 

We love Australia! Since Soulfly’s Big Day Out and beyond, it’s always been one of my biggest fan bases. On a personal note, I wanna go to Harry’s pies and get the pie with mushy peas. Let’s fucking go!

Soulfly bring their new album Chama to Froth & Fury Festival at Perth HPC on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from www.ticketmaster.com.au