High profile extreme Nu-Metal band centred upon the larger than life character of ex-SEPULTURA frontman Max Cavalera. The singer had bowed out from SEPULTURA in the wake of their massively successful 1996 'Roots' album, performing with the band for the last time on December 16th 1996 at the London Brixton Academy. Joining Cavalera's new venture was former THORN and CRISIS drummer Roy Mayorga, CHICO SCIENCE man Jackson Bandeira on guitar and former SEPULTURA roadie and THE MIST member Marcello Diaz Rapp on bass guitar.

SOULFLY embraced the latter day tribal and world experimentation of SEPULTURA's groundbreaking 'Chaos A.D.' and 'Roots' albums but took the concept bravely forward as Cavalera soon recognised the limitations of a set cast of players to head up a fluid unit pooling a myriad of flavours ranging from Metal right through to Reggae. With each album release, Max Cavalera, as the band name implied, poured out an increasingly impassioned baring of his soul that culminated in the Christian avowals vented on the 'Prophecy' album. By taking his music into uncharted waters, Cavalera, a visually striking figure adorned with heavy tattooing and tangled dreadlocks, soon prompted a media tag of the "Bob Marley of Heavy Metal".

Retaining his deal with Roadrunner Records, his alliance with SEPULTURA producer Ross Robinson and manager Gloria Bujnowski, Cavalera launched the inaugural, self-titled SOULFLY opus in May 1998. Guest sessions abounded, with opening track 'Eye For An Eye' featured a vocal spot from FEAR FACTORY's Burton C. Bell, 'Bleed' hosting LIMP BIZKIT's DJ Lethal and Fred Durst and Chino Moreno of DEFTONES making his presence felt on 'First Commandment'. FEAR FACTORY's Christian Olde Wolbers supplied bass on 'No'. The album peaked at number 79 on the Billboard charts. Returning the favour to Chino Moreno, the SOULFLY mentor guested on the DEFTONES 1997 album 'Around The Fur', poignantly heading up the song 'Headup', written about the unsolved murder of Cavalera's stepson Dana Wells.

SOULFLY was announced as part of the prestigious 'Ozzfest '98' European touring package Bandeira was forced to, at first, temporarily bow out having touring commitments with his previous act. Stepping into the breach was American Logan Mader who sensationally had only just quit the successful MACHINE HEAD amidst a bitter war of words. A subsequent tour edition of 'Soulfly' was enhanced by three bonus tracks, 'Cangaceiro' and two DISCHARGE cover versions 'Ain't No Feeble Bastard' and 'The Possibility Of Life's Destruction'. With momentum still quickening, a 1999 double disc variant of 'Soulfly', packaged in all new artwork, boasted a separate disc of remixes and live tracks.

As SOULFLY limbered up for the 'Ozzfest' events with a batch of American dates, Mader's position within the band was made permanent. However, the guitarist was out by the end of the year due to friction between Cavalera and the guitarist over his side project MYSTRISS. The final straw came when Mader neglected to turn up for a soundcheck at a support gig to BLACK SABBATH. Mader was replaced by Mike Doling, previously with American Punk act SNOT. Both Cavalera and Doling contributed to the 'Strait Up' album, a tribute to SNOT frontman Lynn Strait who was killed in December 1999.

With the dawn of 2000 SOULFLY announced that Mayorga had decamped. Former LÄÄZ ROCKIT, PRO-PAIN and then current ILL NINO man Dave Chavarri would fill in on the drum stool for the next two months. Upon Chavarri's close of contract, he would subsequently create ILL NINO, ex-FLESHHOLD drummer Joe Nunez enrolled as the band, still including bass player Marcelo D. Rapp, set about touring in America as headliners of the second stage at the 'OzzFest' dates.

Mader and Mayorga founded PALE DEMONS alongside ex-OZZY OSBOURNE and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bassist Robert Trujillo and ex-LIFE OF AGONY and UGLY KID JOE singer Whitfield Crane. Mayorga was then shortly after announced as the new drummer for OZZY OSBOURNE joining a recalled Trujillo.

SOULFLY's September 2000 Toby Wright produced album 'Primitive', recorded at The Saltmine in Mesa, Arizona, boasted an array of guests including SLAYER's Tom Araya, SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor, DEFTONES Chino Moreno and WILL HAVEN's Grady Avenell. Rapper CUTTHROAT LOGIC also appears as does SEAN LENNON on the track 'Son Song'. The record fared well, peaking at number 32 on the US charts. SOULFLY toured Russia, Europe and Britain in late 2000 with support act GLASSJAW. Digipack editions added remixes and live cuts from the 1998 Danish 'Roskilde' festival.

In October 2001 SOULFLY yet again saw a switch in drummers with Joe Nunez making his exit for the Chicago-based STRIPPING THE PISTOL. The band persevered demoing new material with SACRED REICH man Greg Hall on the drum stool although former member Roy Mayorga, ensconced in MEDICATION, the evolvement of PALE DEMONS, was hotly tipped for the eventual position. Mayorga did finally succumb announcing his re-recruitment in November.

With a new album imminent, simply titled '3', SOULFLY announced a run of American dates in January 2002 in a co-headlining package with STATIC X with support from SOIL and ONESIDEZERO. The band's third album, hitting number 46 on the charts in North America, would see a limited edition European version featuring cover renditions of PAILHEAD's 'I Will Destroy', BLACK SABBATH's 'Under The Sun' and the SACRED REICH track 'One Nation'; the latter featuring guest appearances from the SACRED REICH personnel Greg Hall and guitarist Wiley Arnett. Cover art for this self-produced outing intriguingly evoked the mantric 'Om' device subtly incorporating the 3 numeral.

The SOULFLY rhythm section of bassist Marcello D. Rapp and drummer Roy Mayorga, in league with PUYA guitarist Ramon Ortiz and PUNCH frontman Ikaro, announced the formation of an extracurricular act in January 2002 dubbed ANKLA.

SOULFLY would be announced as part of the billing of the SLAYER topped American 'Extreme Steel' festivals. European shows would see SOULFLY headlining throughout June and July. In spite of internet rumours identifying former member and present MEDICATION leader Logan Mader taking on the role of second guitarist it would be ex-SNOT man Mikey Doling that secured the position. North American headline dates in September saw WILL HAVEN and later DOWNTHESUN as opening acts. The band would be confirmed as one of the headline attractions at the mammoth 'Beast Fest' event in Japan during December of 2002, also scheduling Australian dates in league with HATEBREED that same month.

SOULFLY drummer Roy Mayorga stood in for ONESIDEZERO's late November appearance at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California. Mayorga, alongside SOULFLY guitarist Mikey Doling also operates a side venture billed as MOTHRA in league with ONESIDEZERO vocalist Jason Radford and guitarist Levon Sultanian.

SOULFLY scheduled headline European dates throughout January and February of 2003. A run of US shows in April saw E-TOWN CONCRETE and SWORN ENEMY as support. Scheduled Russian gigs would be curtailed due to terrorist activities in Moscow. Reports emerged in September that Cavalera had suffered a mass exodus of band members - guitarist Mike Doling, bassist Marcello D. Rapp and drummer Roy Mayorga all defecting to forge ABLOOM in union with ONESIDEZERO members vocalist Jason Radford and guitarist Levon Sultanian.

Stand-ins for live work would be named as the ILL NINO and CORETEZ credited Marc Rizzo, bassist Bobby Burns of PRIMER 55 and drummer Joe Nunez. Shortly after this announcement it would be learned that former MEGADETH bassist Dave Ellefson had already contributed to four tracks on the new SOULFLY record 'Prophecy'. As questions arose as to the stability of the band Max Cavalera signalled that this revolving cast of band members would be a continuing trend.

Initial versions of the 'Prophecy' album, delivered in March 2004, came with a bonus extra disc of live material recorded at the 2001 Hultsfred Festival in Sweden. An expansive body of work, 'Prophecy' drew in a diverse range of influences both lyrically and musically. Cavalera travelled to Serbia to record with traditional musicians and local act EYESBURN. Unconventionally, the record employed flute and sheepskin bagpipes performed by Ljubomir Dimtrijevic, other medieval instrumentation and, strikingly, spiritually pro-Christian lyrics. Alongside the expected Metal content 'Prophecy' fused Hardcore comfortably with Caribbean rhythms. Also onboard was a faithful take on HELMET's 'In The Meantime'.

SOULFLY's touring campaign for 2004 saw Summer dates allied with ILL NINO and CRISIS preceding a further September run of gigs with ILL NINO once more and TWELVE TRIBES. The band would also be scheduled to headline the 14th August 'Window Rock Fest II' in Window Rock, Arizona, the largest Metal music festival on Native American Soil the proceeds of which went to the development of a skateboarding park for the youth of the Navajo Nation. Unfortunately this turned into a media disaster when the band failed to show up for the event, apparently because of inclement weather. Winter shows would be pulled, an official press release stating Cavalera needed time to recuperate from a leg injury.

November saw the issue of MARC RIZZO's side project COMMITTEE OF THIRTEEN album through Phlamencore Records. SOULFLY subsequently announced co-headline US dates in union with MORBID ANGEL for February of 2005. The band allied with GOD FORBID and DEATH BY STEREO for shows in March. April Russian dates in Moscow, Novgorod, Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg saw HOSTILE BREED as support. European gigs subsequently had the band supporting BLACK SABBATH.

SOULFLY's 2005 album, 'Dark Ages' issued through Roadrunner in October, included a guest vocal from S.O.D.'s Billy Milano, this contribution apparently having been recorded via cell phone. EYESBURN vocalist Kojot also saw inclusion on the song 'Inner Spirit'. A debut single, 'Carved Inside', would be promoted by a video filmed in a medieval castle on the Danube river in Serbia.

August saw SOULFLY touring the USA although, due to a "family emergency", bassist Bobby Burns would be forced to miss shows in Tempe, Arizona and Long Beach, California. Stepping in as substitute would be David Ellefson. Meantime, 'Dark Ages' sold just under 8,000 copies in its first week of sale to debut at position no. 155 on the Billboard US album chart.

Gigs throughout October and November saw support from THROWDOWN, BLOODSIMPLE and INCITE, the latter an Arizona band fronted by Ritchie Cavalera, stepson of Max Cavalera.

Roy Mayorga somewhat incestuously joined the ranks of SEPULTURA in January 2006. Welsh Ragga-Metal band SKINDRED lined up to support SOULFLY on UK and European dates throughout February and March 2006. A short US West Coast tour had MANNTIS, A PERFECT MURDER and INCITE as openers. The band also put in a significant appearance at the TOOL and DEFTONES headlined 'Download' festival in Castle Donington, UK on June 9th. Although persistently denied by both parties, it seemed that the media march to drive Max Cavalera and SEPULTURA back together was gathering pace throughout the year. However, whilst making it clear he was open to the idea, Max Cavalera lined up a lengthy SOULFLY European tour throughout July and August.

US gigs in September had WICKED WISDOM as support. However, bassist Bobby Burns suffered a mild stroke on September 14th. Stepping into the breach to cover the bass position would be the MEGADETH, F5 and TEMPLE OF BRUTALITY credited Dave Ellefson, until September 26th, then the ANTHRAX, NUCLEAR ASSAULT and BRUTAL TRUTH veteran Dan Lilker to close out the dates.

In March 2007 the group revealed it was to record a cover version of the MARILYN MANSON song 'Beautiful People' for a 'Kerrang!' magazine compilation album. SOULFLY performed in South America for the first time in over seven years on April 20th playing at Estadio Pepsi Music in Buenos Aires, Argentina followed by a show at Estadio Victor Jara in Santiago, Chile on April 21st.

Roadrunner issued the Andy Sneap co-produced 'Conquer' album in July 2008. Studio guests included THROWDOWN's Dave Peters on the standout track 'Unleash', MORBID ANGEL's David Vincent on 'Blood Fire War Hate' and French dub artist Fedayi Pacha on the BLACK SABBATH homage 'Touching The Void'. A special edition of the album, clad in different artwork, was released featuring three bonus tracks and a bonus DVD containing a 65 minute live concert recorded in Warsaw, Poland on July 13th 2005. The three studio tracks comprised 'Mypath' and SOULFLY's cover of BAD BRAINS' 'Sailin' On', both tracked at Porch Studio in Orlando during the 'Conquer' recording sessions, plus a rendition of MARILYN MANSON's 'The Beautiful People', originally released in June 2007 by Kerrang! magazine in issue 1164 as part of its 'Higher Voltage' compilation.

'Conquer' sold around 8,400 copies in the Unted States in its first week of release to debut at no. 66 on The Billboard national album chart.

Formed in October 2008, INPSYCHOBLEEDIA was announced as a band project of SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo. The group was rounded out by guitarist Dennis Kimak, bassist Elo Hernandez and drummer Kanky Lora.

Max Cavalera was forced to miss the final show of SOULFLY's European tour on Friday, 27th March 2009 at Posten in Odense, Denmark after being taken ill. The rest of SOULFLY went ahead and played the gig without him, with bassist Bobby Burns and guitarist Marc Rizzo assuming vocal duties whilst Luis Marrufo from support band INCITE filled in on rhythm guitar.

In January 2010 SOULFLY completed work on its seventh album, 'Omen', for a 4th May release via Roadrunner Records. The album was recorded at Edge Of The Earth studios in Hollywood, California with co-producer Logan Mader and featured guest appearances by THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN frontman Greg Puciato and PRONG mainman Tommy Victor, on 'Lethal Injection'.

SOULFLY embarked on a U.S. headlining tour in March 2010. Support on the trek came from PRONG, INCITE and ROTTING CORPSE.

Garry Sharpe-Young