Inflikted
Encyclopedia
Inflikted is the debut album from Cavalera Conspiracy
, the Cavalera brothers' first record together in 12 years - since the release of Roots by Sepultura
in 1996.
had indicated that the music on Inflikted would be similar to Sepultura's early death
/thrash-metal
recordings but it would also have a heavy hardcore punk
influence. In addition to Max and Igor Cavalera
, Cavalera Conspiracy also features lead guitarist Marc Rizzo
of Soulfly
and Joe Duplantier (guitarist and vocalist of Gojira
) on bass and backup vocals. Rex Brown
from Pantera
and Down
cameos on bass on one track, and another track features a collaboration with Max's stepson Richie Cavalera (of Incite) on vocals.
Recording for the album took place in July 2007 at Undercity Studios in Los Angeles, with Logan Mader
(ex-Soulfly
and ex-Machine Head
guitarist) of the Dirty Icon Production team.
The album was released on March 24th. Two videos for "Sanctuary" have been made, one of which is a censored version of the other. Both of these can be found on the band's websites.
stating "Sure, it's not a Sepultura
reunion, but having Max and Igor performing on record for the first time in a dozen years is as close as we'll ever get, and not only does Cavalera Conspiracy's Inflikted revisit the post-thrash
sounds of 1993s Chaos A.D., but it manages to outshine anything Sepultura has put out in the last dozen years." Begrand also stated that the band "is as solid a metal supergroup as you'll ever come across, and the album's eleven tracks benefit hugely from the chemistry between the four musicians." Exclaim!
magazine described the album as a "whole being fast, thrash-y and intense in ways that neither Soulfly
nor Sepultura have managed to be in a while." IGN
gave the album a mixed review, saying that Inflikted is a respectable debut, but is "unfortunately afflicted with bad lyrics". Phoenix New Times
criticized the collaboration, stating that Inflikted "sounds more like the product of a weekend spent jamming in the garage than the efforts of two vital artists making up for lost time."
As Cavalera Conspiracy is a supergroup
, critics also dedicated their reviews to evaluate the performance of musicians individually. Chad Bowar of About.com
said that Max's vocals are "very distinctive, and his angry growls are as strong as ever." Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic praised Rizzo's contributions, saying that "his otherworldly soloing and inventive melodic lines often serve as the creative catalysts responsible for the most inspired moments," while Duplantier "generally just keeps a low sonic profile and his nose out of trouble". IGN
gave similar praise to Rizzo, stating that is his "agile lead guitar
playing that keeps the album from sinking into metal monotony in many spots."
Cavalera Conspiracy
Cavalera Conspiracy is a Brazilian heavy metal band founded by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera , along with American guitarist and bassist Marc Rizzo and Johny Chow. The band originally formed in 2007 as Inflikted but changed its name for legal reasons...
, the Cavalera brothers' first record together in 12 years - since the release of Roots by Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
in 1996.
Album information
Max CavaleraMax Cavalera
Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s...
had indicated that the music on Inflikted would be similar to Sepultura's early death
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
/thrash-metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
recordings but it would also have a heavy hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
influence. In addition to Max and Igor Cavalera
Igor Cavalera
Igor Graziano Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former drummer for Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.-Biography:...
, Cavalera Conspiracy also features lead guitarist Marc Rizzo
Marc Rizzo
Marc Rizzo is the lead guitarist of American metal band Soulfly and formerly of Ill Niño. He has featured on four Soulfly albums to date: Prophecy, Dark Ages, Conquer, and Omen. He has also released three solo instrumental albums; Colossal Myopia, The Ultimate Devotion, and Legionnaire...
of Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
and Joe Duplantier (guitarist and vocalist of Gojira
Gojira (band)
Gojira is a heavy metal band formed in 1996 in Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on guitar and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass...
) on bass and backup vocals. Rex Brown
Rex Brown
Rex Robert Brown is an American heavy metal bassist. A former member of Down, he is most famous as the longtime bassist for the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling band Pantera.-Pantera:...
from Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
cameos on bass on one track, and another track features a collaboration with Max's stepson Richie Cavalera (of Incite) on vocals.
Recording for the album took place in July 2007 at Undercity Studios in Los Angeles, with Logan Mader
Logan Mader
Logan Mader was born on November 16, 1970 in Montreal, Canada. Logan is best known for his work as a guitarist in the heavy metal band Machine Head, who formed in Oakland, California in 1992. Their 1994 debut, Burn My Eyes, was released by Roadrunner Records and quickly became the top-selling...
(ex-Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
and ex-Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
guitarist) of the Dirty Icon Production team.
The album was released on March 24th. Two videos for "Sanctuary" have been made, one of which is a censored version of the other. Both of these can be found on the band's websites.
Critical reception
Reviews of Inflikted were generally favorable, with Adrien Begrand of PopMattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
stating "Sure, it's not a Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
reunion, but having Max and Igor performing on record for the first time in a dozen years is as close as we'll ever get, and not only does Cavalera Conspiracy's Inflikted revisit the post-thrash
Groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
sounds of 1993s Chaos A.D., but it manages to outshine anything Sepultura has put out in the last dozen years." Begrand also stated that the band "is as solid a metal supergroup as you'll ever come across, and the album's eleven tracks benefit hugely from the chemistry between the four musicians." Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
magazine described the album as a "whole being fast, thrash-y and intense in ways that neither Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
nor Sepultura have managed to be in a while." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the album a mixed review, saying that Inflikted is a respectable debut, but is "unfortunately afflicted with bad lyrics". Phoenix New Times
Phoenix New Times
The Phoenix New Times is a free, weekly Phoenix, Arizona newspaper, put out every Thursday. It is the founding publication of the New Times Media , but The Village Voice is now the flagship publication of that company....
criticized the collaboration, stating that Inflikted "sounds more like the product of a weekend spent jamming in the garage than the efforts of two vital artists making up for lost time."
As Cavalera Conspiracy is a supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
, critics also dedicated their reviews to evaluate the performance of musicians individually. Chad Bowar of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said that Max's vocals are "very distinctive, and his angry growls are as strong as ever." Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic praised Rizzo's contributions, saying that "his otherworldly soloing and inventive melodic lines often serve as the creative catalysts responsible for the most inspired moments," while Duplantier "generally just keeps a low sonic profile and his nose out of trouble". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave similar praise to Rizzo, stating that is his "agile lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
playing that keeps the album from sinking into metal monotony in many spots."
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Max Cavalera, except where noted.Personnel
- Max CavaleraMax CavaleraMassimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s...
– vocals, rhythm guitar - Marc RizzoMarc RizzoMarc Rizzo is the lead guitarist of American metal band Soulfly and formerly of Ill Niño. He has featured on four Soulfly albums to date: Prophecy, Dark Ages, Conquer, and Omen. He has also released three solo instrumental albums; Colossal Myopia, The Ultimate Devotion, and Legionnaire...
– lead guitar, backing vocals on "Sanctuary" - Joe DuplantierJoe DuplantierJoseph Duplantier is a French musician who is the guitarist and vocalist of Gojira and was the bassist for Cavalera Conspiracy.-Music:Joe Duplantier's influences include bands such as Meshuggah, Metallica, Morbid Angel and Sepultura....
– bass, rhythm guitar on "Inflikted", "Black Ark" and "Ultra-Violent", co-lead vocals on "Black Ark" and "Ultra-Violent" - Igor CavaleraIgor CavaleraIgor Graziano Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former drummer for Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.-Biography:...
– drums, percussion
- Guest vocals on "Black Ark" by Ritchie Cavalera
- Guest bass on "Ultra-Violent" by Rex BrownRex BrownRex Robert Brown is an American heavy metal bassist. A former member of Down, he is most famous as the longtime bassist for the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling band Pantera.-Pantera:...
(Pantera/DownDown (band)Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
) - Produced by Max Cavalera
- Co-produced by Logan MaderLogan MaderLogan Mader was born on November 16, 1970 in Montreal, Canada. Logan is best known for his work as a guitarist in the heavy metal band Machine Head, who formed in Oakland, California in 1992. Their 1994 debut, Burn My Eyes, was released by Roadrunner Records and quickly became the top-selling...
for Dirty Icon Productions - Recorded, mixed and mastered by Logan Mader at Undercity Studios, North HollywoodNorth Hollywood, Los Angeles, CaliforniaNorth Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
: Monte ConnerMonte ConnerMonte Conner is a producer and A&R person for Roadrunner Records. He has worked with numerous bands including, Slipknot, Trivium and King Diamond.- Discography :#Trivium - The Crusade#Stone Sour - Come WhatMay#Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip...
Charts
| Country | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 40 |
| Austria | 27 |
| Belgium (Flanders) | 40 |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 89 |
| Finland | 21 |
| France | 47 |
| Germany | 27 |
| Ireland | 99 |
| Netherlands | 44 |
| Switzerland | 70 |
| United Kingdom | 77 |
| United States | 72 |