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SOULFLY
Totem

Nuclear Blast (2022)
Rating: 8.5/10

Isn’t it strange how one can return to a band many years later and re-new your friendship? Soulfly stirred me back in 1998 with their self-titled debut full-length, but there was little in the way of love on my part. The late 90s experienced a peculiar and less rewarding shift in terms of heavy metal variances, almost heralded by the release of Sepultura’s 1996 Roots opus. Since then though, but excluding that Soulfly platter, my interest waned to the point of being completely out of touch with subsequent releases from both bands, and yet here I am in 2022 enjoying this 12th Soulfly outing, constructed by Max Cavalera (vocals and guitar), Mike Leon (bass) and company Zyon Cavalera (drums),

Totem begins in rather aggressive fashion with ‘Superstition’ which has a Roots-meets-Slayer hostility, particularly in the speedy riffage and percussion, although as one would expect with Soulfly the barks of Max Cavalera and general groove variations bring excessive amounts of muscular belligerence. Even so, it’s a great way to herald the arrival of this new work and thankfully the savagery continues, streaked with the scorching lead work which very much takes this into a groove / thrash spectrum and, dare I say it, flirting with some of Sepultura’s classic work.

‘Scouring The Vile’ is a full-on thrash assault; raw, scalding and atmospheric in its scowls, and again there are nods to Sepultura’s greatest moments, particularly Arise (1991). Meanwhile, ‘Filth Upon Filth’ offers a mid-tempo approach but it remains raw, yet melancholic in its guitar work as darkly furious riffs emerge and in great waves of chunky destruction.

‘Rot In Pain’ is about as Slayer-ised as it gets musically, and within that assault there’s a menacing delivery and lethal antagonism I’ve not heard for some time from Soulfly. Max remains a leader of his realm; a furious soul barking orders to his troops amidst a blitzkrieg of hailing bullets and tribal warfare.

The immense chugging ‘The Damage Done’ is a primitive construction of angst and mood. “In the ruins of the world I see a reflection,” rants Max. “Darkened shades of what the earth used to be,” he continues within that heaving monstrosity of riffage. It’s a standout track but then again there’s hardly a duff tune within this 40-minute charge.

The title track pays homage again to the ancestral grinding of Roots, where the guitar tone is groove-laden yet abrasive as the bass rampages in equal measure. “We only save ourselves, While others live in hell, You can’t see what greed is, You mock the ancient ones,” Max yells amongst a flailing lead and juggernaut groove, while on ‘Spirit Animal’ he reflects, “We are one of many, Born to face life’s tragedy, Never alone or forgotten, We know you are always watching” through a battering ram of scathing guitar work which we weren’t prepared for after the instrumental respite that was ‘Soulfly XII’. ‘Spirit Animal’ is an epic outburst that broods and grinds, holding back its fury until ready to burst as thrashing chugs are overtaken by hardcore sentiments, the track coming together as a frustrated vent to sign off an album I didn’t expect to be so provoked and punished by.

If you’re still missing Sepultura’s classic brand of death thrash, as well as the variances offered by Roots, then let Totem be your guide through the minefield and may it serve you well.

Neil Arnold

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