Soulfly - Conquer

Rating:

* * * *

Max Cavalera is one of the busiest men in metal having recently released the Cavalera Conspiracy album, which reunited him with brother Igor for the first time since Sepultura split up in 1996, and now, the sixth Soulfly album.

Similar to Sweden's Opeth, Soulfly are an extreme band who veer into the mainstream. Cavalera's cronies lack the finesse of Opeth, yet are just as brutal; the former playing a bludgeoning brand of metal with world and electronic music influences, compared to the elegance of the Swedes.

Conquer twists and turns all over the place. It bristles with searing screams of electronic wizardry alongside pummelling bass and industrial strength riffs on Unleash, there's a decadent and frilly guitar solo on Paranoia, and the soulful skank midway through the otherwise frenzied Doom reveals metal and reggae's close relationship.

Cavalera's penchant for single word slogans on Paranoia and opener Blood. Fire. War. Hate. are a little simplistic, but his thinking on metal has never been rocket science. The key to the success of Conquer is power of delivery, and while Soulfly have been patchy in the past this stands tall alongside their self-titled debut.

Scott Kara