RETURN OF THE KINGS (Inflikted - Cavalera Conspiracy)

Member Name: Soundbomb

Product:	Inflikted - Cavalera Conspiracy
Date:	16/04/08 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Balls out metal album from the masters

Disadvantages: Aside from the lyrics? None

Inflikted is Max and Igor Cavalera's first collaboration since 1996's Roots (which saw Max leaving the legendary Sepultura and the brothers embroiled in a 12 year feud, during which they did not speak a single word to each other).

Needless to say, expectations are high for this album. The good news is that, for hard-core metalheads, the Conspiracy do not disappoint. Joined by Gojira bassist Joe Duplantier and Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo, vocalist/guitarist Max and (undisputedly one of the finest drummers around) Igor tear through 11 tracks of unbridled, unrelenting, face shredding brutality. Gone are the tribal breakdowns and ambient instrumentals, which interspersed the Soulfly and later Max-fronted Sepultura albums, in favour of balls out thrash with Arise-era death metal sections. Taking production and song-structure into account, this is probably the heaviest album that the brothers have ever released.

While it is easy to laugh at Max's simplistic and often repetitive lyrics, the man has one of the coolest voices in metal and spits out the words with pure conviction. Although you made find yourself sniggering throughout the hardcore punk of 'Nevertrust' (whose lyrics consist entirely of the title repeated by various things you should never trust: such as 'the Fall Out Boy', 'the emo kids' and, at one point, what sounds like 'the eskimos') it is hard not to get caught up in Max's sentiment as he roars 'nevertrust the sellouts'. Cavalera Conspiracy are anything but.

The title track and opener, Inflikted, is a welcome kick in the teeth, it's heavy riff provoking spontaneous headbanging and setting the tone for the rest of an album which gets progressively heavier from them on in. Sanctuary, the first single, harks back to Chaos AD-era Sepultura, it's punishing kick-snare assault broken down by classic Chaos style riffage and Max's 'Underground!' refrain. The Choas AD motif is also audible on The Doom of All Fires, another stormer.

Terrorize is another slice of classic thrash which gets ridiculously fast in parts, Igor threatening to fly off. This is a perfect example of how tight the band are playing at any given speed. Nothing is out of time, even at the most extreme tempos. Hex is insane - faster than Nailbomb ever was, while Bloodbrawl sounds more like something from Roots, big down-tuned guitars grinding to a downtempo beat.

Black Ark is also slower, a groovier number featuring death metal vocals and a very cool Soulfy style breakdown at the end (think Pain). Ultraviolent (featuring Pantera/Down bassist Rex Brown) sounds somewhat Pantera-esque before it launches into an Arise/Beneath the Remains style all out thrash section.

Elsewhere the quality stays at a consistently high standards. While the album has it highlights (Inflikted, Sanctuary, Hex) there are no real low points. Overall, this is a worthy successor to Roots and a triumphant return for the Cavalera brothers. A hardcore metal album with no punches pulled, if you like your music hard then this is for you.

Summary: Essential - metal album of 2008