Despite being the voice behind some of the most iconic anthems in metal history, Max Cavalera admits that putting pen to paper remains the most grueling part of his creative process. In a new interview with Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation, the former Sepultura frontman opened up about his preference for the fretboard over the notebook, revealing that he views lyric writing as a chore he has to endure to get to the performance.
When asked if penning lyrics is still his least favorite aspect of making a record, Cavalera was remarkably candid about his struggles with words versus his love for riffs.
He said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I like singing them. I enjoy singing, especially [on the latest Soulfly album] Chama. Chama is a record where I came back to hitting myself again in the studio to really feel the songs. And even if you get bruised up, it’s all part of the experience — scratch yourself to get the goosebumps. And I like singing them. I like singing when people write something, or the lyrics. On this album [Chama], my sons helped me with the lyrics. And some of their lyrics were great, they were amazing, and I really loved singing them. A lot of times I do hit some real good liners that I really like. But honestly, yeah, it feels like homework. It’s tedious. It’s not my favorite cup of tea. I prefer to spend time with my guitar, writing riffs. That’s where I really love it, that I really enjoy it. But it’s a necessary evil. You need the lyrics… But honestly, honestly talking, speaking to you, I don’t like it. It’s the least favorite [part] of a whole record-making [process]; the lyrics is my least favorite. And then there’s other people that love it. Like my son Igor — he says he worships words. He’s a writer of books, so he loves words.”
However, Cavalera acknowledged the payoff that comes when the lyrics finally click into place. He explained that his goal is often simplicity—finding a hook that resonates on a primal level, much like a nursery rhyme.
“I love when you find something that is gonna fit the song and then you go sing it and it’s fits perfectly. And then you know, even before you ever play that one live, ‘When I sing this live, people are gonna go off. They’re gonna love it. They’re gonna sing together.’ It’s kind of — we call it the ‘hooks’. Sometimes you gotta have the hooks. They’re almost like nursery rhymes, lullabies for kids. The simpler, the better. To me, songs like [Sepultura‘s] ‘Roots Bloody Roots‘ are the simplest [and the catchiest]… I actually tried to redo it for [Soulfly‘s] ‘Eye For An Eye‘. I tried to redo it, and sometimes that magic you only catch it once. You can try to catch it again and it’s not gonna be the same as the original. The original is always the best one, the greatest one.”
The result of this labor can be heard on Soulfly‘s thirteenth studio album, Chama, which was released on October 24 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The band recently took the new material on the road, wrapping up the “Favela Dystopia” 2025 West Coast tour last month. The 17-date trek, which featured support from Go Ahead And Die, kicked off on November 1 in Roswell and hit major markets including Denver, Spokane, and Fresno before concluding in Flagstaff on November 23.
Chama Tracklist:
- “Indigenous Inquisition”
- “Storm the Gates”
- “Nihilist”
- “No Pain = No Power”
- “Ghenna”
- “Black Hole Scum”
- “Favela / Dystopia”
- “Always Was, Always Will Be…”
- “Soulfly XIII”
- “Chama”
