As he prepares to resurrect his cult industrial-metal project Nailbomb for a European tour, metal icon Max Cavalera has reflected on a life and career defined by a simple, unwavering philosophy: “F*** the rules.” In a wide-ranging and deeply personal new interview with Metal Hammer magazine, the legendary frontman looked back on his turbulent youth in Brazil, his pride in his Sepultura legacy, and why he has never regretted his controversial, career-altering departure from the band at the peak of its success.
Cavalera explained that the defiant, “nihilistic” attitude of his recently revived Nailbomb project feels more relevant today than when it was first conceived in 1994. “It fits the times we’re living in like a glove,” he stated. “There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now… The guys that are in charge, most of them are m*rons. It’s f***ing scary, but there’s a cool magic in the Nailbomb attitude of giving zero f***s.”
That anti-authoritarian streak was forged in his youth. After getting kicked out of military, Catholic, and public schools for rebelling against the “f***ing rules” and committing acts of “pure vandalism,” he and his brother Iggor presented their mother with a new plan: to quit school and start a band. Her response became a lifelong mission statement. “She said, ‘It’s against what I want, but if you’re gonna do music, you have to do it 1,000%. No quitting that in a month. Stick with it.’ And that’s what we did,” he recalled.
That unwavering commitment to his own integrity led to the most pivotal and controversial decision of his career: leaving Sepultura in 1996, at the absolute height of the band’s global fame. While he remains “super-proud” of the groundbreaking albums he made with the band, he is resolute about his choice to walk away.
“One thing I’m proud of with leaving Sepultura is that I stuck to my guns,” he declared. “If I’d stayed with them, it would have been wrong for my integrity. I couldn’t sing those songs in that environment. It was killing me, so I had to make a stand and do something drastic. I’ve never regretted that choice.”
Now, decades later, Cavalera sees himself as a “lifer” in the mold of his heroes like Lemmy and Rob Halford, one who has fully committed to a life outside of “normal society.” His priorities are no longer about getting “h*gh and wasted,” but about family and creation. He jokingly refers to his musical family, which includes his sons Zyon and Igor Amadeus, as “The Osmonds of metal” and insists that his happiness comes from creativity, not material success.
Ultimately, he sees the aggressive music he has created for 40 years as a vital and positive outlet. “I’ve been screaming at the world for 40 years, and that’s the best therapy you can have,” he said. “Otherwise I’d probably be out ki***ng people or doing dumb s**t. Metal is a positive force.”
As Max Cavalera brings the primal anger of Nailbomb back to the world, it’s clear that the same rebellious fire that was lit in a Brazilian schoolyard decades ago still burns as brightly as ever.
