Soulfly - Conquer   

Showing once more that metal flows in his veins

Soulfly really got themselves into a rut, or a pattern, depending on how you look at things over the course of their first four long players. It was only with album number five, 2006's Dark Ages that vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera, guitar Marc Rizzo, bassist Bobby Burns and drummer Joe Nunez broke free of a tired habit and really showed that they are capable of producing some quality metal. It might not have been album of the year material but it was leaps and bounds ahead of anything they'd done since their 1998 self-titled debut effort. With the praise that Dark Ages received from around the globe, it would be interesting to see just where the group would go with their sixth studio effort dubbed Conquer.

Soulfly have always been about guest appearances but one of the most welcomed for some will the inclusion of guest vocals from Morbid Angel vocalist/bassist David Vincent on the brooding opening cut, Blood Fire War Hate. It's slow to mid tempo beginning soons turns into a thrashier number that continues in the vein established by Dark Ages and shows that Max is shifting further from his tribal ways. Unleash is the kind of track that shows that Cavalera can still throw a curve ball or two. The diversity from its thrashy beginning to its spacey, rock vibe midway throughs suggest that the group are a long way from being out of ideas just yet. A little less impressive early on, Paranoia does have its moments especially when Rizzo rips into some blistering lead work. There's a comforting Chaos A.D. vibe to the dynamic Warmageddon, whilst there's a slight regression in quality with the simplistic duo of Enemy Ghost and Rough both of which would quite easily slot onto any of the group's earlier releases.

Don't be fooled by the melancholy intro to Fall Of The Sycophants. It quickly shifts into top gear and shreds as one of the album's strongest tracks thanks to a healthy balance and constrast of aggression and melody. With Doom sounding like the rumbling opening to Metallica's Hit The Lights when it starts, it soon also becomes another thrashy number. But it is apparent at this point that the band's weakness still lies in Cavalera's lyrics which at times border on immature and repetitive. For Those About To Rot is another fine example of the riff renaissance that Cavalera has undergone - it's almost like he's rediscovered the other strings on his guitar! With a driving riff that sounds like it belongs on a Morgoth album or the like, Touching The Void is a slow, solemn affair that offers a welcomed change of pace when compared to the frantic nature of the previous material. Of course, it wouldn't be a Soulfly album without the obligatory instrumental Soulfly VI which is a very uplifting, positive sounding piece and a nice way to finish off the album.

Max and Co. have done it again. Whilst they may not have trumped 2005's Dark Ages, Conquer is by no means a step backwards either. It's as consistent as Dark Ages and a worthy follow up that shows Cavalera isn't out of ideas yet.

(Roadrunner Records/Warner Music Australia)

Added: September 3rd 2008
Reviewer: Simon Milburn
Score:
Related Link: Official Website
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