Max Cavalera

Max Cavalera was one of the decisive figures in the transformation of Brazilian metal into an international force. Alongside his brother Iggor, he founded Sepultura in Belo Horizonte, in 1984, and led the band from the brutality of Morbid Visions and Schizophrenia to the worldwide recognition of Beneath the Remains, Arise, Chaos A.D. and Roots. His writing fused thrash, death metal, hardcore, Brazilian rhythms and social criticism in a language that influenced extreme metal far beyond the country. After leaving Sepultura in 1996, Max created Soulfly, debuting in 1998 with an album that preserved the weight of his old band, but expanded the space for groove, tribal music and international collaborations. From then on, he built a career deliberately spread out between projects such as Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy, Killer Be Killed and Go Ahead and Die. With Iggor, he also resumed and re-recorded Sepultura's initial works under the name Cavalera, recovering that repertoire with a heavier production and the same lack of original delicacy. At the helm of Soulfly, Max remained productive for almost three decades, reaching Chama, released in 2025 and produced by his son Zyon Cavalera. His importance does not lie in refined technique or in the search for formal perfection, priorities that never seemed to keep him up at night. It's in the strength of the riffs, the vocal identity and the ability to transform cultural roots, revolt and instinct into immediately recognizable music. Few Brazilian musicians have altered the vocabulary of global metal in such a profound way.