On Tuesday evening, March 1st, hundreds of metalheads poured into The Cabooze in Minneapolis to watch one of the most underrated bands of the last 25 years- Soulfly. It was evident that the crowd was ready for great music. The night started with four local bands (Bloodgeon, Defiled Sacrament, Inviction, Archaea) performing and building their fanbase. As the room continued to get more and more crowded, the crowds got louder and the moisture of sweat and beer filled the venue.
At 8:45, 200 Stab Wounds took the stage. This band, hailing from Cleveland, Ohio first emerged on the scene in 2019 and has steadily built a solid fan base during the hardest three years to do so. Their first song, “Paths to Carnage,” felt like a battering ram as the kick drums thundered throughout the room. Musically, the band plays death metal with heavy bass lines and brutal vocals. Songs like “Tow Rope Around the Throat,” “Drilling Your Head,” “Body In the Basement” and “Itty Bitty Pieces” showcase how the band writes songs entrenched in horror and gore. As the old guys stood in the back, and the younger people started a circle pit, it was evident to all that the crowd loved it. The band closed their set with “She Was Already Dead.”
Everyone waited for the mighty Soulfly to take the stage, and it was worth the wait. A recording of jungle ambiance played and the tribal titan, Max Cavalera, took the stage opening with the band’s twenty-two-year-old hit, “Back to the Primitive.” Everyone went wild. Over the years, Soulfly has changed more band members than my wife changes outfits before going out, but this lineup performed better than when I last saw the band in Milwaukee nearly 15 years ago. Since 2012, Cavalera’s son, Zyon has been playing behind the drumset, former Havok/Absence member, Mike Leon has been the full-time bassist, and legendary guitarist, Dino Cazares, has been tour support since last year.
The band continued with “No Hope=No Fear” and “Rise of the Fallen.” Soulfly has been around for twenty-five years and to date, has released eleven albums. I was pleased with the diverse setlist- performing songs from over half of their albums! They played “Seek N Strike” from their 2002 album, “3,” “Ritual” and “The Summoning” from their 2018 album, “Ritual.” They also played two of my all-time favorite Soulfly songs, “Prophecy” from 2004’s album of the same name and “Boom” from 2000’s “Primitive.”
One of the highlights of the night was watching the band play two new songs. The first, “Filth Upon Filth,” featured some of the best riffs I have heard from the band. Two-thirds of the way through their setlist, they played “Superstition.” This new song is a super-fast thrash hit that featured a great solo by Cazares. Another highlight was the band playing “Replica,” a cover by the heavy metal band, Fear Factory. This choice was fitting as touring guitarist, Dino Cazares, founded Fear Factory and has played for them since 1989.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Max Cavalera, and there is no denying he is one of the best frontmen to ever grace the metal scene. As the band played “Bleed” and “Tribe” from their debut album, Max controlled the crowd with charm and charisma, while still maintaining his metal persona. As the night was coming to a close, the crowd demanded an encore and the band took us all back to the late nineties as they played two of their most popular songs, “Eye For An Eye” and “Jumpdafuckup.” It was truly an unforgettable evening.
