After the deliciously brutal death/grind/thrash of SOULFLY’s last album, Enslaved, where does Max Cavalera take the ship now?
Savages does not have the extremity nor singular focus of Enslaved. Rather, the record is about groove and spacing than its predecessor. As a result, the songs have more room to breathe, each riff stands out more, and the dynamic changes within songs help provide a greater sense of variety. Max continues to prove why he is a riff master among riff masters.
As would seem inevitable, Max’s son Zyon Cavalera has joined the ranks on drums. He does a solid job though he is no David Kinkade. But then again who is?
All in all, Savages is a solid album. No complaints. Cool ideas can be found throughout. However, it is simply not as good as the band’s best works, Dark Ages, Conquer, and Enslaved. (Nuclear Blast Records)
