SOULFLY'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH BELGIUM....

Belgium has always been a Metal Mecca! I did shows in my early Metal years with Sacred Reich and Atrophy, many times in Belgium. The Ancienne Belguique would rock the top off the city, into the late hours. I took Sacred, Atrophy, Sepultura, Soulfly and CC there...and don't forget Fudge Tunnel! That venue was rabid for metal!

Through the years, festivals began appearing and Belgium was a front runner!! Toorhut Werchter, Graspop, Lokersee, Pukkelpop, the list of festivals goes on. One day, the promoter was cooking for us in the little venue kitchen and years later Soulfly was headlining Graspop; all of us still working together!

Graspop is one of the top notch organized, respected, and old school festivals there is! We have met an assortment of stars, and even supported Guns and Roses, KISS, Aerosmith, and partied with Ice Tea and his Bodycount! It's a reunion, a family get together and you always feel at home! Even the catering has gotten superb through the years!!! The merch selection is the size of a fairground and there is so much music it spins your head around!

At this horrendous time in Belgium's history, we must all give gratitude, prayers and faith that the terror will stray from the heartlands. Leave us Metalheads and free thinkers in peace. Take your gripes and wishful thinking elsewhere, and leave people to worship their own God; to live their lives without fear and to rock the f%$# out when they choose!! Support Heavy Metal!!

NAILBOMB REVISITED.......PART 3

Max was getting into photography at the time Zyon was coming to Earth. He was buying several types of lenses, colored lenses, and cameras. He took the photo in the inlay of the cd case of Roots and after that, many pics for various Soulfly releases.

In the days of Nailbomb, I will admit Max was sufficiently floating from alcohol. He usually just holed up at home or in the back room of the bus, and visited oblivion. This state did have its artistic moments and a live stage presence of it's own, with many surprises! One such day in the studio, Alex called me and said Max had driven wasted and was smashed and blasted in the studio. I tried to reason with Max, but a fifth of rum later, there was just no point. Thank God the tape was rolling when he blurted out his famous one liner....Feels good to be a punk loser!

He was also lucky to get some nice studio shots of recording. I am sure he was looking through the lens with a different sort of glasses on, than anyone else in the studio! Nailbomb lasted through eternity and never became a dated album. At the same time, it's life was short... There are only so many photos of this creation, this ultimate hate project. Cockroaches live longer...


Class dismissed...

NAILBOMB REVISITED....PART 2

The early stages of Nailbomb were just for fun, as you all know. Once I devised my elaborate scheme to turn it into a record, the jokes still never stopped. One day I came home to see the guys out front, recording the screeching of tires as they zipped up the block and slammed on the breaks. One day, they were pounding on the washer. It was Alex and Christina, Max and me and Dana...partners in crime. We hated everything, but with a smile on our faces.

The nanny, Teresa, was cleaning and chilling all day, so Max and Alex took over her room. It was pretty simple and so there was a lot of room in it. After a few weeks, I honestly don't know how she even slept in there. It was her and Jesus, ever looking over the antics in that room. Max and the kids even made a giant cabinet from a cardboard box. The band was still called Sick Man, a name from the rooster on a Looney Tunes cartoon. He would always say, "sick, man, sick!" it became normal slang around our house. Alex came up with the word Nailbomb, as he loved the shock value.

Finally after a short time, there it was ...the cassette with songs on it. Ready for presentation to Roadrunner. I remember the day I called Monte on the phone and talked him into the project. Once he heard the songs, he was blown away and couldn't refuse.... Nailbomb was birthed....

Feels good to be a punk loser!!


Class dismissed...

NAILBOMB REVISITED…RARE PICS…

Nailbomb was a world in itself. It was birthed from humor, boredom, artists that couldn’t be chained and a little spice from around the world. Created as a freedom from 3 pregnant ladies, 5 wild children and a life in-between tours!

Nothing was normal. The recording took place in the nanny’s bedroom. The team was Max Cavalera and Alex Newport. The foundation was a humorous punk hate of everything grown up. The gear was shit and the language was jet fueled. We laughed more than said words; nodding our heads all day long to Alex’s unrelentless replaying it to get the sound he knew was in there.

I popped the baby first. A small break in the work. 2 days, or was it 3? It was all for a purpose!

Class dismissed….

WHY ARE THOSE KIDS HEADBANGING ON THE NAILBOMB RECORD??

June 1995, Max and I were holed up at a hotel near the hospital I was to give birth to Igor at. Igor was my 7th child and I was sure he would come out like a speeding rocket, so we booked a hotel and waited…and waited…and waited. After his hair and fingernails were customized, he decided it was okay to make his entrance! It was a grueling, all day affair. When I was finally near delivery, guess what? He was too big. A 9 pounder!!! After 3 hours of attempting delivery the doctor came in for a C-section. This must have kicked Igor in the butt, as he promptly decided it was time.

I remember after he was born, I asked the nurse if I could stay an extra night. She sternly looked at me and said “We aren’t a hotel!” Ok, I could take a hint. Grab the baby and get out!

We headed straight to a place that WAS a hotel, and checked in with our brood. I needed a break from housework and band work! We piled the kids in and ordered room service. Max was goofing around taking photos and doing some work on the Nailbomb release he and Alex had put together. Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide was just as much an infant as Igor was.

From the other room, all I could hear was Jonathon Davis shouting “Are you ready?????” WTF? Max was up to something! He showed me the polaroids of Richie, Jason and Zyon raging and told me it would be the band photo for the record. Of course I thought he was kidding! Alex stopped by to see his new brother-in -law, and loved the cameos. He said…”I want to be Zyon!” We left it at that!

Class dismissed……