SOULFLY — Primitive (review)

SOULFLY — Primitive album cover Album · 2000 · Nu Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Kingcrimsonprog
Soulfly’s second album Primitive, released back in 2000 during the Nu Metal era saw the band continue the formula established by their debut self titled album from 1998 and also Sepultura’s Roots album from 1996 to an extent.

The sound mixes tribal percussion and additional instruments in with a mixture of heavy groove metal riffs and bouncy Nu Metal riffs. The production, handled by Toby Wright & Max Cavalera is very much inspired by the style used by Ross Robinson on the band’s debut and several other notable Nu Metal efforts.

The album is absolutely full of guest appearances; from non-famous Brazilian musicians to Slipknot’s, Slayer’s and Deftones’ singers as well as John Lennon’s son Sean Lennon among others.

The lyrics are a mixture between old Sepultura (and on one song, Slayer!) lyrics reworked, sections in Portuguese, Quasi-spiritual sections and Max’s usual style of violent simplistic lyrics.

Some people may see this as the best Soulfly album, bringing together everything they like about the band, others may think it is a cluttered mess of different ideas and guest appearances that lacks any real cohesion for most of the time and that just rehashes old ideas for the rest of the time.

Overall, Primitive is very much an album of its time. Whether you think that means that it has horribly dated or that it is a classic is very much up to your personal opinion. The band certainly seem to play enough of it live to suggest many fans still love it.

For me, the album has some worthy moments (‘The Prophet,’ and ‘Pain,’ are highlights) but is largely forgettable and too dated. I loved the album when it was brand new, but now very rarely find myself listening to it at all. The album is certainly worth a few listens, but Soulfly have definitely made better albums.
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