Max Cavalera, the legendary frontman of Soulfly and former Sepultura vocalist, has opened up about his least favorite aspect of the album-making process in an interview with Rock Daydream Nation.
In a recent interview discussing Soulfly’s latest album ‘Chama’, Cavalera revealed that writing lyrics remains his biggest challenge and least enjoyable part of creating music.
When asked directly if writing lyrics is still his least favorite part of the record-making process, Cavalera was refreshingly honest about his struggles with this creative aspect. “I like singing them. I enjoy singing, especially [on the latest Soulfly album] ‘Chama’. ‘Chama’ is a record where I came back to hitting myself again in the studio to really feel the songs. And even if you get bruised up, it’s all part of the experience — scratch yourself to get the goosebumps. And I like singing them,” he explained.
The metal icon went on to describe how collaboration has helped him overcome some of these challenges. “I like singing when people write something, or the lyrics. On this album [‘Chama’], my sons helped me with the lyrics. And some of their lyrics were great, they were amazing, and I really loved singing them. A lot of times I do hit some real good liners that I really like.”
However, Cavalera didn’t shy away from expressing his true feelings about the lyric-writing process itself. “But honestly, yeah, it feels like homework. It’s tedious. It’s not my favorite cup of tea. I prefer to spend time with my guitar, writing riffs. That’s where I really love it, that I really enjoy it. But it’s a necessary evil. You need the lyrics… But honestly, honestly talking, speaking to you, I don’t like it. It’s the least favorite [part] of a whole record-making [process]; the lyrics is my least favorite. And then there’s other people that love it.”
This candid admission provides insight into the creative process of one of metal’s most influential figures. While Cavalera clearly struggles with lyric writing, his passion for guitar work and riff creation remains as strong as ever. The fact that he involves his family members in the creative process also demonstrates his willingness to collaborate and find solutions to overcome his creative challenges.
The interview was conducted as part of promotion for Soulfly’s album ‘Chama’, which showcases Cavalera’s continued evolution as an artist despite his admitted difficulties with certain aspects of the creative process.
