Prophecy (album)

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Prophecy
Prophecy cover
Studio album by Soulfly
Released March 30, 2004
Recorded Fall 2003 at The Saltmine Studio Oasis in Mesa, Arizona
Genre Thrash metal
Alternative metal
Length 55:40
Label Roadrunner Records
Producer Max Cavalera
Professional reviews
Soulfly chronology
3
(2002)
Prophecy
(2004)
Dark Ages
(2005)
Alternate Cover
Re-issued Digipak cover
Re-issued Digipak cover

Prophecy is the fourth studio album by the metal band Soulfly and it was released in 2004.

This album is noteworthy for three features - the completely different lineup for the album apart from leader Max Cavalera, the world music influence from a stint that Cavalera spent in Serbia and explicit Spirituality themes on the album. The album has gone on to sell over 275,000 copies.

Contents

[edit] New lineup

Cavalera recruited a whole new lineup for the Prophecy album. Joe Nunez was back behind the drumkit having worked on the Primitive album with Marc Rizzo formerly of Ill Niño on guitar. There are two bassists playing as members of Soulfly on Prophecy - David Ellefson formerly of Megadeth and Bobby Burns of Primer 55. Cavalera took this decision to have a mixture of old school metal and death metal on the album.

Max Cavalera explains on the bands website that he wants to use different musicians as part of the group for each album. "This is an approach that I've wanted to do for a while. I never wanted Soulfly to be a band like Metallica, with the same four guys. On every Soulfly album, we've changed the line up and it will probably continue that way. In order to do that, I had to start from the inside out and bring in people who caught my attention, that I had never played with before, and create this."

[edit] World music influences

In Sepultura, Cavelera had shown an interest in world music as shown on the 1996 Roots album featuring elements of the music of Brazil's indigenous peoples. This approach continues on the Prophecy album with Cavalera travelling to Serbia to record with traditional musicians. On the track "Moses", an explicit statement of his religious beliefs he works with Serbian band Eyesburn featuring reggae influences from one of his heroes Bob Marley. Cavalera has in fact been described as the Bob Marley of metal and Exodus was one of Marley's definitive records. Other tracks on the album feature instruments from the Middle Ages, sheepskin bagpipes and Serbian Gypsies.

[edit] Spirituality influences

On the band's website, Max Cavelera said that he founded the band "with the idea of combined sounds and spiritual beliefs." The Prophecy album contains the clearest statement of his beliefs with "I Believe" containing a spoken part in the middle where Cavelera expresses his faith. "Moses" is the next track on the record.

[edit] Reception

  • CMJ (3/22/04, p.18) - "[T]he tracks on Prophecy have worldly textures and a distinct vibe that furthers Soulfly's status as a fluid musical tribe."

[edit] Track listing

All songs written and composed by Cavalera except "Defeat U" (Cavalera, Marianino), "Mars" (Cavalera, Eyesburn, Kojić) and "In the Meantime" (Hamilton) which is originally written and performed by Helmet on their 1992 album Meantime.

  1. "Prophecy" – 3:35
  2. "Living Sacrifice" – 5:03
  3. "Execution Style" – 2:18
  4. "Defeat U" (with Danny Marianino) – 2:10
  5. "Mars" – 5:25
  6. "I Believe" (with Asha Rabouin) – 5:53
  7. "Moses" (with Nemanja Kojić - Kojot (from Eyesburn)) – 7:39
  8. "Born Again Anarchist" – 3:43
  9. "Porrada" – 4:07
  10. "In the Meantime" (Helmet Cover) – 4:45
  11. "Soulfly IV" – 6:04
  12. "Wings" (with Asha Rabouin) – 6:05

European version contains live bonus tracks recorded live at the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden on June 15, 2001:

  1. "Back To The Primitive" - 4:09
  2. "No Hope = No Fear"
  3. "Spit" - 2:31
  4. "Jumpdafuckup/Bring It" - 4:26
  5. "The Song Remains Insane" - 2:19
  6. "Roots Bloody Roots" - 3:57

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Chart positions

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
2004 The Billboard 200 82