What's your feeling about this new europan tour, you were in Lille and Lyon, how were the concerts?
They were very good. It's been a great tour. We've been in europe since january, it's been a long, but great tour, and the french shows are all sold-out, which makes me very happy, 'cause I think it's the result of many years of work in France.

What does represent all those hands together on the cd and the number "3", and about this sign which comes from boudist religion, what does it mean for you?
I think it's a very cool symbol, it's the symbol representing the sounds of the univers and it's also the most powerful mantra in hindo and i think i always been attract to different cultures ans stuffs, so when I saw that I think that I was really excited to use that for the album cover, and also because it looks a little bit like the number "3" and the albums is called "Soulfly 3". So those two things end up matching together, I end up choosing that for the cover of the album.

About this new album, we thaught it's more melodic, with more traditional sounds, that we found on your previous albums, it's a way to surprise or an evolution of Soulfly's style?
I don't yeally know, it's just what I like to play. To analize, that's not my job. My job is to play the music I feel, the feeling's comming true. This album is like "Primitive" was, every albums are different but in the end of the date for me, the most important is that the songs are honnest and I like to play them and that's for Soulfly, the most important.

Are you satidfied of the result? And if it was possible to change something on it, which one?
I'm very satisfied and I don't look back on the album very much, I can think "Oh yeah! I could have done this, I could have done that...". It's a little bit a waste of time because you're always gonna find something to change but you got a draw line and at to some point you have to say "Ok, I'm happy with it"? What I ever think I'm not satisfied with this album, is that I'll have to try to do better for the next one, so it's give you like "hope for the next records".

Soulfly have known lots of problems with musicians at the beginning. Today, do you think that you found the best musicians for Soulfly?
I don't think there was really problems. The people how are incoming here have to really feet the atmosphere and I knew from the beginning that there was gonna be a busy task, so mostly on the guitar part because the first guitar player was not in the band, he was from Chico Science, so since the first album we don't have a guitar player. But I think it's no problem, I think, for me, the most important is that the music have gone, even with the changes, it didn't stop the music, didn't stop the albums. Today the line-up is more solid, I'm happy about that.

Is Mickey the best guitar-player for Soulfly?
Yeah, you know, for our music, we don't require much really. There's no really much a lot of leads and things like that. Mickey plays a really important role as just a solid rythm noisy type guitar, for Soulfly that's perfect, we don't need nothing more than that.

About Brazil now, which changes happened since Lula's new government?
I think it takes time to see but you know, the good thing in term of music, in culture, it's the appointment of Gilberto Gil as minister of culture, I think that's good, that's the first time they put a musician in charge of this section and he's a good guy, I know him personaly, and I think on the cultural music side, it's gonna improve brazilian music area because we are a rich country music but music is never been give proper in treatment like in America or here in Europe, you get funs, you get people their backs of music. In Brazil, that's never happened, musicians is kind like a second degree job you know, so I think with Gilberto Gil, that might change and music could be seen as a good profession , as any other profession like doctor, or teacher, be treated like a good profession that you can really do something good, so I think that's a really good beginning.

As a brezilian living in USA, what do you think about the Irak war and Bush's politics?
I'm against war, I wish there was been different solutions but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm against terrorism as well, I think it's a problem, terrorism is a scarry problem that affect everybody. Anybody at any moment can be a target of terrorism, and that's scarry. So, we're linving in different world. My only hope is that's get sold, soon I hope, and try to go back to some kind normal life.

And about terrorism, you've put one minute silence on the records in relation of the attacked in USA...
Yeah..a minute of silence for me was the best, because everybody was making songs about the attacks, all the musicians were talking about. For me it was much better to do the opposite of everybody and the silence speaks louder than a thousand words. I was like very...proud that I choose that way to do in that situation.

Do you know the european scene, what do you think about it, can you name us some bands you like, maybe some french bands?
This tour is been show me some great new bands like Eyesburn from Belgrade, it's a evry good group, Stampin'Ground from U.K opened our shows, Defdump it's really a good band from France, they'll open the show tonight. A lot of it I don't know 'cause I don't live here but I would like to check them out like this one (Showing french bands's cds Blight and Counterfeit). So, it's good to hear new music, really.

In France, Max Cavalera is a very appreciate person by the public and the medias, but what does Max Cavalera think about France and the french fans?
I only have good things to say about France. It's one of the first country that they accept my new face when a lot of people criticize the beginning of Soulfly. I've got the best connection with the french fans. The Instores were great, meeting with fans were great and the shows which is the most important, they're been unbalivably great, all sold-out but a very great atmosphere.

In all Soulfly's album there are lots of guest, with whom did you have the best feelings, and how was it?
With evreybody, there's no really one that's in particulary stands up from another, they're all diferent. Christian was great, Tom Araya was great, all the guests were really cool because all of them came of his own working with me. I think, my favourite part of guest is percution and that's something that I can't hide, it's my roots. And the two people I work with, Meia Noite from Brazil, and Larry Mc Donald from Jamaica. That's my favourite part of the studio. Watching those guys and learn with them about on the instruments they can put you know. My albums have, all of them 30 or 40 different instruments, which is salute for a metal record you know (laugh)... it's more than any other album of this kind. And I think in the future, I like to have more, like maybe to explore some other type of percution, like medoist percusions, northern african percusions which is very cool too.

Do you agree now, if we speak a little bit about Sepultura?
No, I don't want to.

Why did you choose the "Nulle Part Ailleurs" french TV show on "Canal+" chanel, to anounce the name of your new band Soulfly, in 1998?
It was the time I revel the name but the label didn't know the name of the band and I wanted to do something more surprise than just corporate, like going to the record label like "This is my new band...", so do it live on tv was more exciting (lol), the label was pissed off but I don't care (genral laugh), they were like :"You should have told us...", and I said : "Fuck you..." (genral Laugh). It was better to do it like that!

What I found very strange yesterday during the concert, you've played five songs which aren't on Soulfly's records, only 12 Soulfly's song, Why did you play 4 Sepultura's songs, and a cover?
For me, every songs I play are specificly for the lyrics mostly, when I play "Nailbomb", "Roost", "Arise", those are really personal songs, they are part of my history you know. So, I think, I have a long material to choose from, that's many albums, it's difficult to make a setlist that pleased everybody, it's impossible, there's always somebody that's say "I wish you were playing that song...", but I try (laugh). It's just hard because there's so many songs!

What are your plans for the next month after the tour?
We'll do a tour in America and in Canada, and then i'll start working on the new album, for the end of the year or something.

Do you have already songs or ideas for the album?
Yeah, I have ideas, like doing stuff more species, but it's kinda early 'cause I'm on tour. But the northern African percusion, I really wanna try that, it's very different for me, to extend the tribal meaning to another level that I haven't done yet.

Do you think that Soulfly is still Max Cavalera' s new band, or a very strong band?
No, I think it's really a strong band! We toured like any other band, we have a good line-up, now more than ever, a very solid line-up. So I don't think it's a project at all, Nailbomb was a project, Soulfly is a band!

A word about the last world-cup?
I think Brazil win more of for the coach than even the players, for the first time, we have a very serious coach, he used to be a corp, a policeman, that's why he sot off !(laugh), He makes Brazil win the cup!

Can you explain us the link between you and your spirituality with God?
It's difficult to explain because it's like inside of you, you know. I just think that, God has really been strong, a very strong force in my life. And I dedicated my albums to God for that you know but i don't like to be like some of those bands that are forcing religion on people, that's why I have the Indoo album cover and I have images of different type of religion, because I don't have one religion. The problem is that everybody think that their religion is the best, just like soccer teams (lol).

Now we've got some questions about your tattoos, and is it possible to take some pictures of them?
Sure, no problem!

How did you come to tattoo, which is the first one, and why did you make it?
I don't have a first tattoo anymore, it's under this one, there's was a dragon there. When I was young, i was only 14 when I got this, it was because a friend of mine got a tatoo and I really liked it, so I sold some of my albums to get this tattoo (lol),

I sold like 10 records to get the money for the tattoo. I love tattoos, I think tatoos are great expressions of yourself , they give you strength, for me they really do give you some kind of strength combine with the music. Like this is a very important tattoo right here. This is for me my travel vocal chords you know, the voice comes from this inside but this is the outside, the power control.

Do you have a Soulfly tattoo?
Not yet. I'm waiting because the Soulfly symbol is invented by a tattoo artist and I want to do it with him, but he's busy all the time. And every time I go to California, he's really busy, so I have to wait to the right time (lol). I like those on elbows

From Paul Booth?
Yeah from Paul Booth!

Among all your tattos, which one do you prefer and why?
I like all of them, just like music. I don't really have a favourite, they're all part, there all connected.
Those are my kids names, I like those :

Have you got an idea of the next one?
I wanna get the Soulfly probably here, to connect to the chords, but I also wanna get Saint-Mickael somewhere which is my archangel, maybe in my back, big Saint-Mickeal on my back would be really cool.

Can I take the one on your chest please?
Sure!

Is there a tattoist work that impress you very much? How is he, and would you like him to tatoo you?
There's lot of great tattoo artist. Some tattoo artist are not famous but great. You have people like Paul Booth, Filip Leu, who are the most popular ones, they're great, but that doesn't mean they're the only greats you know. I think tatoo is like music, there's some people very underground, nobody knows, and they can be amazing so what I do it's from city to city, if I hear about somebody, I like to go check it out and if I think the guy's really cool for that style, I'll get a tattoo from him. My closest tatoo artist is Paul Booth, he's a friend, he's stay at my house, we're friends to the music. There's been many like Michael Roper from Phoenix as done my hands, Paul Stottler has done some of my color stuff, there's many great tattoo artist you know. In Brzail we've got many good tattoo artist, in France there's Tin-Tin, who makes very good portrait stuff , I like to get one from him actually, that would be cool...maybe next time.(lol)

There's good tattoo artists all over the world!
Yeah! There's plenty. I need more body room (laugh), the problem is not tattoo, the problem is more room!!(laugh)

Yeah but you've got your legs, your back..
Ohh, I've got that one my leg , done in germany, it's celtic cross. I'm not celtic, i'm not irish, but I like the design, I like the celtic vibs.

Finaly, if you're ok, we've got a little tradition on the website, we're making a little video on which one you can do whatever you want like talking, running all over the room...
(laugh), I'll just say "Hi!"!

THE VIDEO (3.52 MB)

More Max Tattoos' Pics !!!