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.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Goblin Sessions Heavy Metal
THEM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tormenta De Arena Metalcore
VORAGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Infinite Metalcore
FUTURE GHOST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Heretic Melodic Death Metal
SUNCINDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Harrowed TwentyTenVideo
HARROWED
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us