Well over a decade has past since Max Cavalera left SEPULTURA, and it's no secret that the band haven't been the same since. "Roots" (1996) marked the final chapter of the Max-era SEPULTURA, and during the time he went on to form SOULFLY, brother Igor Cavalera stayed put and carried on. Then in a surprise move, Igor announced his departure from SEPULTURA in 2006, which led to the brothers performing alongside one another for the first time since Max left at the tenth annual D-Low Memorial Festival in August of that year. This opened the door to a new page in the history of Metal…

What many thought would never happen, happened. Lo and behold, it appears that time DOES heal all wounds and blood IS thicker than water. What's this? Both founding members of SEPULTURA back together again? Yes indeed. Now Max and Igor Cavalera have reunited in a new band called CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, at a time when the Metal scene needs something fresh and exciting. A word of warning, however, to die-hard SEPULTURA fans: if you are expecting this to sound like classic "golden age" SEPULTURA, you will be sorely disappointed. This is something entirely different, but rest assured it is a brutal attack on the senses.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's debut album, "Inflikted", combines the best musical talent/innovation both Cavalera brothers bring to the table, along with the skilled mastery of guitarist Marc Rizzo (SOULFLY) and bassist Joe Duplantier (GOJIRA), who round out the band's lineup. As stated, this is some angry stuff, and you'd be amazed at the material Max has come up with. The title track launches the attack in a fast and ferocious manner, and it's clear as day that neither Max nor Igor have lost their love for chain-driving Metal. "Sanctuary" is pure Thrash mixed with excellent modern-sounding guitar work from Rizzo while tracks like "Must Kill" and "Black Ark" flow in a more Hardcore-ish fashion.

It's exciting to see the Cavaleras back in action, and they both express the depth of their passion for playing Metal-soiled anthems in each and every track. That's one thing that made the old SEPULTURA so appealing - the music had balls! The same ingredients are here as well, with stand-out picks like "Bloodbrawl", "Nevertrust", "Ultra-Violent", "The Doom Of All Fires" and "Terrorize" each injected with a debilitating dose of neck-breaking brutality that will leave you yearning to slam your head up and down until you fall on the floor from sheer exhaustion.

Though it's taken over 12 years for the Cavalera brothers to get back to doing what they do best, they probably would not have reached this point without going their separate ways in the first place. The fact that they've both done their own things (Max in SOULFLY, Igor in SEPULTURA) has made them stronger, more focused, and with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, they have proven that they are able to move forward gracefully and let their creativity guide them. "Inflikted" is surprisingly addictive and a highly enjoyable listen. It will shock your system, pulverize you, abuse you, and it should not be taken lightly.