MARC RIZZO: ‘I Got No Support From SOULFLY’ During Pandemic

Former SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo has shared more details on his exit from Max Cavalera and fold.

In a new interview with Pierre Gutiérrez of Rock Talks, Rizzo said: “This has been a very difficult year. I got no support from SOULFLY. There was no sort of loans that were taken out for the bandmembers or the crew. This is just the honest thing of what happened. I had to go back and get a day job. I was doing home renovations, working very hard, 10 hours a day. A [SOULFLY] live record came out [last year]. I never saw a dime off that.

“So, basically, within the [first] six months, seven months of COVID, I just said, ‘You know, man, I don’t want this anymore,” he continued. “I gave you guys 18 years of my life.’ And it was a great time. Back in the good years, it was great. But the last I’d say eight to 10 years have not been very good. [I was] away from my family. Scheduling is crazy. It was impossible to have a personal life, see my family, make plans with my family. So, basically, six months into COVID, it was just, like, I don’t even wanna do this anymore. I’d rather just concentrate on my solo project and spend time with my family where I’m happy, where I get my credit for everything I do.

“I put 18 years in. It’s a long, long time to be in the band. When COVID hit, I felt like, what have I been doing these last 18 years? Normally, you work a day job, you get support during a pandemic like COVID. And I was working very hard. I was doing plumbing, electric. Finally, my very good friend Nic Bell at Godsize Booking, he was, like, ‘Listen, dude, I can get you back on the road to the states in America that are open.’ So he got me to Montana, Texas, Florida, doing my solo project.

“And I was able to quit my job and get back on track playing music for a living and making money. Big props to Nic Bell, ’cause he was one of the few people that supported me during the pandemic and helped me to get back on the road. Again, I got no support whatsoever from anyone else. So, it’s a good thing. Again, I’m very excited about the future.”

When asked if it’s fair to say that his decision to exit SOULFLY was based on a financial issue, Marc said: “I would say that was one of [the issues] — for this year, yes. There were years that were good financially, but this year — again, there was no loans, there was no, ‘Hey, let’s do a live video to make money for the bandmembers or maybe let’s do a special merch deal.’ A lot of my friends, they were doing special merchandise deals. I mean, if you look online, SOULFLY didn’t do anything for the bandmembers or the crew. It’s just not right to do that to people during a time like this.

“So, whatever, man. “They have the right to run their business however they want to, and I have the right to do I want to do. So, again, I’m very excited to do my solo project. That’s what got me through COVID, back to being on the road and doing what I love to do as a living. And then this spawned Tony [Campos, STATIC-X, FEAR FACTORY] and me finally getting together to do a project that we’ve always talked about. So we’re excited with HAIL THE HORNS — we’re very, very excited to get that going. I’ve got my death metal project REVENGE BEAST. And these were guys that called me. They were, like, ‘Hey, what’s up, man? How are you? How are you doing?’ I never got a phone call from anybody in the SOULFLY camp during COVID. It just opened up my eyes this year about what I should be doing in 2021.”

“I haven’t talked to Max since [March] 2020 when we played the Hell & Heaven festival in Mexico,” he added. “I had no contact with him. I don’t think he has a phone, so it’s not like I can call him.”

SOULFLY has announced that FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares will be replacing Rizzo for SOULFLY‘s upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off on August 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dates and tickets for that tour are available here.