In a new interview with Chaoszine, legendary metal frontman Max Cavalera didn’t mince words about the uphill battle facing today’s emerging bands. The former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY leader reflected on the stark contrast between the music industry of the late ’90s and the streaming-dominated landscape of 2025, calling it “much harder” for new artists to survive.
“It’s tough, man. It’s tough,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “The record sales nowadays compared to what was 25 years ago. When SOULFLY came out, [the first] SOULFLY [album] was a gold record in America. [SEPULTURA‘s] Roots, [SOULFLY‘s] Primitive [were both] gold records [which] sold many, many thousands of copies. That doesn’t happen now. You have to do all the things now. You have to use social media. You have to go on tour. You have to sell shirts. You have to be creative. It’s tough.
He continued: “I think for a young band starting out right now, it’s very difficult. Much harder [than it used to be]. But it is what it is. They created this monster and they don’t know how to fix it. And it sucks that the musicians end up paying the price for it. I’m glad that at least we’re still making albums. And there’s fans that love vinyl — they love the physical copy. And there’s still a passion for this music, and I love that. And that’s why I will continue making records, because I believe in the album, I believe in the power of a record. I believe in the power of an album. It’s a magical thing. It’s a cool thing. It’s an amazing thing. I listen to my old records, I listen to new records. I’m always inspired by albums. I think it’s amazing.”
SOULFLY’s latest album, Chama, dropped on October 24 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The band is currently on the road for their “Favela Dystopia” 2025 West Coast tour, joined by GO AHEAD AND DIE. The 17-date run kicked off November 1 in Roswell and will hit cities like Denver, Spokane, and Fresno before wrapping up in Flagstaff on November 23.
Rest of “Favela Dystopia” tour dates:
November 5, 2025 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
November 6, 2025 – Denver, CO – The Federal Theater
November 7, 2025 – Casper, WY – Oil City Beer Company
November 8, 2025 – Great Falls, MT – The Newberry
November 9, 2025 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
November 10, 2025 – Richland, WA – Ray’s Golden Lion
November 16, 2025 – Tacoma, WA – Airport Tavern
November 17, 2025 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
November 18, 2025 – Reno, NV – The Alpine
November 19, 2025 – San Jose, CA – The Ritz
November 20, 2025 – Fresno, CA – Strummers
November 21, 2025 – Bakersfield, CA – Temblor Brewing
November 22, 2025 – Palmdale, CA – Transplants Brewery
November 23, 2025 – Flagstaff, AZ – Monte Vista Hotel
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