Soulfly @ The Spring & Airbrake – 02/08/2010

One of the most entertaining live metal bands around made their annual trip to Belfast on Monday night, and when Max Cavalera and his merry men roll into town, it tends to get messy….

If you enjoy sweating profusely, running into other people and jumping up and down an awful lot, while a Brazilian man with one singular dreadlock roars at you, you could be in the right place. If that’s not your cup of tea perhaps you should consult a physician about your inherent testosterone deficiency immediately.

Anyway, in terms of sheer entertainment, Soulfly gigs are right up there with the best that Heavy Metal has to offer, and tonight is no exception. It’s sheer adrenaline-soaked madness from start to finish that can be appreciated by everyone, from the youngsters with the Soulfly t-shirts, to the balding metal heads who still have their old Sepultura patches.

In keeping with their last tour of duty here, they open the set with “Blood, Fire, War, Hate” and the pace rarely deviates thereafter. After the usual showcase of material from their latest album “ Omen”, Soulfly delight the crowd with a selection of early tracks such as “ Back to the Primitive” and “ Frontlines” before blowing the roof off the Spring and Airbrake with classic Sepultura songs such as “ Refuse/Resist” and “ Troops of Doom” which need to be heard live. It’s as simple as that.

Towards the end of the set they even found a way to play an impromptu verse/chorus rendition of Pantera’s “ Walk” which led to yet more ridiculous jumping. Closing with a snippet of “ Children of the Grave”, which adds an unexpected touch of class, Soulfly leave Belfast as everyone’s favourite live metal band and not for the first time. In Max we trust.

By Ryan Bentley