{"id":39599,"date":"2020-11-17T07:47:05","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T20:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=39599"},"modified":"2020-11-19T07:10:30","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T20:10:30","slug":"max-cavalera-of-killer-be-killed-interview-2020-reluctant-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2020\/11\/max-cavalera-of-killer-be-killed-interview-2020-reluctant-hero\/","title":{"rendered":"Max Cavalera of Killer Be Killed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u201cI think people more than ever now they need music, and more than ever they\u2019re home with not much to do and you need your fix of metal, your fix of music and I\u2019m glad this album is coming out\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

From Release: The whirlwind of heavy, fast, melodic, thrashy, and often meditative bombast, with sparks of hardcore punk, summoned by\u00a0KILLER BE KILLED\u00a0is the formidable and inevitable result of the sum of its parts, whose combined discography warped and shaped the culture. Three men possessed of some of the most recognizable voices in heavy music split frontman duty. Boundary pushers and innovators, born and bred in different cities and tempered by their respective projects, each one is an equal participant in the fresh ceremony of inspired ritual, together with one of the most beloved drummers in heavy music.\u00a0KILLER BE KILLED\u2019s debut album was a force of nature that demolished preconceived notions of \u201csupergroup\u201d upon its arrival in 2014.\u00a0RELUCTANT HERO, the band\u2019s surprise follow-up, conceived in secrecy some six years later, doubles down on that mission statement while splashing the sonic canvas with new colors and visions.<\/p>\n

At home in Arizona, we gave our old mate Max Cavalera a call to talk about the new Killer Be Killed album \u2018Reluctant Hero\u2019, how it differs from his other bands, playing live, what 2020 has taught him, and more\u2026<\/p>\n

Always a pleasure to catch up, Max and it\u2019s been a couple of years since we last chatted, but let\u2019s catch up. How has 2020 been treating you?<\/strong>
\nUm\u2026 yeah man, trying to make the best of shitty situation kinda like how everybody is trying to deal with this the best way you can, trying to stay safe but there\u2019s no shows for all of us musicians and that sucks and we\u2019re going through a hard time, but we keep trying to do different things. Super happy about the Killer Be Killed album coming out, I\u2019m happy the label didn\u2019t want to change the release to next year like some other bands did, and I\u2019m keeping myself busy I do the \u2018Max Trax!\u2019 on facebook live here at home and practicing the new Soulfly with my son Zyon, writing riffs for that already, and anxious for the Killer Be Killed release. That\u2019s the best we can do, man.<\/p>\n

Now we\u2019ve spoken a number of times but this is the first time about Killer Be Killed, you guys are about to release your new album, the second for the band so can you in two words give us your review of \u2018Reluctant Hero\u2019?<\/strong>
\nIn two words? *pauses* Brutally melodic *laughs* it\u2019s got a lot of melody but it\u2019s brutal, you know.<\/p>\n

This album kinda came out of nowhere, and six years between albums, why was now the right time for new music from Killer Be Killed?<\/strong>
\nJust how the way we work, we all have established bands and we\u2019re always busy with them and we knew that it was gonna happen we just didn\u2019t know when. We never said I hope there will be a second record it was more like when is there going to be a second record and we work very slow which is okay, there was no hurry, we\u2019re not really on any pressure from the label to release at any certain time, so it was like we just took the time and did it like that. The hardest thing about that is knowing when to walk away from it, like knowing when to say alright we have enough, this is good, I walk away from it. In fact I think I walked away from it so much I did not listen to the record for two months and I just finally heard the record last week for the first time *laughs* and so I was pretty surprised it\u2019s quite god *laughs* even for me it was a big surprise how excited I got from listening to it. So it\u2019s a point of knowing when to knowing all your parts are there, all your riffs are there, all your vocals are there and be like yeah this is good. You can keep changing records forever, you\u2019re always going to find something you want to do differently but there always comes a time when you have to say this is it, done, this is a done deal and walk away from it and I think we did the right thing and I\u2019m extremely proud of the record and I think people are gonna like it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In saying you wrote a lot and walked away, is there still more tracks for the future or do you write specifically for new records?<\/strong>
\nYeah I mean there was a couple of leftover things we didn\u2019t use, Greg actually used on his solo record there\u2019s a song called \u2018Roach\u2019 that it was a Killer Be Killed song and we didn\u2019t use it so he snagged that and put it on his solo record which is fine by us, it\u2019s alright. Then a couple of riffs here or there that we didn\u2019t use but overall we used everything that was meant for the record that made the record good so when we start the process for the next one which I hope doesn\u2019t take six years again we probably start fresh with new ideas you know.<\/p>\n

Was this album made during the pandemic or was it made before and just worked on during this time?<\/strong>
\nNo everything was done before the pandemic. So the record was actually finished, the music was finished last year, the vocals were done in January of this year, and it was mixed around February. Then the world went to shit *laughs* it was done before we didn\u2019t know about the pandemic or nothing, it was kind of crazy. That\u2019s what I say like some labels convinced artists to not put out records this year because of the pandemic and I\u2019m extremely happy that Nuclear Blast did not do that with us and we are releasing the record right now because I think people more than ever now they need music, and more than ever they\u2019re home with not much to do and you need your fix of metal, your fix of music and I\u2019m glad this album is coming out next week.<\/p>\n

I love that you went back to Josh Wilbur to work on this record as producer, what was he able to bring to the band this time around after working on your debut also?<\/strong>
\nHe just knows it so well, man. He was there on the first one and he knew exactly what this band was all about so it was not like bringing in a guy we didn\u2019t know and trying to figure out. So he was a bit like Killer Be Killed secret weapon producer because he knew exactly how to get stuff out of me, Troy, Greg and Ben without hurting our feelings which is very difficult, being a producer is a very delicate situation where you I think you\u2019ve gotta tell artist or steer the artist away from an idea and something push them forward with that idea, but artists have egos and they don\u2019t like to be told no you\u2019re idea ain\u2019t no good. Josh doesn\u2019t have that problem, the first record he made a couple of things and changes and this one I remember when we did \u2018Dream Gone Bad\u2019 I don\u2019t think he liked the riff very much *laughs* and he thought it was a Greg riff and it was mine *laughs* \u201cThis is one of Greg\u2019s right?\u201d *laughs* and it was like no this is one of Max and he was like \u201cI don\u2019t like this one as much as the rest of the record\u201d and he has no problem saying that and it doesn\u2019t hurt me when he says that either, I don\u2019t have that kind of ego. So it was a joy working with him and he\u2019s a pro and he gets the best out of us and sonically the production is awesome, everything sounds the way it should sound.<\/p>\n

This goes back to where you called the record brutally melodic before, in listening to it it\u2019s almost a cross between metal and hard rock with these catchy hooks that just make you latch onto these songs\u2026<\/strong>
\nWell yeah we grew up with classic rock all of us, we love that, and what is great with Killer Be Killed is I get to be part of a world that I\u2019m not normally part of in my own band Soulfly or Cavalera Conspiracy, it\u2019s like pop rock kind of stuff but done in a very good way, natural way, not forced and without compromise, you don\u2019t compromise the music the music is too great you know. It just had really amazing hooks and a lot of them end up being a combination of a lot of times my riff and the guys singing on it either Greg or Troy delivering a badass chorus on top of the riff, and I\u2019m more responsible of keeping the brutal side of Killer Be Killed alive and I think that\u2019s where maybe the magic of it is, it\u2019s never too soft all the way and it\u2019s never just all brutal. You have this diversity that goes through the whole thing that for some reason works, man, and it\u2019s exciting, it\u2019s just the elements of all of us together results in these songs. I couldn\u2019t agree more that\u2019s there\u2019s a cool hard rock element in some of the songs, especially like \u2018Left of Center\u2019, \u2018Dream Gone Bad\u2019, it\u2019s catchy as hell and you could almost drive your car and it would be cool to listen to this. Then you have crazy stuff like \u2018Dead Limbs\u2019, and \u2018Animus\u2019 and trippy stuff like \u2018From a Crowded Wound\u2019 is almost like a progressive song, but yeah the record is very diverse, man, I like that, it doesn\u2019t stay in one thing all the time, it changes a lot from song to song an I think people will dig that when they hear it. It\u2019s almost like it you listen to it all the way through which I think is a cool way to listen to this record it\u2019s almost like you take a journey somewhere, the album takes you to a different place.<\/p>\n

I was lucky to see you guys live here and man that show was amazing, are there plans to tour with Killer Be Killed when the world allows live music to happen again?<\/strong>
\nYeah I think more than ever, because now we feel like this record really kind of officialises us as a real band and kind of puts a target on our back, we are a real band, this is a real band record, so with that in mind I think we should go out and tour like a real band and so yeah, I think we\u2019ll make serious efforts whenever is possible next year, I hear of things opening up next year. Who knows, even maybe back for round two in Australia that would be great.<\/p>\n

What if anything has 2020 taught you that you will now maintain through your life and career?<\/strong>
\nIt taught me patience more than anything else and that sometimes it\u2019s okay to slow down, we\u2019re always in a hurry to do things, to put records out, to make music, it\u2019s almost like this never ending non stop machine, and this year slowing everything down by force where it really put into prospect for me that it\u2019s okay to take it easy and slow your pace down. On the other hand it made us appreciate so much more what we had playing live especially I will never ever take for granted being on a stage *laughs* you know? When you have a show that for whatever reason you don\u2019t feel like playing it, that\u2019s never gonna happen again, man. I\u2019m gonna worship every stage moment from now on because it can be taken away from me like that. So it\u2019s cool, it put a lot of things into perspective.<\/p>\n

A lot of people are saying that it\u2019s almost been a reset this year too\u2026<\/strong>
\nYeah I think you just saw people try to do whatever they can in their life to stay as busy as they can so I think you\u2019re gonna see a lot of productivity, a lot of music being recorded because there\u2019s not a lot of shows. I got to spend my first birthday at home in twenty years, that was cool I never expected that, so I got to spend time with the family and do things like that, that was cool, I liked that. We are all looking forward to being back to normal hopefully.<\/p>\n

Let’s look ahead to the future as we like to do. So forgetting the rest of this year, finish this sentence for me. In 2021 Killer Be Killed will…<\/strong>
\nPlay live *laughs*<\/p>\n

Well hopefully that does include Australia one day\u2026<\/strong>
\nYeah I hope so too, man, especially with this record now we have two records, we can make a really cool show and probably play for an hour and a half and adding a couple of cover songs, you can have a decent headline tour type thing, so yeah we\u2019re super motivated by it and like I said it\u2019s becoming more of a band to all of us and I think you can hear the enthusiasm when you hear Greg talking about it, and Troy, and me, like there\u2019s a real spark of pure enthusiasm in this band that sometimes you don\u2019t feel a lot when you\u2019re in music for thirsty some odd years you kind of lose that spark and everything becomes a little bit monotonous, but that\u2019s not the case for Killer Be Killed, that\u2019s actually the opposite, I\u2019m really excited to be a part of this and looking forward to being as active as I can with it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Essential Information<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong>\u00a0USA<\/p>\n

Band members:\u00a0<\/strong>Greg Puciato \u2013 vocals \/ guitars, Max Cavalera \u2013 vocals \/ \u00a0guitars, Troy Sanders \u2013 vocals \/ \u00a0bass guitar, Ben Koller \u2013 drums<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> www.killerbekilled.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest Release:<\/strong> Reluctant Hero (Released November 20 \u2013 Nuclear Blast) – Pre order here<\/a><\/p>\n