Soulfly

With Soulfly -- the band he's been fronting since a less-than-pleasant split with metal giants Sepultura eight years ago -- Max Cavalera has been on a mission to both delight and challenge his longtime followers. While there's no lack of hardcore bark and guitar growl on the band's latest album, Prophecy, those sonic blasts are frequently downshifted by the inclusion of flamenco guitar, Brazilian percussion, horns, and dub textures, all nods to Cavalera's South American roots and more prevalent here than any previous Soulfly disc. It's definitely the band's most fascinating set yet, one that slides a straightforwardly heavy version of Helmet's "In the Meantime" next to "Moses," an extended reggae jam with Serbian Jah-rockers Eyesburn (Prophecy's other guests include onetime Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Ill Ni--o guitarist Mark Rizzo). You can probably expect to hear both sides of Soulfly live, and it could be the kind of spiritual experience that's gotten Cavalera dubbed "the Bob Marley of metal."