18 January 2025 – Tivoli, Brisbane – words by Alessandro Ambrosi – pictures by Marty Schmidt
Cavalera—as brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera—is a name that has left an indelible mark on the metal genre. With a career spanning over three decades, they have been a driving force in shaping the sound of metal, particularly in the realms of thrash, groove, and nu-metal.
One of the key reasons why Cavalera is so important to metal is their influence on the genre’s development. Their early work with Sepultura, particularly albums like Arise and Chaos A.D., helped define the sound of Brazilian metal and paved the way for future generations of metal bands. The Cavalera brothers’ unique blend of aggressive riffs, pounding drums, and socially conscious lyrics helped establish Sepultura as one of the leading bands in the metal underground.
When Max and Iggor left Sepultura, they went on to form Soulfly, which further cemented their influence on the metal genre. Soulfly’s self-titled debut album, released in 1998, was a critical and commercial success and helped establish the band as a major force in the nu-metal movement.
In 2007, Max and Iggor reunited to form Cavalera Conspiracy, which marked a return to their thrash metal roots. The band’s debut album, Inflikted, was a critical and commercial success and helped establish Cavalera Conspiracy as a major force in the metal underground.
And now, 18 years and 4 albums later, Max and Iggor embarked on the re-recording of the first 3 Sepultura albums, Morbid Visions, Bestial Devastation, and Schizophrenia. Three genre-defining thrash metal albums that turn 40 between 2025 and 2026.
Supporting the band tonight are Brisbane’s Cryptivore and Melbourne’s Algor Mortis.
It’s the Brisbane quintet that opens the night with ‘Cocoon Hecatomb’ to an already considerably full Tivoli. As singer Taylor remarks, “You just don’t get metal shows on a Saturday night,” and when it happens, it’s usually a packed show like tonight. Their style mixes old-school death metal with grindcore and the occasional thrashy riff. I have personally seen these guys playing before, and they have never disappointed. Their solid delivery mixes very well with Taylor’s gutturals and screams. Unfortunately, tonight, due to guitarist Chris suffering what I believe was a back injury, they had to cut the setlist short after 5 (maybe 6) songs. Pity, but what we heard was enough to confirm them as a solid Aussie death metal reality.
Cryptivore – Tivoli – photos by Marty Schmidt
After a short break for refreshments, it is Algor Mortis’ turn to warm up the crowd ahead of the Cavalera’s, and oh boy, did they succeed in doing that. ‘Severed’ opens the set, and it’s clear that we’re in for an hour of slamming death metal.
The five Victorians deliver bone-crushing riffs as if it were their last day on Earth, and vocalist Cecilia’s insane gutturals come straight from the depths of hell. ‘Welcome to Hell’ and ‘Eyeballs to Entrails’ from the 2024 EP Stages of Death had the crowd starting to move with the first real mosh of the evening.
Their excitement in supporting the Brazilian brothers was electric, and their performance was as tight as it gets.’Rotten to the Core’ is textbook slam metal with a slow, heavy part that makes it impossible not to headbang to it. ‘Taste the Wound’, from their 2020 first demo, makes it clear that these guys knew what they wanted from the very beginning. ‘Spoiled’ closes the show to a crowd left wanting more. If you are a fan of bands like Sanguisugabogg, Cerebral Incubation, or the whole slam/brutal genre, you won’t be disappointed.
Algor Mortis – Tivoli – photos by Marty Schmidt
The stage opened up in its entirety, showing Iggor’s drum kit and the massive backdrop. A few minutes later, the demonic voice from ‘The Curse’ opened the Cavalera’s sold-out show at the Tivoli, and the part dedicated to 1985’s Bestial Devastation with the title track played next. A night of unbridled energy and relentless metal is what the audience expected, and it’s what the audience got.
As Max proudly declared, “We’re the only Sepultura here tonight!”—the crowd roared in approval. This statement set the tone for the rest of the evening, a celebration of the music that has defined the band’s legacy. The setlist was a carefully curated journey through the band’s iconic first three records, which have just been carefully and masterfully re-recorded.
Cavalera – Tivoli – photos by Marty Schmidt
From the opening chords of the first song, it was clear that Max and Co. were on a mission to deliver a truly unforgettable show. One of the standout aspects of the show was the way in which Cavalera Conspiracy balanced its old-school roots with a modern, cutting-edge sound. The band’s classic songs were reinvigorated with a fresh, contemporary energy, still maintaining the old-school feel. ‘Necromancer’ closed the part dedicated to their first album, and the notes of ‘Carmina Burana: O Fortuna’ functioned as an intro to the ‘Morbid Visions’ section, which was delivered with the same relentless energy as what came before and what would come after. ‘Mayhem’ got a circle pit going after Max’s request, and ‘Crucifixion’, alongside ‘Funeral Rites’, paid tribute to the seminal album.
Cavalera – Tivoli – photos by Marty Schmidt
From the opening chords to the final, frenzied moments, Cavalera’s set was a non-stop assault on the senses. The band’s chemistry was palpable, and their passion for the music shone through in every moment. Each of the songs played that night is equally important to the movement that they helped shape and create. The part dedicated to ‘Schizophrenia’ opens with ‘From the Past Comes the Storms’, followed by ‘Septic Schizo’ and ‘Escape to the Void’. ‘Rest in Pain’ closes the celebrations for the records but not the concert, which still had a few surprises to deliver.
Cavalera – Tivoli – photos by Marty Schmidt
After the band introduction, with Max’s son Igor on bass and Eviscerator (Pig Destroyer’s Travis Stone) on lead guitar, we learned that it was Travis’s birthday. Before launching into a mix of Sepultura’s hits, the crowd sang ‘Happy Birthday!’ Snippets from ‘Refuse/Resist’, ‘Territory’, and ‘Propaganda’ preceded ‘Troops of Doom’ and Slayer’s ‘Black Magic’ intro, leading into a reprise of ‘Morbid Visions’ giving us a sizeable wall of death!
If you missed this show, you missed a night of nostalgia and celebration of some of the most influential extreme metal albums; but rest assured that, in one shape or another, we will see Max and his family back on our shores soon enough.
