There are few constants in metal, but when it comes to Max Cavalera, you may take two things for granted: firstly, his restless passion for all things metal will lead him into new projects at the drop of a hat and, secondly, that his projects (against all laws of averages) are likely to be pretty damn awesome. So, here we have Max teamed up with his son, Igor (who also produced the album), and the sophomore effort from Go Ahead and Die. While the band name doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue, Go Ahead and Die deal in a caustic crust-metal hybrid that sees Max’s gnarly love of death metal tempered by his son’s youthful enthusiasm for white-hot punk and thrash. As with the debut, it’s pretty raw stuff – although Igor is a strong producer and seems to instinctively know when to meddle with the mix and when to allow the band’s performance to come to the fore – and Go Ahead and Die deliver ten skull-crashing tracks over the course of forty minutes, expanding on the promise of the debut to deliver an even stronger set.
Unhealthy Mechanisms positively explodes with the untrammelled rage of Desert Carnage, a track which neatly sets the tone for the album with its grimy guitars, howling feedback and blastbeats. Full credit to Johnny Valles, both for his inventive rhythms and for keeping up with the two Cavaleras, as he does throughout the album, carving out a strong presence for himself in the process. Igor and Max, meanwhile, clearly enjoy trading screams, Igor’s voice considerably stronger here than on the debut. Refusing to even pause for breath, the band plunge straight into Split Scalp, a masterclass in doom-laden death metal, that sees the band shifting tempo with aplomb. Next, we’re into the mid-tempo chug of Tumors, a headbanger’s paradise spread out over four whiplash-inducing minutes. With a guest appearance from John Aquilino (Icon), the gleaming Drug-O-Cop is brutal punk-infused thrash, delivered with maniacal glee by the Cavaleras. A taut, hook-laden monster of a track, with a blistering solo from Aquilino, whom Igor multi-tracks into hard rock heaven, it’s not only an album highlight, but also one of the best songs Max has put his name to in some years – and that’s up against some pretty damn stiff competition. To round out the first side, No Easy Way Out is a grim melange of hulking great riffs, Max’s voice echoing amidst the chaos in a manner reminiscent of old-school Sepultura.
Kicking off the second half, M.D.A., with its stabbing riff and choked off cymbals, offers the album’s only brief moment of respite, as the track is put on pause for a brief spoken word segment, before erupting into a full-blown death metal whiteout. Feedback and churning bass lead the way into the sonic battering ram that is Chasm, which has a Napalm Death aspect to its frantic delivery. Igor interpolates some subtle industrial elements into the introduction to Cyber Slavery, although the track itself is more-or-less straight up hardcore. Johnny’s skills behind the kit come in handy on Blast Zone, which opens amidst a percussive barrage, before the Cavaleras lay down a covering fire of chugging, mid-tempo riffs. The final track, Unhealthy Mechanisms, concludes this most brutal of albums with a relentless onslaught of torrid riffs and harrowing screams. It’s no small testament to the band’s dedication that they not only managed to maintain the pace for forty minutes, but also that they kept things interesting and varied despite the brutality on display.
Unhealthy Mechanisms is one hell of an album. Delivered with conviction by the band, it’s packed with great performances and given an almighty shot in the arm by Igor’s deft production work. A concise, brutal masterclass in old-school thrash, washed down with a healthy dose of punk, it’s an album that provides an antidote to much of the overproduced metal currently doing the rounds, and it stands more than comfortably alongside the other impressive works to which Max has put his name. 8.5/10
