Editing Max Cavalera (section)

== Career and influences ==
Max Cavalera's father, Graziano Cavalera, was an employee of the Italian Consulate in [[Belo Horizonte]]. He died at 41 years of age, when Max was nine years old. Cavalera's family was in a state of financial crisis and family turbulence when he formed [[Sepultura]] with his younger brother [[Igor Cavalera|Igor]], in the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Tereza in [[Belo Horizonte]]. He moved to [[São Paulo]] in 1989 together with the other members of the band, and shared an apartment in [[Santa Cecília (district of São Paulo)]]. In 1992, he relocated to [[Phoenix, Arizona]]. He did not begin to make spiritual music until after he quit Sepultura in January 1997.<ref name="Max departure"/> His earlier lyrics for Soulfly were influenced by religion and [[spirituality]], though he is critical of religion. His later albums, starting with ''[[Dark Ages (album)|Dark Ages]]'', began to incorporate lyrical themes of violence, warfare, anger and hatred. His albums have all been dedicated to God, and he has often been depicted by the press as a man of religion, especially in the United States, something that Cavalera himself says he does not understand:

<blockquote>I do hate a lot of "religion", but people like Christ – yeah they inspire me. I mean if you look at Christ, He was hanging around with the lowlifes, prostitutes and the losers you know, not going around with those [[upper class|high society]] motherfuckers you see trying to sell Jesus today!<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicomh.com/interviews/soulfly-2_0306.htm |title=Soulfly : interview |website=Musicomh.com |access-date=2011-11-02}}</ref></blockquote>

When asked in an interview whether he was a Christian and whether Soulfly was a Christian band, he said:

<blockquote>No. I mean, if I was a Christian I would wear all these different kinds of omens. Because Christian people are so close-minded. A priest would not accept that. So I don't like the concept of Christianity in terms of being so close-minded. It is the same with music. Sometimes I compare preachers to close-minded musicians or close-minded listeners, who only like one kind of music. Some preachers are the same. And they don't tolerate Hindus, Buddhists or whatever. Only them. It's bullshit. So Soulfly is not a Christian band at all. Very much opposite. But we are very spiritual. Spiritual has nothing to do with Christianity anyway. It has been here since the beginning of time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.soulflyweb.com/interviews/interview0504.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409205813/http://www.soulflyweb.com/interviews/interview0504.html|url-status=dead|title=Interview: Max Cavalera|archive-date=April 9, 2008}}</ref></blockquote>

In another interview, he was asked about the [[Varg Vikernes]] church burnings. He quoted, "I support church burnings 100 percent, but why don't we just burn everything. Mosques, temples, all religious buildings."<ref>{{cite web|title=SOULFLY on church burnings|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_JparJCZAw|website=Youtube| date=November 27, 2009 |publisher=TV2 Norway (2009)|access-date=November 16, 2017}}</ref> However, he later claimed his views changed about the church burnings and called them "too violent". He has stated that he does believe in God, "But it might be different than the God the preacher preaches about."{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}

Of enduring influence to his music, is the untimely death of his stepson, Dana Wells, who was killed in a car crash<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holthouse |first=David |title=For Reasons Unknown |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/for-reasons-unknown-6421469 |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Phoenix New Times |language=en}}</ref> after the release of ''[[Roots (Sepultura album)|Roots]]'' in 1996. The songs "[[Bleed (Soulfly song)|Bleed]]", "First Commandment", "Pain", "Tree of Pain" and "Revengeance" are tributes to Wells, as well as [[Deftones]]' song "Headup", in which Cavalera featured and co-wrote. He reunited with his brother Igor, in their band [[Cavalera Conspiracy]], and wrote and performed on Soulfly's ''[[Conquer (Soulfly album)|Conquer]]'', released in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fangoria.com/musick/musick-news/3872-exclusive-talking-music-a-horror-with-max-cavalera-of-soulfly.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916060001/http://www.fangoria.com/musick/musick-news/3872-exclusive-talking-music-a-horror-with-max-cavalera-of-soulfly.html|url-status=dead|title=Exclusive: Talking Music & Horror with Max Cavalera of SOULFLY|archive-date=September 16, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=A Conversation with the Cavalera Conspiracy and Soulfly Vocalist|url=http://heavymetal.about.com/od/interviews/a/maxcavalera.htm|website=Heavymetal.about.com|access-date=May 23, 2012}}</ref>

Cavalera appears in the 2009 video game ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned]]'' as himself on the ingame radio station [[Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack#LCHC – Liberty City Hardcore|LCHC]].

In 2013, Cavalera released his autobiography, titled ''My Bloody Roots''; his co-writer was the British author [[Joel McIver]] and the book's foreword was written by [[Dave Grohl]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=166066 |title=MAX CAVALERA's Autobiography To Include Foreword By DAVE GROHL |website=Blabbermout.neth |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115044306/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=166066 |archive-date=November 15, 2011 }}</ref>