Concert Review: SOULFLY at the Buick City Event Center in Flint

February 15, 2019 Robert Chadwick Concert Reviews Comments Off

Soulfly 1 — Soul at the Buick City Event Center in Flint, Michigan on Wednesday, February 13, 2019. Photo credit: Mike Shaler

BY MIKE SHALER | Go Venue Magazine

On February 13th, 2019, the Buick City Event Center in Flint, Michigan hosted an extreme night of heavy metal music featuring seven bands dishing out sounds of destruction. Headlining the event was long time metal warriors, Soulfly. With signs posted throughout the venue stating “Mosh At Your Own Risk”, you had to be blind to see that this was going to be a night not for the faint of heart.

With a slew of bands on the bill, seven total, the night becomes a blur as the hours wear on. Exploding Zombies started off the event. With fast and heavy riffs, the music got the place warmed up as fans filed in. A Sleepless Malice kicked up the energy another notch as they had their home town fans cheering them on.

From Blue To Grey and Alukah both kept the ball rolling as the place filled up with more people. The night started to hit a fever pitch when Incite took the stage. Lead singer Richie Cavalera got the crowd ignited while Lennon Lopez on drums, Christopher EL, on bass guitar and Dru Tang on guitar ripped and shredded through a volatile set of songs.

With the crowd pumped, Kataklysm kept the pedal to the metal as vocalist Maurizio Iacono took the stage with a calm demeanor yet you could see that boiling rage ready to blow off just beneath the surface. Keeping the rhythms pummeling were Jean-Francois Dagenais on guitar, Stephane Barbe on bass and Oli Beaudoin on drums. Kataklysm took no prisoners as the moshing and jumping around fired up all around the floor. For over 25 years, Kataklysm has been rocking the masses and continue to rock the faces off of the fans.

With chants of Soulfly, Soulfly, Soulfly ringing out from the crowd, it was time for Max Cavalera, master of mixing traditional heavy metal with music styles from around the world and making a sound all his own with his band Soulfly. Since 1997, Soulfly has grooved and thrashed all over the world and lucky us they made a stop in Flint, Michigan to bring us to the party. It’s not surprising that Max wouldn’t make a stop in Michigan since his is a big Detroit Lions football fan, even wearing a Lions bracelet with pride. Any fan of the Detroit Lions, like myself, we know hard times and heartache and Soulfly’s music touches right along those lines.

With Marc Rizzo on guitar jumping and spinning around, Mike Leon on bass with his roaring screams and Zyon Cavalera on drums, Soulfly was busting out the energy for all of the audience to soak in and enjoy. There was no shortage of savagery with songs like “Bleed”, “No Hope = No Fear”, “Jumpdafuckup” and “Eye For An Eye”. Soulfly came and destroyed in the best way they have for years.

Fans had all they could take and then some with a marathon event from a barrage of bands ripping their eardrums to shreds. Flint, Michigan was rocked but we’re a tough town and we’ll be ready for another round when these bands come back around.