Blunt Force Trauma

***Blunt Force Trauma*** is the second Cavalera Conspiracy album, released on March 29, 2011.

## Max's thoughts

Max Cavalera has this to say about the second Cavalera Conspiracy album on blabbermouth.net:

> "Yeah, (we) just got done (in May), so I just got back from the studio. It's finished. We recorded 15 songs, 13 being originals for the album, and then we did a Black Sabbath cover, 'Electric Funeral', that's gonna come out on a Metal Hammer compilation in Europe. And we did a Black Flag cover, a song called 'Six Pack'. We also had a collaboration with Roger (Miret) from Agnostic Front — he sings on a song called 'Lynch Mob' that we did together in the studio in L.A.; he flew to L.A. to do this collaboration. I was really proud because, to me, Roger is like the godfather of New York hardcore; Agnostic Front is one of the pioneer bands of the whole New York hardcore scene, so it was like recording with a legend of hardcore. The Cavalera album is really intense; that's all I can say about it. It makes the first album sound like pop music."
>
>

Regarding the songwriting and recording process for the new Cavalera Conspiracy album, Max said,

> "I wrote a lot of the stuff and I sent it to Brazil to (Igor) in the form of a CD — like four tracks of the riffs — so that he would be familiarized with the songs by the time I got to the studio. And then I brought another CD with me, which was, like, newer songs I had just got done (writing) for the album. And everything else we did in the studio together — me and him there on the spot. I told him the idea of making a very intense album with some songs being only a minute and a half, so it's a cross (between) Minor Threat and Slayer and Cavalera Conspiracy. So the idea was really cool — Igor really liked that — and from that point on, the album just grew and song after song, every day a new song came in. And I'm really happy with it. I think people are gonna be blown away when they hear it. I think it's a pretty cool album."
>
>

## Cover art

The album cover for *Blunt Force Trauma* is in the same art style as *Inflikted* except for in different colors. This one has white logo and title text over a black background, while *Inflikted* has black logo and text over red background. Some copies have repeated title circling around the edges while others do not. Regarding the plainness of the album cover, AP of Rockfreaks.net quoted "fuck art, let's kill".

## Music and lyrics

Despite this is the sophomore album of CC, it differs significantly in musical elements from that of debut album *Inflikted*. This album is thrashier, briskier, more aggressive, more technical, more melodic, more chugging and squealing guitars, full of harmonics, and lacks tribal stuff. Due to the repetitive nature of the songs, many fans may not have much liking of this album. This album would promote someone the feeling of Slayer in terms of durations and styles.

In addition to thrash metal, groove metal, and bits of death metal, few of the tracks have influences of hardcore punk or even punk rock in style. Max Cavalera said the album is "making *Inflikted* sound like a pop record".

The lyrics on this album are generally about the death, hatred, aggression, and other violent stuff. There are couple songs about specific historical men — "Rasputin" and "Genghis Khan".

## Tracklist

1. "Warlord" (released as single) – 3:05
2. "Torture" – 1:52
3. "Lynch Mob" (feat. Roger Miret) – 2:31
4. "Killing Inside" (released as single) – 3:28
5. "Thrasher" – 2:49
6. "I Speak Hate" – 3:10
7. "Target" – 2:36
8. "Genghis Khan" – 4:23
9. "Burn Waco" – 2:51
10. "Rasputin" – 3:22
11. "Blunt Force Trauma" – 3:57

**Special edition bonus tracks**

12. "Psychosomatic" – 3:07
13. "Jihad Joe" – 3:28
14. "Electric Funeral" (Black Sabbath cover) – 5:38

**Limited edition vinyl LP bonus track**

15. "Six Pack" (Black Flag cover) – 1:51

**DVD edition**: Live at Les Eurockéennes Festival, Belfort, France – July 5, 2008

1. "Inflikted"
2. "Sanctuary"
3. "Territory" (Sepultura cover)
4. "Terrorize"
5. "The Doom of All Fires"
6. "Inner Self/Nevertrust" (Sepultura cover/original song)
7. "Arise/Dead Embryonic Cells" (Sepultura cover)
8. "Desperate Cry/Propaganda" (Sepultura cover)
9. "Wasting Away" (Nailbomb cover)
10. "Black Ark" (feat. Richie Cavalera)
11. "Holiday in Cambodia/Biotech Is Godzilla" ((Dead Kennedys/Sepultura cover)
12. "Hearts of Darkness"
13. "Refuse/Resist" (Sepultura cover)
14. "Troops of Doom" (feat. Igor Cavalera, Jr. on drums) (Sepultura cover)
15. "Must Kill"
16. "Roots Bloody Roots" (Sepultura cover)
17. "Sanctuary" (music video)

## Reviews

* A. Stutheit of Amazon.com (4.5/5) – "*Blunt Force Trauma* is an eminently memorable and superbly enjoyable thrill-ride from start to finish. Cavalera Conspiracy really come into their own, and are a group that achieves greatness all on its own."
* Claaberules of Amazon.com (5/5) – "100% blunt force, the best they have done as any project. Heavy and loaded with TRAUMA!!!!"
* *Angry Metal Guy* (2/5) "The record feels uninspired, like it’s Soulfly's B-tracks and it’s just getting put out because the groundswell for a Sepultura reunion is growing and has been for a while. This was not the record I’ve been waiting for."
* Rod Whitfield of Beat Magazine – "This is music for the moshpit, not to wine, dine and woo a prospective partner to on a romantic first date."
* Dave Ingram Jr. of *Brutalism* – "It’s essentially a direct followup to last year’s *Omen* record in almost every way, and that’s including some of the elements that gave *Omen* a bad name… namely the song titles, the seeming lack of ideas and Marc Rizzo’s unnecessary guitar playing."
* Keith Carman of *Exclaim!* – "*Blunt Force Trauma* is just as primal and provocative as its predecessor."
* Martin (waterman2012) of FOK.nl – "Knowing how to reactivate the spirit from the bottle, the gentlemen have succeeded in returning to their roots."
* Troy Killjoy of *Metal Storm* (5/10) – "It totally lacks variation and is a devoid of passion. The riffs are incredibly simplistic, repetitive, simplistic, repetitive, equivalent of watching the pendulum inside a grandfather clock."
* Hawkmoon of *El Portal del Metal* (4/5) – "*Blunt Force Trauma* brings us closer to what one day may be the return of Sepultura."
* Laitapulen\_Hyokkaaja of *Rate Your Music* (2.5/5) – "Too many dull riffs, which should have been ditched at the demo stage. This album was written in a hurry."
* Colin McNamara of *Reflections of Darkness* (8/10) – "Even though the group performs a lot of Sepultura material at their concerts, Cavalera Conspiracy is well on their way to being their “own metal band”."
* Ronnie Kerswell of Rock Sound Magazine (8/10) – "Brutal is the word for this as *Blunt Force Trauma* is one hell of a teeth-rattling, blood and gristle-loaded cudgel smash to the head."
* TheMorningstar of Sputnikmusic (3/5) – "The mixing and overall sound is flawless, but the Cavalera's really don't present anything new here as Max’s lyrics are monotonous and over-played."
* Reini of *Stormbringer* (4/5) – "*Blunt Force Trauma* claims that the conspiring Cavalera Brothers not only topped their debut album, but also set the bar for a new Sepultura album that is currently being created at unreachable heights."

* AllMusic (3.5/5)
* Amazon.com
* *APESHIT*
* *Dead Rhetoric*
* *That Devil Music* (6/10)
* Disctopia Metal Webzine (7/9)
* *Louder* (3.5/5)
* metal.de (8/10)
* Metal1.info (6.5/10)
* *Metal Assault* (8.5/10)
* Metalfan.nl (60/100)

* *Metal Reviews* (87/100)
* Oor.nl
* PureRawk.com
* *Rate Your Music*
* Record Collector Magazine (4/5)
* Rockfreaks.net (7/10)
* *El Santuario del Rock*
* *Sonic Abuse*
* *Teeth of the Divine*
* YouTube (8/10)

## Personnel

**Band performers**

* **Max Cavalera** – vocals, rhythm guitar
* Marc Rizzo – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals on "Lynch Mob"
* Johny Chow – bass guitar
* Igor Cavalera – drums, percussion

**Guest performer**

* Roger Miret – additional vocals on "Lynch Mob"

**Songwriters**

* **Max Cavalera** – lyrics, music
* Roger Miret – lyrics and music on "Lynch Mob"

**Engineers and producers**

* Produced by **Max Cavalera**
* Co-produced by Logan Mader for Dirty Icon Productions
* Recorded, mixed and mastered by Logan Mader at Undercity Studios, North Hollywood, California
* A&R: Monte Conner

**Managers**

* Managed by Gloria Cavalera
* Management assisted by Bryan Roberts and Christina Stojanovic

**Artworkers**

* Edward ODowd – design
* Myriam Santos – photography
* Kevin Estrada – tray photography

**Booking agents**

* Booking (ITB) by Ian Sales and Rod MacSween
* Booking (AGI) by Justin Hirschman
* Booking assisted (AGI) by Cliff Roman

**DVD credits**

* **Max Cavalera** – vocals, rhythm guitar
* Igor Cavalera – drums, percussion
* Marc Rizzo – lead guitar
* Johny Chow – bass guitar
* Richie Cavalera – guest vocals on "Black Ark"
* Igor Cavalera Jr. – guest drums on "Troops of Doom"
* Joe Duplantier – bass guitar in "Sanctuary" music video
* Fabien Raymond – directing
* Carol Ann Macahilig – authoring
* Igor Cavalera – arrangement
* Christophe Arnaud – audio mixing
* Tom Hutten – mastering
* Olivier Bassuet – production on "Sanctuary" music video
* Modino Graphics – design

Music & lyrics
Tracklist
Reviews
Personnel

Music & lyrics
Tracklist
Reviews
Personnel

Music & lyrics
Tracklist
Reviews
Personnel

Music & lyrics
Tracklist
Reviews
Personnel