Soulfly incorporates many styles of metal with Brazilian tribal and world music. All of their first six studio albums debuted on the United States Billboard 200, with a peak position at number 32 for their second album, Primitive. Soulfly has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The band has gone through numerous line-up changes, with Cavalera being the only constant member. In an interview with Max in 2015, it is revealed that the band's name was taken from the song "Headup" by Deftones, a song that Max collaborated on.
Studio albums
Soulfly (1998)
Primitive (2000)
3 (2002)
Prophecy (2004)
Dark Ages (2005)
Conquer (2008)
Omen (2010)
Enslaved (2012)
Savages (2013)
Archangel (2015)
Ritual (2018)
Totem (2022)
Chains
Soulfly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This manipulation
Means manifestation now
Fatal termination
Divine intervention
End the sufferation now
Build up tension
Deterioration
Karma to burn
Becoming undone
Injustice is done now
Kill survive survive to kill
Breath and breath - the air smells diseased
Trenches and trenches - the middle passage ending
Bleed in bleed out no one will get out
Five to one - one to five - no one gets out alive
Master of creation - no more chains - oppression
Slave state - slave hate - feel this day of hate
Five to one - one to five - no one gets out alive
Break the chains and break away
Break the hate and run away
Break the chains and face the day
Make a way, a new dawn fades
Stolen away, a new dawn fades
Stolen away, empty decay
They fade away in the slave trade
Lord of hate, lord of fate
I resist - desecrate
Military dominance
Communication ends
Ordinary intolerance
Chaos and insolence
Ominous apparition
Evil manifestation
Malicious operation
Corruption and tension
Slavery is misery
Inflicting heresy
Wounds are open endlessly
Hatred, animosity
Torture masks and bleeding backs
Whipping cracks and faceless deaths
We'll rise and we'll defy it
And send their masters to the fire
Destroy the chains - these are the chains of hate
Destroy the chains - we cannot tolerate
Destroy the chains - where we were created
Destroy the chains - the evil of man-made
Destroy the chains
The chains
In "Chains," Soulfly tackles the theme of slavery and oppression, with a heavy and aggressive sound to convey the intense emotions in the lyrics. The opening lines speak of a "master of creation" who manipulates and kills, leading to suffering and tension. The chorus declares that no one gets out alive, with a five-to-one ratio reinforcing the idea of being trapped and outnumbered. The bridge urges to break free from the chains of hate and oppression, to face a new dawn and resist those who seek to dominate and enslave.
The song's message is crystal clear, but it is the music that really drives it home. Soulfly's blend of thrash metal, groove, and tribal rhythms creates a powerful and cathartic experience. The guitars are heavy and precise, with crushing riffs and solos that add to the urgency of the lyrics. The drums and percussion are equally impressive, with intricate patterns that draw from various styles and cultures. Max Cavalera's vocals are raw and intense, going from guttural screams to melodic chants, reflecting the song's different moods.
Line by Line Meaning
Master of creation
The person in charge of making everything happen
This manipulation
This controlling power
Means manifestation now
It's time to bring things into reality
Fatal termination
The harsh punishment that will come
Divine intervention
Intervention from higher power
End the sufferation now
Put a stop to the pain and oppression
Build up tension
The rising of conflict and struggle
Deterioration
Things getting worse and worse
Killing operation now
The act of killing now
Karma to burn
Bad consequences to come
Becoming undone
Things are breaking apart
Injustice is done now
Unfairness has already happened
Kill survive survive to kill
The cycle of killing and surviving
Breath and breath - the air smells diseased
The bad smell in the air
Trenches and trenches - the middle passage ending
The end of slavery and oppression
Bleed in bleed out no one will get out
Everyone will be affected and no one will escape
Five to one - one to five - no one gets out alive
The odds are stacked against everyone and no one will survive
Master of creation - no more chains - oppression
The person in charge putting an end to oppression and slavery
Slave state - slave hate - feel this day of hate
The feeling of hate in a state of slavery
Break the chains and break away
Escape the chains of oppression
Break the hate and run away
Leave behind the hate and run
Make a way, a new dawn fades
A new beginning is coming
Stolen away, a new dawn fades
The feeling of hopelessness and loss
Stolen away, empty decay
Loss of everything
They fade away in the slave trade
People disappear in the cycle of slavery and oppression
Lord of hate, lord of fate
The one in charge of spreading hate and destiny
I resist - desecrate
I will fight back and break down what they believe in
Military dominance
The military controlling everything
Communication ends
No one talks anymore
Ordinary intolerance
People being intolerant of others
Chaos and insolence
Everything is in chaos and people are rude
Ominous apparition
A scary and mysterious appearance
Evil manifestation
The embodiment of evil
Malicious operation
The act of doing bad things
Corruption and tension
Bad things happening and people being tense
Slavery is misery
The pain and struggle of being a slave
Inflicting heresy
Causing people to question their beliefs
Wounds are open endlessly
Pain and hurt that won't stop
Hatred, animosity
Strong feelings of hate and hostility
Torture masks and bleeding backs
Torturing and hurting people
Whipping cracks and faceless deaths
People dying and being hurt without anyone knowing
We'll rise and we'll defy it
We'll fight back and resist
And send their masters to the fire
Punishing those in charge
Destroy the chains - these are the chains of hate
Breaking the chains of oppression and hate
Destroy the chains - we cannot tolerate
We won't put up with it anymore
Destroy the chains - where we were created
Escaping the place where oppression started
Destroy the chains - the evil of man-made
Putting an end to the evil made by humans
Destroy the chains
Breaking free from oppression
The chains
The symbol of oppression and slavery
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MASSIMILIANO CAVALERA, MASSIMILIANO A CAVALERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LE H
Uttered by Marduk:
I will produce a lowly Primitive;
"Man" shall be his name.
I will create a Primitive Worker;
He will be charged with the service of the gods,
that they might have their ease.
The very terms by which the Sumerians and Akkadians called "Man" bespoke his status and purpose: He was a lulu ("primitive"), a lulu amelu ("primitive worker"), an awihim ("laborer").
That Man was created to be a servant of the gods did not strike the ancient peoples as a peculiar idea at all. In biblical times, the deity was "Lord", "Sovereign", "King", "Ruler" or "Master." The term that is commonly translated as "worship" was in fact avod ("work"). Ancient and biblical Man did not "worship" his god; he worked for him.
Daniel Miranda
i think it's safe to say this is a heavy metal masterpiece
Jimbo Smith
Daniel, THANK you for what the metal world should see Max & Igor cavalera do... str8 mother fucking brutal metal, with tribal twists, thrash, and SOUL (FLY) HAHA! METAL FOREVER MOTHA FUCKAS! YEAH
vap21
one of the best soulfly songs ever!!!
Anderson sn
Muito foda esse novo album do soulfly.
samyazawolf
this is epic...the best of this album...Max rules...
ufologia verdadeiramente única 18 12Sobrinho
Max Cavalera surpreendeu com esse álbum Death metal puro e verdadeiro
JensenComms
my fav song on this album!
Ruben_Omar López
Este disco es de lo mas puro y rudo que hay sobre el metal puro ritmazo para llenarse de energias......Saludos desde Mexico... Viva Guadalajara
Julio Rocha pereira
Adoro essa banda
Daga Saga
"Destroy the chains - These are the chains of hate Destroy the chains - We cannot tolerate Destroy the chains - Where we were created Destroy the chains - The evil of man-made"