Soulfly Chama
Consensus is still forming across 4 professional reviews. Soulfly's Chama arrives as a bracing return to form, marrying tribal pulse and brutal heaviness with the band's darker, industrial edges. Across four professional reviews, critics point to the record's ritualistic atmosphere and renewed aggression as evidence that Max Cavalera and company have recaptured a striking bal
The best song is “Storm The Gates” because its explosive opening delivers primeval force and startling impact.
Chama’s core strength is distilling Soulfly’s tribal and industrial elements into short, vital songs, though filler and brief runtime hold it back.
Best for listeners looking for return to tribal aesthetic and brutal heaviness, starting with Storm the Gates and Ghenna.
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Full consensus notes
Soulfly's Chama arrives as a bracing return to form, marrying tribal pulse and brutal heaviness with the band's darker, industrial edges. Across four professional reviews, critics point to the record's ritualistic atmosphere and renewed aggression as evidence that Max Cavalera and company have recaptured a striking balance between nostalgia and forward momentum.
The critical consensus, reflected in a 77.5/100 consensus score across 4 professional reviews, emphasizes a handful of clear standouts. Reviewers consistently praise “Storm the Gates” as the album's opening statement and primary highlight, while “Ghenna” and “Nihilist” receive repeated notice for sheer force and uncompromising riffage. Critics note the return to tribal aesthetic, ritualistic rhythms and groove-driven momentum, even as an industrial grit seeps through on tracks like “No Pain = No Power”. Several reviews celebrate the record's raw production and death/thrash hybrid energy, describing moments that feel both celebratory and menacing.
Perspectives are broadly positive but measured. While Distorted Sound and Kerrang! laud the rejuvenated fury and atmosphere, Angry Metal Guy flags a tighter, more compressed runtime that makes the peaks feel especially vital rather than uniformly outstanding. Blabbermouth goes furthest, calling Chama the group's best work in years for reclaiming menace and seismic riffs. Taken together, professional reviews suggest Chama is worth hearing for fans seeking the best songs on the record and anyone curious whether the band has reclaimed its core identity.
Below, detailed reviews unpack how those standout tracks and themes of authenticity versus filler shape Chama's place in Soulfly's catalog.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Storm the Gates
4 mentions
"the release of sheer primeval force as first song proper Storm The Gates explodes into life"— Kerrang!
Ghenna
3 mentions
"adding industrial heft that imbues extra grit into the record’s grim sound (“Ghenna,” “Black Hole Scum”)"— Angry Metal Guy
No Pain = No Power
4 mentions
"No Pain = No Power" (a very SOULFLY title) is so determined to make fans bang their heads"— Blabbermouth
the release of sheer primeval force as first song proper Storm The Gates explodes into life
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Indigenous Inquisition
Storm the Gates
Nihilist
No Pain = No Power
Ghenna
Black Hole Scum
Favela / Dystopia
Always Was, Always Will Be...
Soulfly XIII
Chama
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
Bl
Critic's Take
Soulfly's Chama reclaims the tribal roar and pure aggression that made early records vital, with tracks like “Indigenous Inquisition” and “Storm The Gates” standing out as prime examples. The reviewer's voice revels in the album's monstrous hybrid of groove and death/thrash, praising songs such as “Nihilist” and “No Pain = No Power” for their furious focus and headbanging immediacy. This is billed as the best Soulfly work in years, where menace, percussion and seismic riffs collide to produce the album's most combustible moments.
Key Points
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The album's core strengths are its hybrid of tribal groove and uncompromising death/thrash brutality, delivered with renewed menace.
Themes
Critic's Take
In a tone that crackles with affectionate awe, Soulfly's Chama is presented as a blast of rejuvenated fury, with the review singling out “Storm The Gates” and “Nihilist” as the record's best tracks for sheer, unrelenting force. The writer relishes the album's blend of pulverising riffage and tribal pulse, labelling the opening salvo “Storm The Gates” as startling and likening its impact to a hell-raising video-game soundtrack. Praise for “Nihilist” positions it as an escalation of planet-eating power, while “No Pain = No Power” is credited for marrying Roots-era tribalism with modern industrial serration. The result is an argument that the band's 13th offering burns hotter than ever, a concise answer to queries about the best songs on Chama and why they matter.
Key Points
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The best song is “Storm The Gates” because its explosive opening delivers primeval force and startling impact.
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The album's core strengths are renewed aggression, tribal rhythms, and successful fusion of classic and industrial influences.
Themes
Di
Critic's Take
Soulfly’s Chama feels like a fired-up return, full of tribal beats, catchy choruses and teeth-baring aggression that rewards longtime fans. The review leans on the punchy classics - “Storm the Gates” and “Chama” - as clear highlights, with “Ghenna” called out as the heaviest, most ace blast. Tim Bolitho-Jones writes in an energetic, affectionate tone, praising the record’s atmosphere and ritualistic touches while reminding readers this is a band still capable of surprises. This makes it easy to answer queries about the best tracks on Chama by pointing to those standout cuts and the instrumental calm of “Soulfly XIII” as a counterbalance.
Key Points
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The title track stands out for its dense riffage, GOJIRA-like influence and climactic, fire-spitting finale.
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The album’s core strengths are tribal rhythms, aggressive heaviness and evocative ritualistic atmosphere that reward longtime fans.
Themes
Cl
An
Critic's Take
On Chama Max Cavalera and company still deliver rousing moments, and the best songs - namely “Storm the Gates” and “Ghenna” - show the band’s fire and conviction. The record funnels Soulfly’s signature tribal howl through a darker, industrial filter, where “Storm the Gates” opens with Max in fighting form and “Ghenna” tightens that righteous indignation. The rest of the album feels compressed into a compact, controlled burn, which makes those highlights feel all the more vital.
Key Points
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“Storm the Gates” is best for its opening fury and Zyon-enhanced drumming, making it the album’s clearest anthem.
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Chama’s core strength is distilling Soulfly’s tribal and industrial elements into short, vital songs, though filler and brief runtime hold it back.