Marc Rizzo - Soulfly

June 20 2009 (Hellfest - Clisson)

It's in the afternoon before their show that I had an interview with almost one of the Cavalera brothers Marc Rizzo, who plays guitar for SOULFLY and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY. His simple, kind and down-to-earth attitude was really refreshing (some artists who are always complaining about their poor rock stars condition should pay attention to the answer of Marc about this…).

Fab: Which souvenirs have you from last year's performance with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY?
Marc Rizzo: Actually it was great. I think for SOULFLY and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, it's the same audience. So, it's exciting to play tonight. We're going to do a lot of stuff off from the new SOULFLY record, and just do our show, do what we usually do. (Hellfest) is a great festival. This year is definitely one amongst the best.

Fab: Do you have a special ritual before going on stage? Stretching?
Marc Rizzo: Naah (mocking at the idea). We're just playing music. That's always make me laugh when I see everyone stretching. I'm doing strech when I do sport. You know, I work out every day, I do gym, I jog, I do a lot of boxing…You know, I love working out, that's my drug while I'm on tour. I'm just working out everyday.

Fab: How do you manage to find the time to work out? because life on the road is not always easy, especially for you, as you're in two bands, you have your solo projects…
Marc Rizzo: Yeah, to me, that's a big misconception that life on tour is hard. It's not, it's easy. You sleep until twelve or one o'clock in the afternoon every single day, and basically you have the whole day to do nothing except playing your instrument, practice, and that's it!

The only time where it's hard, it's when you're a raging drug addict and that you're on drugs, and you're all strung out, and you're a mess, which most people in this business are. If you're clean and you're sober, you know, it's easy. It's a paid vacation, that's it. Nothing hard about it. I worked day jobs before I do all this, and that was hard, you know? I work in constructions or something, that's hard. Playing in a rock band is easy, it's a joke. It's even easier when you're off tour for about like a month, and you just do nothing at home, you just hang out. I don't know why everyone's complaining about that. I guess they are people who never worked a day job…I don't know, who lived off mummy and daddy (general laughter).

Fab: As you're also playing in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, what are the main good and bad parts of being in two "Cavalera's" bands? I mean, creatively speaking.
Marc Rizzo: Well, no, that's all good. Nothing bad at all. Being in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY was a great thing for me, because I was a huge SEPULTURA fan when Max and Igor were in the band, I grew up on with these guys. So, being in the band with them, you know, now they're back together, being part of it it's unbelievable. And then I also joined SOULFLY, I was also a big SOULFY fan. So, I'm honoured to be with them.

Fab: It is not to hard to switch from CAVALERA CONSPIRACY to SOULFLY?
Marc Rizzo: It's very similar, you know. SOULFLY is a little bit more experimental, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY is more thrash metal. I love both styles in music, so…It's easy. And working with Max on both projects makes it easy too, because he's such a great guy to work with, he's such a nice guy, we really bound together. We got a great relationship together. He's one of my best friends.

Fab: Did you still keep in touch with ILL NINO ?
Marc Rizzo: No.

Fab: Back to "Conquer", how was the musical approach on this album? About your own input?
Marc Rizzo: I think that we're trying to…you know, with "Prophecy" it was a kind of very world (music) violent record. "Dark Ages" was really thrash metal and heavy, I mean, heavier for SOULFLY. And then I think with "Conquer", we've been trying to be as heavy as "Dark Ages" with thrash, but also do some more world music type of thing that maybe we didn't do in "Dark Ages". So it's a good balance between "Dark Ages" and "Prophecy".

Fab: Could you tell us a little bit about the concept of the instrumental songs named "soulfly" (like "Soulfy VI" in "Conquer") that are appearing in each albums?
Marc Rizzo: Yeah, I think it's a tradition for SOULFLY to have an instrumental song at the end of each record. We're trying to make each one different from each record, so. This is tradition for SOULFLY.

Fab : How's the Indie Phlamencore Records doing?
Marc Rizzo: Good, yeah, we generate no money (laughter). Yeah, I mean, originally, when I started this (record) label off it was just to put out my solo records. And then I signed with Shrapnel Records for my two (first) solo records. So I haven't really done much with Phlamencore Records recently, but, I plan on doing it well with it in the future since I have so more time to focus on it.

Fab: A word on "Inpsychobleedia " your solo project ?
Marc Rizzo: It's just a Death metal band I started up you know. When I do my solo tour, I kinda throw in a lot of heavy songs, then I'll scream, I can't sing no shit so, I can't even scream good but I try. So, Inpsychobleedia is basically my solo heavy stuff but with vocals on it, it's all Death metal songs like SUFFOCATION, DEATH…all these death metal bands, you know.

Fab: Is there a new solo album planned?
Marc Rizzo: Yeah. I'm currently working on my next solo album that I hope it will come out before this year is over or 2010. I've been so busy with SOULFLY and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY that it's been really hard to get into the studio and record. It's gonna definitely be like the last two records, the flamenco, the metal shred, but I'm gonna have some vocals. I'll do some vocals on it. I think the music is the same, but trying to incorporate some more vocals on it. (we won't have tips on the guests)

Fab: Could you explain the fact that in 2009, you were declared the "Biggest Italian-American Stud-Muffin from Jersey"???
Marc Rizzo: Yeah, someone said that. If I had been voted that, I mean I have to accept it (smiling). And I accept that with honour. If that was some girl that wrote it, I'd like to know who she is!! (laughter).

Fab: A last word for the readers of BSPIX.FR?
Marc Rizzo: Thank you for coming to our shows, it always great to play in France. Definitely one of our favourite countries in the world.