Max Cavalera has revealed that he and Deftones‘ Chino Moreno buried the master tapes of Soulfly’s debut album in Native American burial ground.
- READ MORE: Deftones’ Chino Moreno on longevity, creativity and making music that lives forever
The band by the former Sepultura member released their self-titled album in 1998. In the physical release, the liner notes contain an image of Moreno holding a pickaxe, even though he had no association with the the band.
Speaking in a new interview with Alternative Nation, Cavalera has now explained the mystery.
He said: “We buried them in Indigo Ranch [Studios, in Malibu, California]. We knew there was a burial ground there, like, Indian burial ground from 300 years ago. So I wanted to capture the essence of the land, of the indigenous power.
“So, me and Chino from the Deftones, we dug big holes, put the tapes there. We closed it, let it spend the night. The next day, dug them up. It was cool. It was kind of crazy, but fun at the same time.”
Max Cavalera Says He And Chino Moreno Buried The Tapes For Soulfly’s First Album To Instill Them With “Indigenous Power”https://t.co/aR1EElJatq
— Nestor Garcia (@maelmefis90) October 25, 2025
Cavalera continued: “That’s why in the album, there’s a picture of Chino with a shovel, and the shovel is from when we were digging the holes. That’s why he has a shovel. People are still like, ‘Why is he holding a shovel in a picture?’ That’s why. Because we’re digging holes in in Indigo Ranch, in the Malibu hills.”
Soulfly released their 13th studio album ‘Chama‘ on Friday (October 24).
Moreno, meanwhile recently sat down for a new interview with NME, celebrating the release of Deftones’ ’10th album ‘Private Music’ in which he also revealed that Liam Gallagher once hailed him in a tweet.
NME gave ‘Private Music’ a glowing five-star review, writing: “‘Private Music’ once again finds the band as masters of beauty and brutality rolling over the horizon in one stunning but powerful storm. Batten down those hatches, throw up those horns, and lean in close.
“Very much a whole journey through a full-bodied and expansive fever dream, but this time somehow spiritual, intimate and direct, Deftones’ 10th album is a gift for fans old, new, and certainly finding them in the very distant future. Their peers can’t touch them.”
Next year, Deftones will play a run of UK and European dates, including a huge show at The O2 in London on February 20 and Sick New World 2026. Denzel Curry and Drug Church will be joining them as special guests, and tickets are available here.
