Album review: Go Ahead and Die – Unhealthy Mechanisms

By DAN SOUTHALL

MAX Cavalera and his son Igor released the first album of the Go Ahead And Die project back in 2021, leaving a massive blast radius, creating a crossover hardcore album for the ages. Can the second album continue the rich vein of form they found, or will the formula be a one album wonder? Let’s have a listen together, shall we?

Without wasting any time, the band come railing out of the speakers faster and more thrashy with the undeniable punch of the kind that Max built his early career on. Early death metal influences abound on the opening triumvirate of “Desert Carnage” “Spilt Scalp” and “Tumors”, with the latter realising it has been a whirlwind to this point by slowing into a heavy groove.

The classic hardcore kicks off on “Drug-O-Cop” as it hammers out a D-beat as well as a message of anti-corruption; perfect musical fodder, really. From here the album settles back into what made the debut so good, along with the new found injection of classic death metal elements. There is something wrapped up in every kick of the drum and lyrical outburst that makes you want to get up and one-person circle pit, wildly flailing your limbs wherever you are listening.
All the elements culminate in the title track that closes the album out. Everything that came before was merely an exercise warming your ears up for the onslaught with Max sounding as pissed off as he possibly can as Igor more than ably holds his own against his father’s well-known raspy vocals.

The Cavalera name on a tin is really all you need to know here. Max Cavalera has been a mainstay throughout a lot of phases in modern metal, and he never puts his name on a dud album. You know what you are getting to some degree, but the addition of his son on this project has added a fire Max hasn’t let loose in some time. If you are a fan of metal, you are doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t listening to this and kicking shit over in the process.
Buy Unhealthy Mechanisms on CD or vinyl