It was recently announced the metallic pillars Soulfly were set to resume touring after a year and half away from the stage. While that news would have been enough to steal some headlines, the real surprise was when Fear Factory found Dino Cazares was named as Soulfly's touring guitarist - not the man who held that position for some 18 years.
Veteran axeman Marc Rizzo sat in for a candid discussion with Josh Toomey and the Talk Toomey Podcast to get real about what life has been like since finding out that is time with Soulfly was done, how he intends to carry on creatively, and what the last 18 months have been like in the face of a very altered reality without live music.
Rizzo shared that during the time since the announcement if his replacement, he has found solace in the outpouring of support from the fans that have all shown their appreciation for Rizzo and his contributions thus far - as an artistic individual and part of a collective. Keeping the tone amicable, Rizzo reiterated that despite how people feel about the situation, his goal is to not stir the pot and keep things positive. Its that cautious sense of optimism that robots him to look forward to things like his own solo tour that is coming up soon.
Rizzo also shared his excitement in regards to his ongoing project with collaborator Tony Campos with Hail the Horns. Playing selections from the musicians' combined catalogs in Soulfly, Static X, Ministry, and Fear Factory, Rizzo and Campos are also working on original content that features Campos range as a vocalist - featuring clean vocals in addition to that signature snarl.
The guitarist again spoke frankly about his toughest stretches during the pandemic pause, sharing that he had to get a day job doing house renovation while music was on a hiatus. Rizzo also confided that the stress and uncertainty of being a sidelined musician during such an unprecedented time actually prompted him to have a few emotional meltdowns that challenged his resilience.
Again opting to keep the conversation a positive one, Rizzo spoke about the strengths in his life and shared his excitement about touring as a solo artist again. He spoke about being able to be versatile in touring solo with just backing tracks - while he would prefer to have a band in tow, the reality is that this was just a more cost effective model. Rizzo also spoke highly of his replacement for the upcoming Soulfly run and regarded Dino Cazares as an influence.
Reiterating his rank as a songwriter, Rizzo maintained that this closing of his chapter with Soulfly is an amicable one. Confident that Max (Cavalera) will move on without him and so will he, Rizzo seemed enegerized by the idea of beginning something new and focusing on reasserting his repertoire as a songwriter - a reality that seemed unaddressed during his tenure with Soulfly.
Rizzo also championed bands like Sepultura for their pandemic-based pivots like SepulQuadra and other initiatives designed to help band members and crew during the lean times of the pandemic. He also lauded Ill Nino for calling him to do a livestream performance during the off time from touring - an opportunity he explained Soulfy never gave him during time off.
Maintaining that sense of optimism, Rizzo gushed about his excitement in reinvesting in his own solo work. Explaining that his creative passion is steeped in his own music, Rizzo was especially eager to get back to the business of performing once again and connecting with the fans as he has for many years.
Stream the complete episode with Marc Rizzo on the latest edition of the Talk Toomey Podcast.
