HOW TO RAISE A ROCK STAR...THE STORY OF Z...

Zyon was a beat before he was born. You all know that by now, Students. His heart thumping deep inside me was the opening notes for Refuse, Resist on the legendary Chaos AD album. Yes, Max came with me to the doctor appointments and recorded when the doctor would listen with the maternity stethoscope. Max carried a DAT machine for quite some years and recorded all sorts of sounds. I am sure the glorious second of Zyon's first appearance is no doubt somewhere in my gigantic boxes of video tapes, but today, I will spare you the details...

Zyon was brought home to a Nailbomb house. In a move equal to slight of hand, he transformed a couple months later into the little Sepultura mascot and crossed the Atlantic Ocean with us, to cuddle in between the recording of the Chaos AD record in Wales at Rockfield Studio. His little crib was in the same room Ozzy, Robert Plant and Freddie Mercury all laid their heads, when they recorded at Rockfield. By this time, Z was already spouting his Doo Doo Dah beat, that we all mistakenly thought was a riff.

statue on the THAMES RIVER

Taken to concerts, held by rockstars, instructed by Metal Gods, sleeping on road cases...it was all part of growing up a rock kid. There was nothing out of the ordinary. As Zyon saw music in his life every day, he began to develop his own talent. I thought he would be a front man, and I think one day, he will be one..he had some badass moves by the age of 2, but he always had the drumsticks in his hands or was drumming on his chest. You can see his mischievous face and talent of birdie flipping at a young age, on the booklet for Around The Fur, by the Deftones.

Z with Robert Heaton (RIP), drummer of New Model Army

Paradise Lost

Napalm Death were especially fond of Zyon. Mitch even changed Z's poop diaper in our living room, when Zyon was very new! I would tease Shane that we were naming Zyon Genghis and Shane would stress out!

Mitch and Shane of Napalm Death

Tel Aviv, Istrael during Territory video filming

Roots run deep in our family. It was Zyon's destiny to drum with his Father one day. It was inevitable. It is something you wait for; you dream of..but you never know if it will happen...and then it does! Zyon didn't walk into Soulfly. He lived it; he earned it. He gave Max back the feeling of looking behind him and feeling a musical connection so strong, so REAlL that no words are ever needed.........just like Iggor does...

Class dismissed.....