Candiria
Brooklyn band fusing metal, jazz, hip hop, and hardcore.
Candiria is an American band from Brooklyn, New York, that blends progressive metal, metalcore, jazz fusion, and hip hop. They are considered precursors of the mathcore genre alongside groups like Deadguy and Lethargy. Formed in 1992, the band emerged from the second wave of New York hardcore before expanding into jazz, hip hop, and progressive rock.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
- Genre
- Progressive metal
- jazz fusion
- metalcore
- mathcore
- hip hop
- Years active
- 1992–present
- Label
- Too Damn Hype
- Devastating Soundworks
- MIA
- Century Media
- Earache
- Lakeshore
- Metal Blade
- Current members
- Carley Coma
- John LaMacchia
- Michael MacIvor
- Julio Arias
- Danny Grossarth
- Past members
- Chris Puma
- Eric Matthews
- Eddie Ortiz
- Robert Corbino
- Kenneth Schalk
Facts from the source article.
History
Candiria got its start in 1992 with vocalist Carley Coma, guitarists Chris Puma and Eric Matthews, and multi-instrumentalist Kenneth Schalk, who handled drums, bass, keyboards, and trumpet. The band's name supposedly means the plural of candiru, a parasitic Amazon fish, but Schalk later said they made it up without knowing about the fish; the actual Portuguese plural is candirus. They were part of the second wave of New York hardcore. Their first album, Surrealistic Madness, came out in 1995 on Too Damn Hype Records. Chris Puma left in 1997 and was replaced by John LaMacchia just before the second album, Beyond Reasonable Doubt. The Process of Self-Development followed in 1999 on M.I.A. Records, and 2001's 300 Percent Density on Century Media hit No. 44 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. On September 9, 2002, near Cleveland, Ohio, a tractor trailer hit their equipment trailer, flipping their van several times until it landed on its roof. Four band members were thrown from the vehicle, and everyone inside was hospitalized with serious injuries. Rumors said the band received $29 million in compensation, pending appeal. They returned in 2004 with What Doesn't Kill You..., whose cover shows the wrecked van. The album took a more melodic turn, drawing mixed reactions, and reached No. 47 on the Independent Albums chart. LaMacchia left temporarily after that release. Kiss the Lie was delayed for years as the band recovered; LaMacchia came back during recording, but Eric Matthews quit partly due to his injuries, and Kenneth Schalk also left.
Side projects and other bands
Three members of Candiria, Kenneth Schalk, Michael MacIvor, and John LaMacchia, also played in the free-jazz side project Ghosts of the Canal, which put out two albums: Sessions from the Flats and Five Episodes from the Subconscious. That project used unusual instruments like the Rhodes and didgeridoo. MacIvor and LaMacchia later started the classic rock band A Family Plot, and LaMacchia joined Spylacopa alongside Greg Puciato, Jeff Caxide, and Julie Christmas. Schalk spent many years as a member of Fuel. Meanwhile, vocalist Carley Coma sang in the Christian rock band Hope Kills Fear and, in 2011, released a single album with the hard rock group Park Lane.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which record labels has Candiria released music on?
Candiria has released music on Too Damn Hype, Devastating Soundworks, MIA, Century Media, Earache, Lakeshore and others.
Who are the current members of Candiria?
The current members of Candiria are listed as Carley Coma, John LaMacchia, Michael MacIvor, Julio Arias and Danny Grossarth.
More in American Progressive Metal Musical Groups
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced