Few sights in a metal dance pit are funnier than watching a few hundred sweaty fanatics stumbling over the nonrepetitive meter of a Candiria groove. The Brooklyn band's streetwise slam possesses crushing physical power, bu... more »t doesn't dole out those beats in standard measurements. Their hardcore-metal crossover is spliced seamlessly to jazz fusion. Candiria have had their ideas set since day one, and the band's steadily growing success has simply brought greater resources to refine the approach. 300 Percent Density carefully places a few thousand more crunching Sepultura-style staccato guitar notes in the service of this swimming storm of heavy, shrieking math, and "The Obvious Destination" bravely employs Martin Denny-style vibraphone for the sake of momentary bliss. It's all about not knowing what comes next: an out-of-body experience or an elbow to the head. --Ian Christe« less
Few sights in a metal dance pit are funnier than watching a few hundred sweaty fanatics stumbling over the nonrepetitive meter of a Candiria groove. The Brooklyn band's streetwise slam possesses crushing physical power, but doesn't dole out those beats in standard measurements. Their hardcore-metal crossover is spliced seamlessly to jazz fusion. Candiria have had their ideas set since day one, and the band's steadily growing success has simply brought greater resources to refine the approach. 300 Percent Density carefully places a few thousand more crunching Sepultura-style staccato guitar notes in the service of this swimming storm of heavy, shrieking math, and "The Obvious Destination" bravely employs Martin Denny-style vibraphone for the sake of momentary bliss. It's all about not knowing what comes next: an out-of-body experience or an elbow to the head. --Ian Christe
"I'm appalled to see the amount of one star ratings for this album which brings down the avg. customer rating down (Though I suspect it's all by the same person for the 12/10/01 reviews...It's probably even the same guy who's giving all those negative reviews for God Forbid's "Determination" also!). This new album by Candiria, one of the most creative bands today, is nothing short of spectacular. They're still doing what they've been doing, certainly not anything groundbreaking, but definitely not any worst. They're still combining the hardcore/metal riffs and screams, with the unsuspecting jazz interludes, and even some rap thrown in for good measure, except in "300% density", they've got better production; everything sounds crisp, and harsher than before. Some of the best songs ever created by Candiria are on here, like the opening title track, and "Constant Velocity Is As Natural As Being At Rest", opening with a jazz instrumental before shredding you with their trademark riffs and Coma's harsh screams, and then going back again to the jazz part.Sure, the mixing of genres has been done before, but never by a hardcore band; Zorn, Bungle, Boredoms (and even by much earlier groups) etc. have been mixing genres for years, but they were never true hardcore bands. Seems like it comes down to between the people who are still the fans, loving the stuff the most creative hardcore band today is putting out and glad they're getting more press, and the elitists who feel that when a band is slightly changing their sound, or have been featured in Rolling Stone (the best new band ever featured in that wretched magazine) and coming out soon with, gasp!, a music video, they're selling out, and desert them looking for the next big "secret." The secret is out, Candiria is THE band to change the way an unsuspecting public listens to radio. The defense rests."
People don't like this album?
Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 12/18/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I think the highest compliment I can pay to Candiria is that they take hardcore, extreme metal, jazz, hip-hop, and progressive rock sounds, throw them all together, and make it sound completely natural. Candiria have an originality and eclecticism that never comes across as forced or pretentious. They're just thoroughly committed to exploring the stylistic and technical possibilities of heavy music, and I for one think they're exactly the band to do it. "300 Percent Density" is the latest, and arguably greatest, example of Candiria's almost unparalleled songwriting and musicianship. Candiria have a knack for composing songs that have creative and irregular time signatures, but are still highly listenable. Their riffing and drumming may well be the heaviest this side of death metal, and the precision of the attack is mind-blowing. This isn't just a band out to steamroll the listener with their heaviness; Candiria manage to create some very complex and interesting song structures that put virtually every band on the radio to shame. Vocalist Carley Coma, apparently in an effort to push the human voice as far as it will go, spits out his growled vocals with a flow that most rappers would envy (or at least they should). The band does also do a couple of rap songs on this album, but even for a non-rap fan like me they have some appeal. Candiria's rap songs bear somewhat of a resemblance to those of A Tribe Called Quest, whose sense of musicality made them one of the few rap acts I could listen to, and they provide a nice break from all the heaviness. I really have to wonder about the people giving this album negative reviews. I understand and respect the opinions of others, but I think with a little close listening the greatness and uniqueness of Candiria becomes apparent pretty quickly. I find "300 Percent Density" to be an album of the highest quality, and I highly recommend it."
Contents Under Pressure
Sunshine the Werewolf | Canada | 01/26/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"CANDIRIA - 300 % Density
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Some people just don't get... which is truly sad. The second someone blends Hip-Hop with Hardcore everyone cries "Nu-Metal" I can assure this is nothing of the sort. First things first they bring sincerity back to hip-hop which is lacking in the music industry. This is not the Bling-Ho Rap of 50 Cent, this is Hip-Hop in its truest form. On top of Blending, Hardcore, Metal and Hip-Hop they fuse it all together with free-style Jazz. Musically these cats have no shortage of talent. The guitar work is great and the Bass and Drum work is astonishing to say the least. Carley's vocals are fantastic, whether it be his scream, yell or his smooth flowing raps.
As creative and unique of an album as it is, it seems at times to lack cohesiveness... Some of the shifts are a bit jagged in their transitions, other than that it is a very solid release. Easily worth more than a few listens.
Favorite Songs: Constant Velocity is as Natural as Being at Rest, Channeling Elements and Without Water.
4.25 Stars.
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Eclectic Energy
Grafs | United States | 05/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"New York based Candiria has bestowed upon us yet another musical masterpiece! 300% Density starts off with the brutal title track that will make your eardrums bleed with pleasure. Hard, groove oriented guitars, coupled with Kenneth Schalk's aggressive drumming makes for a great opening track. Their energy continues without a pause into the second track, Signs of Discontent, that will have all you metalheads pining for a moshpit.Candiria shows off their wide range of musical abilities in all of their tracks, but their skills are fully evident in "Without Water", which starts off with a downtempo beat layed over nice MCing. The track then proceeds to smash your skull in as it turns into a faster paced hardcore track layed over lead singer Carley Coma's sing/scream-ing, which is remniscient of FF's Burton Bell. My favorite track on the album, "Words from the Lexicon", proves that it truly is impossible to categorize Candiria into one musical genre. This track incorporates the elements of rap and metal better than any (c)rap metal hybrid band today. The track sounds NOTHING like these other rap/metal hybrids.Track five incorporates elements of metal and jazz...yes, jazz...and it is done well. Candiria tends to do this throughout their album. It is absoultely amazing the wide range of abilities that the members of this band possess and put to great use for our listening pleasure. Candiria provides us with a sound that is completely unique. I have heard no other band that sounds anything like them, most likely because there are no other bands out there that are as versed in so many different musical styles as Candiria is. The final track of this album, "Opposing Meter", introduces yet another musical style to the eclectic mix that makes up this album. Candiria manage to give us a track that combines their hardcore style with electronic beats that electronic greats such as Aphex Twin and Amon Tobin would be proud of.If you are a fan of many different styles of music, and want to hear something that is daringly innovative, uniquely fresh...give Candiria a listen. Pick up this album without hesitation, and soon YOU will be writing your own review of this musical masterpiece. Enjoy."
Really good.
Nicholas Petersen | Mankato, MN United States | 01/18/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Generally my tastes in hardcore lean towards the faster(grind) end of the speed spectrum so it took me a bit to understand the groove Candiria choose to play in. It really took me a few listens of the entire album to adjust to their brand of hardcore. Once you see where they are coming from however, your patience will be greatly rewarded. Candiria definitely have their own little niche in the genre, because besides straight-up hardcore, they throw in pure, unappologetic hip hop and a dash of jazz. This can't be stressed enough. On this cd there is no "blending" of styles in my opinion. They take you from hardcore to PURE (not rapcore) hip-hop and rap from song to song with no transition. This is no reason to be scared off. The rap is GOOD rap, it just takes some time to adjust your brain to what it's hearing from song to song so that you can really listen to each track individualy without having a bitter hardcore aftertaste when the beats and rhymes land on your plate.Be patient with this one, it'll be worth it."