Search - Candiria :: What Doesn't Kill You

Fair warning: this is not your father's Candiria

Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 07/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With the exception of a few ignorant people, those who have listened to Candiria know that they're a uniquely brilliant band, and "What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You Stronger" offers plenty of this band's bizarre genius. But coming off their best album to date, the mighty "300 Percent Density," the guys from Brooklyn have made some major variations on their trademark hardcore-jazz-hip-hop-prog rock sound. Every Candiria album takes a while to get used to, what with their unconventional song structures and seemingly random genre-mixing, but their are some really big changes here to assimilate. None of their albums really sound alike, but to paraphrase George Orwell, this one is a bit more different than the others.The first song, the "Dead Bury the Dead," certainly doesn't betray any signs of change. In the best Candiria tradition, it's an infectious headbanger filled with complex rhythms, furious drum blasts, and the almost inhumanly harsh vocals of Carley Coma. It's on the next track, "The Nameless," that the band throws a major curveball. What's that thing Carley's doing with his voice? Is that...no, it couldn't be...singing? On a Candiria album? Yes, it is, and it shows up again two songs later on "Remove Yourself" and two songs after that on "Down." It's not just the singing that struck me as out of place at first, either. These songs are all considerably more accessible than the typical Candiria fare, featuring simpler riffs, straight drumbeats, and even, you guessed it, verses and choruses instead of the "chapters" into which their songs are generally divided. At times they're even somewhat reminiscent of (eek!) nu-metal.Now, much as I try to be open-minded, I'll admit that my initial reaction to the introduction of the mainstream elements described above was an intense desire to eject this CD from my stereo and put it in one of my cats' litterboxes. However, I listened, and listened, and listened, and after letting the album play through for three days straight, I found myself liking this "new" Candiria sound almost as much as the old one. For one thing, Carley's a damn good singer, and even on this album's more melodic offerings he does an excellent job of mixing up the singing with some harsher vocal intonations, apparently to ensure that Candiria's more ardent fans aren't completely turned off. Just as importantly, these songs still display the band's top-notch musicianship, and they're mighty catchy to boot. The anti-materialism anthem "Remove Yourself," especially, has the most captivating chorus I've heard in a while
(I actually think materialism gets a bad rap, but this isn't the place for a discussion of my sociopolitical views).Besides, the singing doesn't pop up that often. Much of this album is vintage Candiria, meaning it's relentlessly original, eclectic, and extremely heavy. "Blood" and "1000 Points of Light" are prime examples of Candiria's brilliance, the former briefly interrupting its hardcore fury with a spacey atmospheric interlude; the latter achieving a fusion of metal and hip-hop elements that would embarrass bands like Limp Bizkit (come to think of it, they have a lot to be embarrassed about anyway). Perfectly synthesizing the old and the new, "I Am" alternates rampaging aggression in the verses with a sweeping melodic chorus for a brilliant dynamic effect; this may well be one of the best Candiria songs ever. And the anthemic "Vacant," led by Carley's in-your-face mantra of "I Will/Rise Strong/Your lies/Inconsistent," isn't far behind. Concluding the album is the jazz fusion piece "The Rutherford Experiment," which finds Candiria exploring even more new ground. Mixing searing guitars with trippy Moog synthesizer work, this instrumental should bend minds as easily as it bends genres.In all, while I can't recommend this album quite as heartily as "300 Percent Density," it's still a more-than-worthy addition to the catalog of one of the best bands going these days. These guys could've made another "300 Percent Density" and I wouldn't have minded, but they deserve credit for trying something different and challening their fans a little. I would've liked at least one jazz song, but hey, you can't win them all. So if you don't like "What Doesn't Kill You..." at first, try, try again. The payoff will come eventually."

What are you people talking about?

A Tone Poem | The Bronx | 08/19/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Just saw 'em live at Irving Plaza. I never thought I'd see the day when Kittie out-pummels Candiria. Their new material is like MTV emo-nu-metal. Worse, they water down their older stuff -- played slower, with death metal and hardcore vocals replaced by rapping."

Absolute brilliance.

frogwe | NY | 08/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is pure brilliance. For people who love original music this is perfect. Combining the best elements of metal and rap they create incredible music. And they are excellent at both styles. Great album for any person who appreciated hardcore rock mixing screaming and melody. The track 9MM Solution is the only song that is all rap but it is an excellent track. The best tracks are Remove Yourself, Nameless King, Down, and 9MM Solution."