The C.O.M.A. Imprint
While aging metalheads wave their glory swords and young shags pray at the altar of the retro stoner sound, Brooklyn's Candiria are miles ahead--in the jazz-influenced, Blue Note sense. The music is extremely aggressive, but not a raging ride through hellfire like that of so many of their former death metal compatriots. Especially on this showcase of oddities and rarities, Candiria's strength is its cool interconnecting polyrhythm of oceanic slates of controlled mayhem.The first disc of this collection is a foray through studio rarities with wide-eyed appearances by Method Man's "Bring the Pain" and at least 117 eye-opening instrumental breaks. Though the band's chops and love of odd timing are worthy of music conservatorians, Candiria admirably keeps its assault aimed toward hard-core punk and metal venues, luring the moshpit into a crazed hungry state of confusion as guitars, drums, and screeching staccato vocal raps intermesh in a roar of asynchronous bliss. Disc two here is a sampler of bands from Candiria's C.O.M.A. collective--an array of launching points into various mental sonic terrains. All are good, but none play metal, and metallic intensity is what pushes Candiria's own eclecticism over the top to the point of brilliant revelation. With each release, Candiria's blend of grind-core, hard-core, jazz, rap, and electronica grows slightly smoother and stronger. Whether or not they ever perfect the synthesis, the struggle itself is a splendid, surprising example to be followed.--Ian Christe