Biography
Candiria forged a distinctively expansive urban fusion aesthetic by blending grindcore, funk, hip-hop, and jazz. Launched in Brooklyn, New York, the ensemble first featured frontman Carley Coma, guitarists Chris Puma and Eric Matthews, bassist Mike MacIvor, and drummer Ken Schalk, introducing themselves via the 1995 album Surrealistic Madness. Guitarist John Lamacchia later joined the lineup, while Chris Puma gave way to John “Be-Bop” Malonti ahead of the follow-up release, 1997’s Beyond Reasonable Doubt; two years afterward came the third Candiria effort, Process of Self-Development. Century Media issued 300 Percent Density in May 2001, after which the band returned the following year with the two-disc collection C.O.M.A. Imprint on Lakeshore.
While supporting the set on the road, however, a truck suddenly struck the group’s van en route to a Cleveland performance. The vehicle flipped repeatedly and was destroyed, ejecting several members through the windows. Although every member of Candiria endured the crash, all required hospitalization and several sustained critical injuries. Following an extended period of recuperation, the musicians reconvened with renewed determination to elevate their work. The resulting, aptly named What Doesn’t Kill You… arrived in midsummer 2004 on Type A Records after production by David Bendeth (Killswitch Engage, Breaking Benjamin).
A late-2004 tour brought guitarists Darren Carter and Steve Fakelman into the lineup, one replacing Lamacchia permanently after his December departure and the other filling in temporarily while Matthews recovered from back surgery. Over the ensuing year Candiria shared bills with Dillinger Escape Plan, Diecast, Nonpoint, and additional acts while beginning work on the next album. Matthews ultimately exited for good, prompting Coma, MacIvor, and Schalk to bring guitarist Eddie Ortiz aboard. As recording neared completion in August 2006, Schalk disclosed his departure from the band.
Lawsuits, injuries, and ongoing membership shifts occupied the following years, during which the musicians also pursued separate projects; by 2009, John LaMacchia and Carley Coma stood as the only remaining original members. A two-track 7", “Invaders,” surfaced in 2014 to preview the long-awaited studio album While They Were Sleeping, released in 2016 on Metal Blade. Recorded at Spaceman Sound by Tom Tierney and Alex Mead-Fox, the ambitious concept record traces the struggles of a failed musician rising against a New York City monarchy.
While supporting the set on the road, however, a truck suddenly struck the group’s van en route to a Cleveland performance. The vehicle flipped repeatedly and was destroyed, ejecting several members through the windows. Although every member of Candiria endured the crash, all required hospitalization and several sustained critical injuries. Following an extended period of recuperation, the musicians reconvened with renewed determination to elevate their work. The resulting, aptly named What Doesn’t Kill You… arrived in midsummer 2004 on Type A Records after production by David Bendeth (Killswitch Engage, Breaking Benjamin).
A late-2004 tour brought guitarists Darren Carter and Steve Fakelman into the lineup, one replacing Lamacchia permanently after his December departure and the other filling in temporarily while Matthews recovered from back surgery. Over the ensuing year Candiria shared bills with Dillinger Escape Plan, Diecast, Nonpoint, and additional acts while beginning work on the next album. Matthews ultimately exited for good, prompting Coma, MacIvor, and Schalk to bring guitarist Eddie Ortiz aboard. As recording neared completion in August 2006, Schalk disclosed his departure from the band.
Lawsuits, injuries, and ongoing membership shifts occupied the following years, during which the musicians also pursued separate projects; by 2009, John LaMacchia and Carley Coma stood as the only remaining original members. A two-track 7", “Invaders,” surfaced in 2014 to preview the long-awaited studio album While They Were Sleeping, released in 2016 on Metal Blade. Recorded at Spaceman Sound by Tom Tierney and Alex Mead-Fox, the ambitious concept record traces the struggles of a failed musician rising against a New York City monarchy.
Albums
Singles
