Loudside

September 9, 2002 is a day that changed Candiria. As a band. As musicians. And as individual people. In the face of monstrous adversity, the experimental band, which could never be accused of being stagnant, has prospered, progressed, and grown even more. On that fateful September day, the Brooklyn band, which has always kept its fans guessing thanks to its unpredictable, mathematical style, was involved in a horrific accident while on tour supporting its last album, the double-disc Coma Imprint.
The accident resulted in the total destruction of its tour vehicle, and the members of Candiria sustained serious, critical injuries. But Candiria survived and has been reborn with What Doesnt Kill You, its new album on Type A Records. According to frontman Carley Coma, Its our most emotional album. We shouldve died in the accident and this album might never have been made. But I think its going to wind up being our best. Bassist Michael MacIvor concurs, "We lived through this and we wanted to do something different. Maybe the accident was some type of gift. The band went through changes and we decided to add a new, melodic side to our music because of the accident. It takes life altering and defining moments to make you change." Drummer Kenneth Schalk finishes, "This is our fifth album and its the relevant evolution of our band. Every song is about us evolving." To read the full article, visit Loudside

VH1 and MSN
Candiria's uniquely sprawling urban fusion sound combined elements of grindcore, funk, hip-hop, and jazz. Formed in Brooklyn, NY, the group originally comprised frontman Carley
Coma, guitarists Chris Puma and Eric Matthews, bassist Mike MacIvor, and drummer Ken Schalk, debuting in 1995 with the album Surrealistic Madness. The band later included guitarist John Lamacchia, and Puma was further replaced by guitarist John "Be-Bop" Malonti in time for the follow-up, 1997's Beyond Reasonable Doubt; the third Candiria album, Process of Self-Development, appeared two years later. The guys issued 300 Percent Density through Century Media in May 2001 before returning the next year with the two-disc set C.O.M.A. Imprint on Lakeshore. Touring in support of the record, however, Candiria's van was suddenly hit by a truck on the way to a gig in Cleveland. The van was totaled and flipped several times, several members being flung through the windows. Miraculously, all of Candiria survived, though all were hospitalized, several in critical condition. After a considerable recovery time, the guys regrouped with a newfound focus and resolve to step it up in their music. The resulting (and appropriately titled) What Doesn't Kill You... was produced by David Bendeth (Killswitch Engage, Breaking Benjamin) and issued in mid-summer 2004 on Bendeth's own Type A Records. A subsequent tour late that year introduced two new guitarists to the fold, Darren Carter and Steve Fakelman, one permanently to replace Lamacchia (who exited in December) and one temporary as Matthews underwent back surgery. Candiria shared dates over the next year with Dillinger Escape Plan, Diecast, Nonpoint, and more, while the band began work on their next album. Matthews wound up permanently leaving the band, and Coma, MacIvor, and Schalk eventually welcomed guitarist Eddie Ortiz into the mix. As their album was nearing completion in August 2006, however, Schalk announced his resignation from Candiria. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide. (Check out vh1 and msn)

100XR
The Alternative-Metal Brooklyn, New York USA-based outfit Candiria was founded in 1992 by frontman Carley Coma, who recuited guitarists Chris Puma and Eric Matthews, bassist Mike Holt and drummer Kenneth Schalk.

The quintet soon recorded a demo, shortly afterwards Holt quit and the remaining members continued as a four-piece, in 1995 they released an indie-LP titled "Surrealistic Madness" on Too Damn Hype Records; two years later appeared their second album "Beyond Reasonable Doubt". By this point Puma left Candiria, the group then revamped their line-up to include guitarist John LaMacchia and a permanent bass player, Michael MacIvor; in August of 1999 the quintet issued "The Process Of Self-Development". After a long tour, the group started recording their fouth album; "300 Percent Density" arrived in May of 2001, it included the single "Without Water" which received some airplay on alt-Rock radio stations; in August, Candiria, hit the Beast Feast in Yokohama, Japan sharing the stage with Pantera, Sepultura and over 30 other Metal bands; the band then embarked on an international tour with co-headliner Clutch in the winter of that year.
Check out 100XR

Earache Records
“I can tell you that it was the most violent and intense moment I’ve ever experienced” says Candiria bassist Michael MacIvor. MacIvor is referring to the Sept 9th, 2002 van accident that almost ended the career (and the lives) of the musicians in this seminal Brooklyn band. The band was driving to Cleveland as part of relentless touring in support of their then current record - The Coma Imprint. MacIvor continues “The memories of the van crushing down around me and being pelted with glass and metal are permanently etched into my mind. Apparently the eighteen wheel tractor-trailer didn’t see our 20’ vehicle. It drove right through our equipment trailer till it rear-ended the back of the van where a few of us were sleeping. The impact was so great that the van flipped over several times -skidding, roof-down for about 75 yards before coming to a halt. In the process Eric, John and I all were thrown through different windows of the vehicle.”

Visit Earache for the complete article.

The Gauntlet
Band Members
John LaMacchia
Jeff Caxide
Greg Puciato
Julie Christmas

Subgenres:
experimental
Fueled aggression, experimental precision, and driving infectious hooks are just some of the parts comprising the whole that is Spylacopa – a musical venture spearheaded by Candiria lead guitarist and songwriter John LaMacchia. The band can be described as painters of a vast audio landscape, putting listeners on a constant musical journey. And while Spylacopa often changes gears, and is far from pedestrian – it is very feel-oriented.
Formed by LaMacchia in 2000, Spylacopa was simply intended to be a conduit for his experimental and hypnotic compositions. But that soon snowballed into something more significant. The first Spylacopa release, “Collective Unconscious,” appeared on Candiria’s C.O.M.A. Imprint in 2002. And some years later, in 2005, with the addition of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato and Jeff Caxide of Isis, another Spylacopa single, “The Duke,” was released on Undreradar Records.... Visit The Gauntlet for more.

Metal Edge Mag
SPYLACOPA (BADASS SUPER GROUP): NEW SONG POSTED

SPYLACOPA POSTS NEW SONG
If you read the banner above, you know almost as much about Spylacopa as we do. The most important thing to know is that this is a project worth getting excited about. They have a new song up on their MySpace and it’s very, very good. Click HERE to listen to “Bloodletting.”

Spylacopa features:
John LaMacchia (Candiria)
Jeff Caxide (Isis)
Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan)
Julie Christmas (Made Out Of Babies)
Four very talented individuals. Apparently they’ve been writing and recording off-and-on for a couple years and have enough material for a full-length, but they’re gonna tease us with an EP first. Whatever. I’m pumped.
In the meantime, check out our feature on Julie Christmas and Made Out Of Babies in the current issue of METAL EDGE, in stores now. And as always, you broke/lazy bastards can read every issue of METAL EDGE in its entirety, FOR FREE, right here at MetalEdgeMag.com.

Sputnik Music
Spylacopa began as an obscure ambient-electronic side-project for Brooklyn-based Candiria guitarist John LaMaccia, but after accruing a band of notables - namely Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan, Jeff Caxide of Isis, and Julie Christmas of Made Out of Babies - the project was bound to gain momentum. Judging by the sounds of the new song “Haunting A Ghost” that was posted to the band’s MySpace earlier this week, Spylacopa has evolved into an entirely different beast all together. While LaMaccia proved to have a knack for combining head-pounding beats with ambient soundscapes on Spylacopa’s earlier output, this song is far more rocking and metal-friendly than anything I’ve heard from them so far. LaMaccia’s distorted guitar progressions and electronic sequencing seems to have matched perfectly with the lush mix of Puciato’s own touches and his trademark vocal approach - the high contrast of soaring melodies and screaming and bellowing - and the thick layer of groove from Caxide.
Sputnik

Decibel
Spylacopa

Mubla htgnel-lluf a rof tiaw ew, llitS | Rising Pulse
Legend always had it that John LaMacchia was the experimental element of Candiria’s sound. He wasn’t so much the resident jazz head (although, when he first joined the band, his stage name was “Be-Bop”) as he was the dude who kept pushing for the genre-hopping band to explore more esoteric territories that didn’t involve mind-cramping time signatures, inhuman polyrhythms and hip-hop. He reportedly...
To read the entire article, purchase this issue from our online store at Decibel

Metal Edge

Rising Pulse
Spylacopa is that rare supergroup that lives up to its members’ pedigrees. Masterminded by Candiria guitarist John LaMacchia, Spylacopa grew to include Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato, and later, Isis bassist Jeff Caxide and Made Out of Babies singer Julie Christmas. Its five-song debut EP never sounds like any of those individuals’ bands. Instead, we’re treated to the raging post-hardcore of “Haunting a Ghost” and the dark, moody rock of “Bloodletting,” two songs with lush, memorable choruses; an elegiac, piano and synth instrumental situated perfectly at the midpoint, “Together We Become Forever”; “Staring At the Sound,” an up-tempo rocker that recalls Jane’s Addiction at its most aggressive; and finally, heady psychedelics on “I Should Have Known You Would.” LaMacchia’s consistent production keeps this from ever feeling patchwork, remarkable considering the sonic variety and the disjointed nature of the writing and recording process. At 23 minutes, this would feel like a tease if it wasn’t so complete – and I’m still dying to hear more.
—Brendan Twist from Metal Edge