Candiria is a band from Brooklyn, New York. They blend various styles of mu… Read Full Bio ↴Candiria is a band from Brooklyn, New York. They blend various styles of music including metal, hardcore, jazz, and rap. Candiria have often dubbed their sound "Urban fusion".

Candiria was initially formed in 1992 by vocalist Carley Coma, guitarists Chris Puma and Eric Matthews, drummer Kenneth Schalk, and bassist Michael MacIvor. Even early on they were creating unusual music, with vocals that ranged from dry barks to rap. Chris and Eric's guitar have set Candiria's rhythmic style as riffing with little melody interrupted by jazzy chord progressions during the jazz breaks. Ken Schalk's drumming often consists of laying down a groove while staying true to the non-conventional time signatures that dominate the music, paired up with Michael's unusual bass lines. Michael, in fact, may be the least metal-influenced member of the group, as apparent in his melodically complex basslines which frequently do not follow the guitar riffs.

Chris Puma was replaced by John Lamacchia before 1997's Beyond Reasonable Doubt, while Lamacchia himself left the band after 2004's What Doesn't Kill You.... The latter album features a cover photograph of the band's van after a heavy traffic accident it endured in 2002. It took the band members considerable time to recover from their injuries.

As of 2005, Eric Matthews is no longer in the band.

Drummer Ken Schalk has been involved in a free-jazz side project named Ghosts Of The Canal, who have thus far released two full-length albums, Sessions from the Flats (1999) and Five Episodes From the Subconsious (2002), as well as two non-album tracks which appeared on the bonus disc of Candiria's The C.O.M.A. Imprint.

"Candiria" is plural for "candiru," a small blood-sucking Amazonian fish that lodges itself in the urethras of unwary bathers.

Discography

Albums
1994 - Subliminal (Demo Tape)
1995 - Surrealistic Madness (Too Damn Hype)
1997 - Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Too Damn Hype)
1999 - The Process Of Self-Development (MIA Records)
2001 - 300 Percent Density (Century Media)
2002 - The Coma Imprint (Lakeshore)
2004 - What Doesn't Kill You... (Type A)
2008 - Kiss The Lie

The C.O.M.A. Imprint
Not exactly a proper album, this is in fact a re-recording of Candiria's 1997 album Beyond Reasonable Doubt, featuring newly remastered and/or recorded songs. It includes a bonus disc which features songs from several bands signed to Carley Coma's label C.O.M.A., as well as two songs from Ghosts of the Canal.

2002 - The C.O.M.A. Imprint (Lakeshore)

I AM
Candiria Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am man
I am dog
I am weak
Cries for sympathy
I am rock
I am strong
I am you
You are the worst of me

Saving me
Saving you
Killing me
Killing you
Saving me

Is that all you wanted
My scars for your veins

Reshape me
Break the mold
You made me
I made you whole

I am dirt
I am filth
I am shit
Cursing behind your back
I am light
I am hope
I am the spine that's in your back
Killing me
Killing you
Killing me

Reshape me
Break the mold
You made me
I made you whole

My eyes will see in
Out
Dimensions of the spirit
While your dripping from the mouth
In tongues you lie
You fall
Get up
Let me caress your inner thoughts before your heart is swallowed up
I said get up
I am you in me
Dirt for water
Blood on my teeth
Lick my wounds not clean

Reshape me
Break the mold

You made me
I made you whole

Overall Meaning

The song "I Am" by Candiria seems to explore the duality of human nature and the way that we can often embody seemingly contradictory traits. The lyrics suggest that we can be both weak and strong, light and filth at the same time. The repeated refrain of "killing me, killing you" suggests that our contrasting qualities can sometimes cause conflict within ourselves and with others. The line "my scars for your veins" may be interpreted as a plea for empathy – a willingness to share our suffering with others in order to ease their pain.

The chorus of the song seems to suggest that the singer is both a product of and a contributor to the world around them: "you made me, I made you whole." This line is followed by an urgent plea to "reshape me, break the mold" suggesting a desire to break free from preconceived notions of what it means to be human and forge a new, more integrated identity.

Overall, the song seems to grapple with the complexity of the human condition and the struggles that arise from trying to reconcile our internal contradictions with the expectations of the outside world.

Line by Line Meaning

I am man
I am a human being

I am dog
I am animalistic

I am weak
I have vulnerabilities

Cries for sympathy
I want empathy and compassion

I am rock
I am unyielding and stubborn

I am strong
I have resilience and endurance

I am you
I am interconnected with you

You are the worst of me
Your negative traits affect me

Saving me
Helping me to overcome my struggles

Saving you
Helping you to overcome your struggles

Killing me
Causing my destruction