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)
Remove Yourself
Candiria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have soiled you're so foul
With lips of infected sullen
You will indulge yourself
So digest your consequences
The Serpent's venom runs inside of you
Your lust, desire will blind your senses
(For you)
Remove yourself
And take your breath away
Rebuild yourself
Before you fall away
And I will lift you from the bottom
And my hope will fade away
I must pick you up
So you can survive the day
Touch what you can't have
While I have what you can't touch for now
My friend, all of this will turn to ash
Who is your God?
Or is it a Devil?
Igniting your catastrophe
Your spine will bend
Spiritual anatomy
Remove yourself
And take your breath away
Rebuild yourself
Before you fall away
And I will lift you from the bottom
And my hope will fade away
I must pick you up
So you can survive the day
Rebuild who you are
And stay away
Remove all your scars
Stay away
Will you stay away
But you won't remove yourself
Remove yourself
And take your breath away
Rebuild yourself
Before you fall away
And I will lift you from the bottom
And my hope will fade away
I must pick you up
So you can survive the day
Remove yourself
Candiria's song Remove Yourself is a powerful and moving call for personal accountability and growth. The lyrics speak to the idea that individuals, particularly men, have become corrupted by their own desires and self-indulgence, and must take responsibility for their actions and their impact on the world around them.
The first verse speaks to the state of the world, which has been "soiled" and become "foul" due to the actions of human beings. The songwriter warns that those who give in to their "lust" and "desire" will ultimately bring about "disaster" for themselves.
The chorus delivers a powerful message of hope, urging the listener to "remove" themselves from the negative influences in their life and "rebuild" themselves before it's too late. The singer promises to be there to help them along the way, lifting them up from the bottom and giving them the support they need to "survive the day."
Overall, the song is a plea for personal growth and accountability in the face of a world that can seem dark and hopeless at times. It acknowledges the mistakes that we've made as a society, but ultimately places the responsibility for change on each individual person.
Line by Line Meaning
Men of the Earth
Addressing the individuals on earth
You have soiled you're so foul
You have made yourselves dirty and unpleasant
With lips of infected sullen
With your mouths filled with negativity and sickness
You will indulge yourself
You will satisfy yourself
So digest your consequences
Accept the outcomes of your actions
The Serpent's venom runs inside of you
Your actions are influenced by evil
Your lust, desire will blind your senses
Your selfish desires will make you blind to the truth
Whirlwinds of disaster for you (For you)
You will face the consequences of your actions
Remove yourself
And take your breath away
Rebuild yourself
Before you fall away
Take a step back and improve yourself before things get worse
And I will lift you from the bottom
And my hope will fade away
I must pick you up
So you can survive the day
I will help you when you hit rock bottom but I may not have hope in you anymore
Touch what you can't have
While I have what you can't touch for now
My friend, all of this will turn to ash
You may not be able to attain everything you desire and all things come to an end
Who is your God?
Or is it a Devil?
Igniting your catastrophe
Your spine will bend
Spiritual anatomy
Are you following good or evil? Your bad decisions will hurt you spiritually
Rebuild who you are
And stay away
Remove all your scars
Stay away
Will you stay away
But you won't remove yourself
Change yourself for the better and stay away from negative influences
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CARLEY GERVAIS, DAVID BENDETH, ERIC MATTHEWS, JOHN LA MACCHIA, KENNETH SCHALK, MICHAEL MACIVOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
frost heaves
People are so close minded. Candiria are extremely talented. Their older stuff, so precise and hard to follow, is what their fans love. But they mastered that style of fusion hardcore. I respect what they are doing. They are progressing in different ways. Either way, they could play very basic music and it would still be better than any mainstream bullshit.
Peter Jackson
Still one of my favorite tracks in August 2021. Hope the boys are all doing okay today.
Chris Risinger
Their sound change, perspective changed, drummer left, crazy wreck that almost killed the singer. I can see why people can be down on the band, but talent is still there. It isn't like they ever had the funds to really make movement, just bad timing with the wreck, and that was almost a decade ago.
fadedsun303
This was the first Candiria I ever heard, so my perspective was different than an older fan might have. I love this album. Went back in their discog and discovered even more gold.
Cheddar323
They actually started making music again shit is crazy!
Emmanuelle Villacrucis
It's 2018 and I'm still loving Candiria, since 1997. A genious band. They brought extreme music to a whole new level. \m/ \m/ \m/
Peter Jones
Great album. Show respect, damn nerds.
Seth Rice
Pure Divine Brilliance. God Bless You All Candiria. -
august, 2014
james collingwood
Wow I remember you guys from so long ago. I have your first album that I picked up in middle school. And was really amazed at how long it had been since I’ve listened to you guys.
井桁卓真
great song!!!