On April 28, 2016, the band announced in Facebook post that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus, stating, "We have collectively decided to take a hiatus with no set date to reconvene.
Kylesa is a metal group that borrows elements of hardcore punk, psychedelic rock, stoner rock, sludge metal, and speed metal. They have two singers, Phillip and Laura. Kylesa formed in Savannah in 2001, taking their name from "kilesa mara", a Buddhist term denoting delusory mental states.
Guitarist and singer Phillip Cope, bassist Brian Duke and drummer Christian Depken were former members of the Savannah sludge metal act Damad, which had released two albums in the '90s. Philip Cope has been described as the Savannah "metal scene's godfather." He began playing in hardcore punk groups in the late 1980s, and in 1992 booked groups such as Buzzoven and Neurosis at a local all-ages club. From 1993 to 2001, Cope played in the group Damad. Pat Mathis of the Passive Fist label said that Damad "established a sound that's stuck-- that whole heavy, doomy Southern kind of metal. When you've got these old punk guys who listen to the Allman Brothers and start a metal band, that's kind of what you get." Damad changed their name to Kylesa in 2001 with the addition of Laura Pleasants, a native of North Carolina who attended the Savannah College of Art and Design.
After recording the majority of their first record (S/T on Prank) in May 2001, Kylesa played their first show with Mastodon and Cream Abdul Babar in Savannah, Georgia on June 2, 2001. On June 6, 2001, Brian Duke died from an epileptic seizure during the course of the night. The band decided to finish the recording in Brian's honor, wrote and recorded two more songs (where local bass player and friend Michael Redmond stepped in and played bass). The self-titled record was released about one year later on Prank Records when artwork by Pushead was completed. Prior to the full LP, a single limited 7" was released on Prank also with Pushead art. The Pushead-designed Band Logo from these releases has been used on all the band's merchandise and releases ever since.
Replacing Duke with bassist and singer Corey Barhorst, the band wrote and recorded a split 7" with Memento Mori, on Hyperrealist, and a split full length with Cream Abdul Babar from Florida, on At A Loss Recordings. These records came out immediately following the release on Prank, although they were recorded much later, The long wait for artwork by Pushead delaying the release of the S/T LP. More singles and a placeholder EP, 2004's No Ending 110 Degree Heat Index followed right before Depken left the group.
Kylesa signed with the independent metal label Prosthetic Records and released their second proper album, To Walk a Middle Course, in 2005 with drummer Brandon Baltzley.
Following the release of that album, Baltzley left the group, replaced by a pair of drummers, Jeff Porter and Carl McGinley. Kylesa's third album, Time Will Fuse Its Worth, was released on Halloween 2006. Eric Hernandez replaced Porter and appears on Static Tensions, released in 2009. Two songs on this album were inspired by the shooting of Jason Statts, a Savannah musician. They toured with Mastodon after the release of this album, whose guitarist, Bill Kelliher, said that “ We took Kylesa on tour because we love those guys and have been hanging out with them for years. They blew a lot of people's expectations out of the water.”
Journalist David Peisner of Spin described them as "dark psych-metal titans," practicing an "aggressive [sound], but with a hazy, stoner vibe that suggests a strange amalgamation of Black Sabbath, Black Flag, and early Pink Floyd." As of 2010, they have sold 75,000 albums. In 2010 they signed to the Season of Mist records label to release the album Spiral Shadow on October 26 that year. A rarities compilation album titled From the Vaults, Vol. 1 was released later that year.
Their sixth album, Ultraviolet, was released through Season of Mist in May 2013. The record is said to be darker lyrically and sonically than previous works, containing more vocals from singer/guitarist Laura Pleasants. The band embarked on a full North America headlining tour to promote the release with direct support from Blood Ceremony, White Hills and Lazer Wulf. In October 2015, the group released their seventh album Exhausting Fire through Season of Mist.
Motion And Presence
Kylesa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arms painted yellow and black
Tied them down, held me back
Question eternal silence when there's a knock on the door
You say my time is now, I say no - the time now is mine
Hear the cold air frozen, see the tainted sound
Corners round out numbers
I have left to see you clearly without any doubt
It'll take everything I have left
The stabbing of this breath won't be the last
Motion and presence, darting eyes
Whispers stabbing this breath
No time, lost time, my time, this time
There's no recognition
Locked doors are now open, and I can see inside
But I shouldn't have turned the key
There's no definition
For what was once unknown will be forever etched
Corners rounding out numbers
There's no recognition
The lyrics to Kylesa's song "Motion and Presence" are complex and take a certain amount of introspection to understand their full meaning. Essentially, the song is about someone who is struggling with both internal and external pressures that are holding them back. The "darting eyes and whispers" represent the judgement of others, while the painted arms represent the way the singer is trying to mask their true self in order to fit in. They feel trapped and suffocated, asking eternal silence to come and release them from their struggles.
The singer is resistant to the idea that their time to succeed is now, insisting that the time is theirs to claim. They feel overwhelmed and unsure of themselves, as expressed through the lines "there is no reason found, it'll take everything I have left to see you clearly without any doubt", but they also refuse to give up. The stabbing of the breath and the frequent use of words like motion and presence give the lyrics a sense of urgency and desperation, as the singer tries to break free from their own limitations.
Overall, the song creates a sense of tension and anxiety, with the lyrics cleverly expressing the struggle between societal expectations and individual desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Darting eyes and whispers revolve around me
I feel like I'm being watched and talked about behind my back
Arms painted yellow and black
My past mistakes or regrets are holding me back like a prisoner with a ball and chain
Tied them down, held me back
My actions or circumstances are preventing me from moving forward or achieving my goals
Question eternal silence when there's a knock on the door
I wonder what the future holds and who or what will come knocking on my door
You say my time is now, I say no - the time now is mine
Others may think it's their time to shine, but I believe that I still have control over my own destiny
Hear the cold air frozen, see the tainted sound
I can sense a feeling of emptiness and negativity surrounding me
Corners round out numbers
Unknown or unexpected things happen that don't fit into any preconceived notions or patterns
There is no reason found, it'll take everything
I can't make sense of what's happening and it will require all of my strength and resources to deal with it
I have left to see you clearly without any doubt
I need to have a clear understanding of the situation or person without any uncertainty or confusion
It'll take everything I have left
Dealing with the situation or person will be a significant challenge and require all of my strength and determination
The stabbing of this breath won't be the last
The pain or difficulty I'm experiencing won't be the end of my struggles
Motion and presence, darting eyes
There is a feeling of unease and anxiety surrounding me and others are watching me closely
Whispers stabbing this breath
The rumors and gossip are causing me pain and distress
No time, lost time, my time, this time
Time seems to be slipping away and I'm not sure what my next move should be
There's no recognition
I'm in a situation or place where I feel like I don't belong and no one recognizes me
Locked doors are now open, and I can see inside
Opportunities or possibilities that were once closed to me are now available and visible
But I shouldn't have turned the key
However, I may regret the choice I made to open those doors
There's no definition
I can't quite grasp or define what is happening or what the future holds
For what was once unknown will be forever etched
What I once didn't know or understand will have a lasting impact or impression on me
Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.