Kylesa is an American sludge metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgi… Read Full Bio ↴Kylesa is an American sludge metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgia. Their music incorporates experimentalism with heavy riffs, drop-tuned guitars and elements of psychedelic rock. The group was established in 2001 by the former members of Damad, with the addition of guitar player Laura Pleasants who is from North Carolina. The band has since undergone line up changes; the remaining original members are Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants. In 2006, the band added two drummers (Carl McGinley of Unpersons, from Savannah, and Jeff Porter). Eric Hernandez (of Capsule, from Miami) joined in 2008 to replace Porter. The dual drum tracks are often panned strongly to the right and left.

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.

To Forget
Kylesa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

To be denied, not justified
Can't decide which way to turn
You're fucking with my mind
And taking all my time
And yet, I do it to you

What you're doing ain't right
When I fight the time

And I hold it to you
Keep the fire going
With the burn you give
But I just want to forget

I try to clear my mind
Trying to read your kind
Inside this feeling ain't right
If you care to know,

I find it all the same
And now I'm moving on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kylesa's "To Forget" dive into the emotions of someone who is struggling to come to terms with a difficult relationship. The opening lines of "To be denied, not justified" allude to the feelings of rejection and uncertainty that the person is experiencing. They feel as though they are being strung along and cannot make a decision about where to turn next. The line "you're fucking with my mind" reveals that the other person's actions are causing mental anguish and confusion.

As the song progresses, the singer begins to show an inner conflict. The line "and yet, I do it to you" indicates that despite the pain, they cannot bring themselves to completely let go. The chorus mentions continuing the relationship despite being aware that it's not right. The line "keep the fire going with the burn you give" suggests that the relationship is fueled by intense passion, yet it is also causing pain. Finally, the character admits that they want to forget and move on from this situation.

In the closing lines, the singer has come to a realization that the relationship cannot continue. They feel as though they are still searching for answers and that "inside this feeling ain't right." This last line carries a lot of weight as it suggests that the singer is aware that they are not in a healthy place and need to break free.

Line by Line Meaning

To be denied, not justified
Feeling rejected without reason

Can't decide which way to turn
Being indecisive due to confusion

You're fucking with my mind
Feeling manipulated and confused by someone's actions

And taking all my time
Wasting my valuable time

And yet, I do it to you
Despite this, I still engage in this behavior with you

What you're doing ain't right
Their actions are not acceptable

When I fight the time
Struggling against the passage of time

And I hold it to you
Holding them responsible for the situation

Keep the fire going
Sustaining a burning desire or passion

With the burn you gave
From the pain they caused in the past

But I just want to forget
Desiring to move on from the past and forget