Candiria

This year marked the release of Candiria's oft-delayed Kiss the Lie opus, a more melodic effort that was yet another compelling progression for the group. From their inception, Candiria have set the standard in the metal/hardcore world for controlled experimentation, releasing tracks with the kind of diversity one would expect from a world music compilation. Their striking synthesis of elements as dynamic as free-jazz, hardcore, electronic, metal and hip-hop is given full opportunity to spread its wings here, as interpreted by an equally wide-ranging selection of artists via remixes. While certain tracks retain structural elements of the originals (Budzy's rendition of "Tribes"), others dispense with their trappings without hesitation, such as Kayo Dot's nervous, stormily atmospheric "re-visitation" of "Pages." All of the tracks are rendered from Candiria's first three hard-to-find releases, so all three of you out there anticipating a bossa nova rendition of "Remove Yourself" will inevitably be disappointed. There's also a new Ghost of the Canal track, rounding out Volume One of a planned four-disc set, so there's clearly a wealth of new(-ish) material primed for release from a band many have prematurely given up for dead. It's quite uncommon for an act to drop multiple comeback releases in the form of remix albums after losing two members and being nearly destroyed by everything from van accidents to a villainous record contract but here Candiria are in all their trailblazing, fragmented glory. We should be so lucky.