Official Candella Blog

Written By: Rhonda Readence

Candella. Wow. What can I say about these guys? Let’s see where this one goes.

Melodic. Dark. Sexy. Edgy.

I could go on, but I will not. I will get to heart of the matter, post haste.

The album title itself is intriguing. “Self Inflicted.” That’s nice. And the opening track,
“Alive and Missing,” gets the blood flowing and the adrenaline pumping. The vocals
totally kick it and the song itself is just fantastic. This is the introduction to Candella and
it is darkly symphonic. This is an extremely well mastered piece of music and the sound
is just incredible. It hits hard. It rocks. Musical perfection is hard to attain, but I can
already tell, with the first song of this disc, that Candella has come very close to
perfection. The lyrics are deep, the instrumentation is totally in synch, and the sound is
polished and professional.

“Fragile” takes Candella to another level and the rhythm of this piece is addictive. Like
heroin, but without the bad side effects. I’m quickly becoming a Candella Junkie and I
like it. This song hits home for me, and I suspect it does that for a LOT of people out
there. The lyrics make this one extraordinary, but the music itself is incredible as well. I
personally like to focus on the actual words of a song, and I have done so with this one,
but the MUSIC is what really does it. Perfection again. “Fragile” hits hard, but there is a
softness to this song that makes total sense. It’s like a lullaby from hell. And that’s a good
thing. It’s dark and light at the same time, and not many bands can pull THAT off well,
but Candella does it easily.

“Numb” starts a little slower, but don’t let that fool you. It’s still as bad ass as the
previous tracks. I really get a sense of the vocalist’s talent with this song. The range is
good and it’s solid. The lyrics are again thought provoking and riveting and the sound is
nothing less than stellar. All the layers come together exceptionally well and it’s just
fascinating. I can hear each instrument clearly and yet none of them are overly obvious.
This song, as well as the preceding two tracks, is an expertly engineered piece of music.

The next track, “Lock and Load,” starts softly and then blasts me right into the next life.
Nice. Just when I think I’m going to get a soft love ballad or some shit, I get plowed. Flat on my back, gasping for breath, waiting to be resuscitated. They’ve done it. Candella has
effectively knocked me on my ass. “Lock and Load” gives me a very good idea of what
these guys can do and the possibilities are limitless.

The closing track, “The Trail,” is actually a ballad of sorts, if you can technically call it
that. And I’m not sure I can. Ballads are sad and sappy, mostly soft and mushy. “The
Trail” is none of those things, but it certainly does bring to mind things that perhaps
should not be remembered. This song is deep. It will make you think. And at the same
time, it will rock you out so you’re not feeling TOO soft. Candella nails it with this piece
and I want more. Five songs are not enough. Give me more.

They’ve hit home with me, this band has. Excellent production, beautiful sound, and
expertise musicianship. Candella has done exactly what they should have done and I am
looking forward to seeing them perform live in a large arena in my home town. I will be
there in force.

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