Orgy - Candyass

Genere: Rock/Pop.

Style: Industrial Metal, Electronic

Similar Artists: Godhead, Sevendust, Fuel.

Recording Year: Elementree, 1998.

Spawned by the fertile L.A. alt metal scene, Orgy adds catchy melodic hooks to the familiar mix of crushingly loud riffs and electronic-tinged production. Formed in late 1997, Orgy consists of vocalist Jay Gordon, guitarist Ryan Shuck, guitar synthesist Amir Derakh, bassist Paige Haley, and drummer Bobby Hewitt. Shuck had collaborated on material with Korn lead singer Jonathan Davis, while Derakh had produced several records for already-signed L.A. bands, so it was no surprise that Orgy became the first band signed to Korn's Elementree subsidiary of Reprise Records. Their debut album, Candyass, was released in 1998. Their cover of New Order's "Blue Monday" and second single, "Stitches," instantly pushed them into the mainstream. Dates supporting Love and Rockets and shows with Korn's Family Values Tour only fueled their popularity into the next year. Their experimental sci-fi sophomore effort Vapor Transmission, which hit number 16 on Billboard's Top 200, followed in 2000. Two years later, Jay Gordon and his Dad, Lou Gordon founded their own label, D1 Music. Founding drummer Bobby Hewitt also left the band for a three-month stint in Snake River Conspiracy although he participated in the recording sessions for Orgy's third album. Punk Statik Paranoia was planned for a February 2004 release.

It was only a matter of time before someone added obvious hooks and electronic smarts to the post-industrial roar of alt-metal. That's exactly what Orgy does on its debut album, Candyass. It's hard to call this stuff industrial, since its sensibilities are directly out of metal -- hard-hitting riffs, big hooks, and tight songwriting -- but since Orgy is living in the electronica age, everything is given a computerized surface, complete with processed guitars and thundering digital bits. It's a now sound, no two ways about -- it's of the moment, totally 1998, and that's why it's hard to actually judge its merits. Candyass has the intoxicating rush of a new sound, but it's hard not to feel like all of its pleasures are on the surface. Still, you take pleasures where you can get them, and Orgy offers more than expected on this promising debut.

Fields Of Haze.