Review Summary: Portugal. The Woman
Kandia is a four-piece alternative metal band from Portugal that began in 2007. To date they have released one EP and two albums; the latest of which,
All Is Gone, was released in 2013, before the band went on a hiatus that lasted until 2020. Kandia had stuck to the same style during their original tenure, which was heavy, rhythmic metal with strong and catchy female vocals.
All Is Gone showcases Kandia at what is perhaps the peak of their chosen approach to songwriting, and is a perfect example of what female-fronted metal done correctly should sound like.
All Is Gone begins with an electronic intro, and I have to note that despite the fact that there is neither a keyboardist nor a person who uses their MacBook as an instrument in the band, Kandia relies on electronics quite often in their songwriting. However, the only two instances where the electronics are at the forefront of the music are in the aforementioned intro track
Caution, and in the
Noise interlude. Otherwise, they are used to accentuate or add flavor to the riffs and chord progressions that take priority in each track.
Speaking of riffs, as soon as the first proper song
New Breed begins, the listener is given a bombastic taste of what is to be expected from each song that follows. The opening riff sounds like something Meshuggah would write if they were attempting to stay within the confines of 4/4 while still being as groovy as possible. All of Andre's riffs (the guitarist's last name is nowhere to be found) hold this distinct style, as they slither though each bar trying their best to ignore the downbeats while simultaneously obeying the time signature. This creates a light hypnotic soundscape with which Nya can deliver her verses.
Nya's vocals usually stay within the middle range, but she occasionally belts it out during a chorus. The strength of her performance lies in the intensity with which she delivers every note, whether it be verse, chorus, or bridge. While I'd be lying if I said she was the most talented female metal singer I've ever heard, the sheer amount of passion for the music she is creating and the topics she sings about is clearly evident, and it gives her delivery a spark that I don't often see from her musical peers. Another attribute of Nya's vocals that I love is that she tends to conclude lines with a schwa sound, or a light "uh" for those who are unfamiliar with the linguistic term.
I can't go without mentioning the immaculately bass-heavy production on
All Is Gone, because it brings out the absolute best in the band's songwriting. The combination of the audible bass guitar and the loud double kick-drum make each riff hit so much harder than it reasonably should (in a good way). It also gives a rich layer of texture to the chord progressions that Nya sings her choruses over, which adds to the impact of her delivery. Furthermore, there is a bass drop in the
Noise interlude, which if you're listening to on a quality apparatus sounds nothing short of earth-shattering.
Kandia, and
All Is Gone in particular, is a hidden gem of female-fronted metal. If you're like me and you occasionally get into moods where you don't want to listen to anything besides heavy *** with girl vocals, do not hesitate to listen to this album. It's heavy, catchy, serious and fun all at the same time; and Kandia deserved, and still deserves, much more exposure than they initially received.
