Ever since 1999 or so, I've been fascinated by this band, as well as perplexed by the great loathing which many people have towards them. I found Orgy so different from the rest of the pack of KoRn, Rage Against the Machine, Creed, and Nirvana wannabes which dominated the "rock" slots of most radio and television stations; they sounded, acted (not to mention dressed), and generally seemed to be nothing like anyone else in the mainstream music world. That was what originally whetted my curiosity, and one evening in late 2000 I bought both of Orgy's albums from the time, and to this day I don't regret that. In fact, I still hold them in high regard for being one of the more original and talented bands in the mainstream.

Orgy fall into several clichés which rendered them so greatly spurned by people everywhere. For one, they were a popular band for quite some time; it was not uncommon to hear them played on various radio stations and see videos to "Stitches," "Blue Monday," and other singles on MTV. Many a foolish, immature person from each generation's youth is quick to assume that if a band or musician is popular, they lack talent, sold out, etc., etc. Obviously, that is not a good reason to knock a band like Orgy; popularity does not represent talent. Tool is one of the most popular bands of the 1990's and onward and yet do people regard *them* as untalented? I rest my case. What's more, Orgy are signed to KoRn's music label, Elementree; oh no, they're involved with KoRn? They *have* to suck then, right? Wrong...

It is due to some of the more material aspects of Orgy that many other people dislike them. For instance, they wear makeup - a lot. Okay, right away that can be argued, because music is about *sound,* not appearances; next question? Oh, Orgy doesn't play very complex songs, eh? That's not their style; they like to make short, trippy songs, plain and simple. It seems that these surface-value clichés are what most people base their dislikes upon; fairly weak arguments, all.

What I *really* don't understand is how Orgy gets lumped with their distortion- and angst-heavy contemporaries in the numetal (hissssssssssssssss...) genre; Orgy sound nothing like them! Frontman Jay Gordon never screams nor whines about a bad childhood - and thankfully, he's never *once* rapped in any of their songs; the guitars never try too get to heavy or outlandish; and *some* credit has to be given to the drumming, which sometimes gets tastefully intricate. Even I will admit that Jay's voice is a bit monotonous most of the time, but he is capable of quite a range, and doesn't sound like he's straining (something which even Jon Davis of KoRn does frequently). So the guitars are very simplistic in style; they add texture and melody to the music - not to mention Amir Derakh's unique blend of synthesizer-like effects in his leads (read: not just bouts of feedback, a la Godsmack or Seether) are a real treat. In fact, it is this latter quality which really separates Orgy from the rest of the pack; they're more akin to Nine Inch Nails than they are to, say, KoRn.

And so here is CANDYASS, their debut album. The sound and production are crystal-clear (one of the benefits of mainstream attention, no doubt); the songs are all wholly unique from one another, with no filler or rehash to be found. "Stitches" is a minor scale, trippy song with a rather creepy melody, giving off vibes of helplessness and desperation (without getting over-the-top) and being heavy not through distortion, but ambience. "Fetisha" and "Social Enemies" have more of a grinding, mid-tempo groove, with fairly sexual atmosphere. "Blue Monday," their most famous single, is not much of a change from the original version musically, but fitted with Orgy's darker sound, the vibe changes drastically. "Dissention" is fast and sleek, heavy yet without being particularly aggressive or ominous, not to mention with nice guitar interplay. This is a fine collection of songs, and I enjoy listening to it every now and then even nowadays.

Maybe most people aren't ready for Orgy; maybe the band is just too out-of-place to really click with society. Orgy gives me mesmerizing chills, because when I listen to their music, I'm not just listening to a band, but to music from a future world like something out of a sci-fi novel. I'm not saying that they're "the sound of the future," but rather the sound of another world outside of mankind's preconceptions of time and space. Orgy is cool like that.

I'm not saying Orgy is the most original band to emerge in the `90's, and I'm not saying that they are the most talented. What I'm really trying to say is that they are highly overlooked and underrated, because nobody gives them a chance. However, if approached with an open mind and an active imagination, Orgy might well make for a wholly unique listen.

Starting off with 'Social Enemies', a slowly thumping drum and bass backdrop to Jay Gordon's awesome vocals, you know this CD is already worth your money. 'Stitches' comes next, with a medium almost peppy beat and some great lyrics. 'Dissention' picks the beat up to a fast paced and lyrically fun track, then dropping the beat back down for 'Platinum' which has a short but fun electronic break in it. 'Fetisha' is somewhat similar, but with more isolated drum moments, and though 'Fiend' doesn't particularly stand out, its still good music. 'Blue Monday' is definitely the Dance-Till-You-Drop track of Candyass, deep bass beat and spectacular guitar and drum riffs. 'Gender' is a disco-ish, heavy-on-the-electronics romp, before `All The Same' and its sexy slower throb. `Pantomime' is good rock with fantastic vocal movement between verse and chorus. On `Revival', Jonathon Davis from Korn joins in with Jay Gordon on the chorus vocals, their two different vocal styles blending astonishingly, and combining these awesome vocals with a deep beat, fuzzy guitars, electronic breaks, and superb lyrics. Wow! `Dizzy' is a fun finish to the CD, starting with a deep muttering vocal that moves straight into a litany of "Dizzy Dizzy Dumb Dumb, Dizzy Dizzy Dumb Dumb" (that I Always get stuck on at work, muttering it under my breath) and then picks up with deep slow guitar riffs and pulsating drums that build higher and higher to the finish as Jay goes from muttering to screaming. My favorites are Revival, Social Enemies, Stitches, Blue Monday, All The Same, and Dizzy. All in all, Orgy is an astonishingly fresh band that delivers rock without some of the brutality that I tend to like in other bands, giving me a clean dose of energy when needed. Candyass is a must have.

This is by far one of the greatest albums of 1999! Orgy is the one of the few bands in the music scene today that have any creativity. Their debut album CANDYASS is the most original-sounding album of all time. I know that is a bold statement, but it is so true. Every single sound and beat is something from another world. No words can fully represent their sound. New terms have even been invented to try and categorize their sound : "death-pop" & "Neo-goth" The vocalist (and very sexy) Jay Gordan contributes to the group's uniqueness with his voice. His singing voice is even different from any other band's vocalist I've ever heard! And so is his rhythm pattern and pronunciation. The images the music produces are reinforced by the band's creative fashion. They too look from another world as does their music. There hasn't been a fresh album like this since Nine Inch Nails' debut back in 1989 with PRETTY HATE MACHINE. The music of Orgy is heavy enough for the regular metal fan, original enough for the alternative fan, and exotic enough for the artistic pilgrim looking for the extremes of all genres of music. This album has something for everyone! A truly unique, if nothing else, sound and look this band has. I'm not even much of a music fan. I use to think that I hated music, primarily because of the large amount of undesirable music out today. But when I heard Orgy's brilliant cover of 'Blue Monday' I was hooked! I was even slightly turned off by the band's name. Because, at first, I thought it to be another immature statement to corrupt society but then I read an interview with the band and they stated that it is not a sexual reference. It is an "orgy of sounds" That is sooooooo true ! Few albums have such a vast universe of sonic architecture ! This band is already beginning to create yet another genre of music and art. Watch out !

I'll admit, I liked it. "Social Enemies" is a great beginning. "Platinum" is deinitely my favorite song on the album, but honestly, they're all pretty good. The beat of the whole CD is driving, but I'd hardly call the music goth. It's mostly pop-rock, but there are tiny (and I mean very tiny) gothic strings in there. In other words, it's a very good CD for when you feel like listening to something catchy, with decent music, but with very little depth in the lyrics. It's "non thinking" music.

In a world over run by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and by boy bands Nsinc and Backstreet, out emerges Orgy. I bought this Cd for Blue Monday. And I was suprised. With amazing guitar sounds, hammering drums, thundering bass and haunting vocals, Orgy puts metal into a new universe. Songs like Stitches, Dissention, Fiend, Blue Monday, All The Same, Gender, Pantomime, and my personal favorite, Revival, which featres Jon Davis of Korn, Orgy shows you that they are special. But special doesn't mean weak. For example: Dizzy. Listen to that angry song, and you'll know these guys aren't what their Cd title is. All in all a very good CD with some odd photos inside it. At 48 minutes in length, the only problem with Orgy's "Candyass" is that there's not enough of it. I look forward to their next album.