Candyass — Remastered is a vinyl reissue of Orgy's landmark 1998 debut studio album, released through Real Gone Music in February 2024 in cooperation with the band, marking the first time the album had ever been pressed to vinyl in its 25-plus year history. The remaster was handled by Mike Milchner of Sonic Vision and presents the album on a striking clear vinyl with red and yellow swirl, housed in a gatefold jacket reproducing the original artwork. The pressing also includes "The Spectrum," a bonus track that originally appeared only on the first 1,000 copies of the CD release, making it a particularly appealing package for collectors. Candyass was the debut release on Elementree Records, the imprint launched by Korn's Jonathan Davis — Orgy being his first signing — and went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA, peaking at number 32 on the Billboard 200 and earning a place on Revolver's list of the 20 Essential Nu-Metal Albums of all time.Orgy's sound on Candyass was distinctive enough that the band coined their own genre term for it: "death pop." In practice, the album sits at the intersection of industrial metal, nu-metal, and synth-driven alternative rock — fuzzed-out, effects-laden guitars layered over prominent synthesizers that give the record a cyberpunk aesthetic the band described as deliberately ominous and unsettling. Lead vocalist Jay Gordon navigates the album's darkness with a clean, melodic approach rather than aggression, and the production — crisp and densely layered — gives the record a machine-like precision that has aged surprisingly well. Standout tracks include "Stitches," the lead single that charted on rock and alternative radio, and the album's signature moment: a cover of New Order's "Blue Monday" that became a genuine crossover hit, preserving the original's pulsing synthesizer hook while injecting it with guitar crunch and a harder rhythmic urgency. Other highlights include the menacing opener "Social Enemies," the groove-driven "All the Same," the atmospheric "Platinum," and "Revival," which features a guest vocal turn from Jonathan Davis himself on the chorus.
