Chris Puma of Candiria - R.I.P.

Chris Puma, an original guitarist for Brooklyn's uncategorizable metal-fusion group Candiria, has died. Puma was a member of Candiria from 1992 and 1997, during which he helped build Candiria's innovative sound. His stuttering guitar riffs, often set against those of second guitarist Eric Matthews in unconventional voicings, can be heard on the band's Deep in the Mental and Surrealistic Madness albums, both from 1995. I discovered the band well after Puma left, but it's clear from listening to his work on Candiria's early records that Candiria continued to employ the guitar sound he helped develop.

Said Candiria via press release: “Chris Puma died on September 20th 2009. The cause is not known to us, as his family did not speak of it. He leaves behind two children, 3 year old Aislinn A'marie and a 4 month old Aidan Todd. Chris was a great friend to the founding members of the band, and a respected musician among his friends and peers. He was a kind and gentle person and he will be missed.”

Here are two tracks with Puma on 'em from Surrealistic Madness:

"Elevate in Madness"
"Pages"

This news comes not long after the announcement of Candiria's Toying With Insanities, a four-volume remix and rarities set drawn from albums on which Puma performed.

Pay your respects at Candiria's MySpace page