New York City's thrash metal titans, CHAKA, are set to unleash their new LP, ‘Amplifying the Past’, later this year, following hot on the heels of their pulverising new single, ‘It's Not Human’. A band known for their ferocious live performances as a trio in the heart of NYC and their distinctive "cave metal" sound, CHAKA have been carving their niche in the metal scene since their debut EP, ‘Neanderthal Tales’, dropped in 2019.
Recently, we caught up with the band – Mark Sokoll (bass guitar/vocals), Frank Principe (guitar), and Ty Canon (guitar) – to dig into their origins, their latest sonic assault, and what keeps their primal flame burning.
Thanks so much for taken the time to answer some of our questions. Let’s take it right back, when did you first start making music? Where did it all begin, and what inspired you?
Mark: “Our first EP, ‘Neanderthal Tales’ came out in December of 2019. It was originally inspired by a suggestion to create solo records by my former band. It has since morphed into a live project.”
Frank: “We’ve all been playing music for a long time. All old-school headbangers. That’s one of the main factors that has allowed CHAKA to come together so well. We've known each other for a very long time, and we’ve been through all the BS that comes with playing in bands. So, we’re able to put all the other nonsense aside and just focus on the music and making the band as strong as possible.”
Ty: “1984. I wasn’t familiar with rock or metal until then. I heard a new Run DMC song called Rockbox. Hilariously, it was the heaviest thing I’d ever heard. It got me into playing guitar. I started listening to rock music and quickly levelled up to more extreme stuff. My life, quite literally, changed the day I heard Total Disaster by Destruction. It cemented my love for heavy music and brought me together with the circle of friends that I still have, and play with, today.”
You have a new single out in ‘It’s Not Human’. Can you give us a bit of an insight into the new single and what it means for the band?
Mark: “Our new single is called ‘It’s Not Human’ and it will be included on our ‘Amplifying the Past’ LP, due out in late 2025. Lyrically, it is about the discovery of a Neanderthal tooth which ultimately led to the mapping of the Neanderthal and human genomes. Significantly, it is our first recording with both CHAKA guitarists, Frank Principe and Ty Canon, and it is a harbinger of things yet to come.”
Are there any artists, moments, or experiences that influenced you when writing the new single, and the album as a whole?
Mark: “Our song ‘Musth’ was influenced by the proposal to bring back extinct creatures using scientific means. I’ve read many articles about the CRISPR method of bringing back the woolly mammoth species. I’d also seen many nature programs where elephants in Musth looked like they were crying while they were rampaging, and I applied this period of rage to prehistoric behemoths. Genndy Tartakovsky’s animated T.V. series, Primal, was instrumental in helping us to imagine the ancient aggression.”
What was your songwriting process for the new single? How did it all come together?
Mark: “Our songwriting process is straightforward in that one of us will bring an idea to rehearsal, or otherwise send it via e-mail, and we will then expound on it. It is truly a collaborative effort since we all kick the demo ideas around, until ideally, they form into something heavy and groovy.”
“Since having breaks between rehearsals is inevitable, this helps to allow us to listen to and absorb the progress of the new songs to their improvement. This band is historically bass guitar-heavy, and since we have two guitarists recording on our new LP, we must continue to make sure that they are heard in the mix.”
How would you describe the sound on your latest release? Has there beena change or evolution in style since you first began?
Mark: “’It’s Not Human’ and the other songs on our ‘Amplifying the Past’ LP sound heavy, brutal, and aggressive. Our material is still as barbaric as our ‘Neanderthal Tales’ EP yet has slightly evolved naturally since we have adjusted the tempos of some of our songs to their betterment. We seem to be telepathic during our jams since we seem to understand each other musically with very little vocal communication.”
Frank: “CHAKA began as a solo project for Mark. Being in a band can be frustrating. Members can be unreliable, difficult to work with or just suck to be around. He had developed the concept of CHAKA as an outlet for the ideas and music that he couldn’t fully explore through his previous bands. He recruited friends and others he knew to help record the music and make CHAKA a reality. At first, Mike, Ty and I were just bringing CHAKA to life in the studio and onstage. But things went so well that it has evolved into a real band with input from all of us. That collaboration will have an impact, but we always want to stay true to the original spirit of CHAKA.”
Ty: “I like to think the sound is still fairly raw and not over-polished. I tend to spend a lot of time tightening mixes and looking for perfection. Now that CHAKA is playing live, I try to capture that energy into the mix. The biggest change came with the addition of Frank. This is our first recording with him on guitar, and he’s been instrumental in allowing CHAKA to play live.”
It’s an interesting and eye-catching title, ‘It’s Not Human’. Is there a central message or theme behind the single?
Mark: “Yes; about addressing our primal origins which seem to still be involved in plenty of modern activities. We sing about: war and violence, ancient species’ aggression, DNA discovery, the evolution of weapons, and subjects which every human being on our planet should be able to relate. As to the second part of your question, we are still in the process of completing the recording of our LP. However, during the recording thus far, we all contributed vocal tracks on a new composition called Digital Opposition. It is about the advantage of having opposable thumbs and our descent from the trees, and we really got prehistoric!”
Frank: “Anthropology is the study of humanity. We lean into the primitive aspects of man and topics that we find interesting like survival, war, evolution and aggression. We have a core concept of “cave metal” that guides everything we do both musically and visually. But ultimately it isn’t limiting in any way as our themes can touch on anything related to human beings.”
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the band? Any shows on the horizon?
Mark: “We would like to play some big Metal fests. We may play in Hawai’i and possibly at the Rage of Armageddon fest this year in NYC. Japan, Europe, Iceland, Ireland all await. Musically, in the next few years it would be fantastic to keep creating music and making videos, Personally, creating music is both cathartic and rewarding, and we expect to continue to write new music.”
What's next for CHAKA now that the new single is out?
Mark: “Since this release is a single, we will be continuing to record our new LP, possibly make some more videos, and we also hope to play in front of some big crowds of Metalheads who like their music raw!”
Ty: “We have a few new releases in the pipeline. I’m mixing the next one as we speak and I’m loving every second of it. It’s a lot of fun to work on and listen to.”
What sort of reception have you had to your latest release? Are there any memorable moments that stand out?
Mark: “We are just in the initial stages of releasing ‘It’s Not Human’. So far, we are getting great responses to our live performances of it as well as to our new video of the same title. One magazine reviewer had this to say: “You feel the experience in every bar — over three decades of hard-earned skill and uncompromising identity. The attention to detail, both musically and thematically, shows a band at the height of their conceptual powers.”
Before you go, is there anything you would like to say to our audience? How can they connect with you and help support you?
Mark: “Thank you for reading our interview. We are excited about getting our new record out to the underground Metalheads. We have a website that allows you to hear all of recordings and see our music videos at no cost:www.chakametalband.com
“Check it out. Stay primal!”
As our conversation with CHAKA draws to a close, it's clear that this is a band deeply passionate about their craft and their unique brand of "cave metal." With ‘Amplifying the Past’ on the horizon and a desire to bring their raw, aggressive sound to metalheads across the globe, CHAKA are set to continue their relentless charge.
Keep an eye on their website, for all their latest updates, and follow the band today on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
