Points of contention

EP; Feb 5th 2025

Points of Contention is the debut EP from Cleveland progressive metal band Khandria, released February 5th, 2025. It marks a major turning point for the group—it’s their first calling with the EP and their first with drummer Sergey Dumphrey, whose dynamic performance brings new depth and control to the band’s intense, evolving sound.

Conceptual in tone if not in narrative, Points of Contention captures internal battles—emotional collapse, obsessive relationships, moral ambiguity, and the struggle to find meaning inside fractured connections. Each track is its own psychological confrontation, with intricate arrangements, heavy textures, and cathartic intensity driving every note.

Succubine leads the charge with a seductive, destructive presence at its core—a toxic figure who bleeds her victims dry with a twisted blend of intimacy and dominance. Set against explosive instrumentation and vicious hooks, it explores desire as a weapon, and the ecstasy of surrendering to something you know is meant to break you.

Endless Waltz, in contrast, sits in the aftermath. Quietly bitter and emotionally fractured, the song wrestles with regret and unspoken resentment. Its refrain—“High hopes / Reach low / High ho / Tread slow”—becomes a mantra for disappointment and disillusionment, as two people drift apart under the weight of what could have been. With its ebb and flow between vulnerability and defiance, the track is a slow spiral through strained connection, unmet expectations, and the silence that lingers after conflict.

Together, these songs—along with the rest of the EP—paint a picture of emotional duality: what we show, what we bury, and what inevitably comes undone. Khandria doesn’t just write songs; they expose pressure points. Points of Contention is a heavy, honest introduction to a band unafraid to dig deep and come out swinging.