EPK – CHAKA – It’s Not Human (single) (2025)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We believe our single ‘It’s Not Human’ will be well-received since it is an extension of our earlier heavy music, and it will be on our first full-length album. When composing, we have really made a point to allow the new songs a chance to breathe as they were being coaxed out of their fledgling status. We hope that the listeners of this single will have a fun, cathartic, and head-banging experience! We always try to make the songs as heavy, groovy, and airtight as possible.” – Mark Sokoll – Bass, Vocals – CHAKA
For fans of Carnivore, Venom, Celtic Frost, Motorhead, Voivod
Single Title: It’s Not Human (2:47) (off forthcoming album Amplifying the Past LP)
Release Date: 06/06/25
Label: Seven Percent Solution
Distribution: CD Baby
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“CHAKA unleashes the primal force of the past with a single “It’s Not Human.”… Hardly any other underground thrash formation from New York has fought for its place in the metal underground as uncompromisingly as CHAKA. Since the rough debut EP „Neanderthal Tales“ (2019) the quartet plows constantly through the clubs of Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island. Creative Motor is bassist and singer Mark Sokoll, flanked by guitar heavy workers Frank Principe, Drum Berserker Mike Caldarella and studio all-rounders Ty Canon from Ireland. Their trademark: guitars like volcanic rock, drums like thunderous avalanches and a bass that makes every heater vibrate.” – Blattturbo
“If “Musth” and “Mister Brink” are any indication, ‘Amplifying the Past’ will not only stand alongside the genre’s greats — it may very well cast a shadow over them. It’s a work born of memory but aimed at the future, one boot planted in the blood-soaked soil of history, the other crashing down with glorious defiance. CHAKA isn’t just amplifying the past — they’re weaponizing it! – Jam Sphere
Neanderthal Tales EP Reviews 2020:
“To my understanding, this is a side project of Darkside (NYC) bassist Mark Sokoll , and it is quite the shock to the system. While elements of Doom and Hardcore rear their heads throughout this rather short 4 song EP, the main strain showing glaring prominance is the sludgy, speaker fraying, super amped metal that raises the eyebrows & the adreneline for sure.” – Guillotine Zine
“The sludgy bass sounds of “Flak” give it a dirty raw sound that combines the sounds of Motorhead with Crowbar and Cro-Mags to create a blood-and-thunder affair, with Sokoll playing the Cave Man throughout and it is beer-drinking good fun. The uptempo drive of the track keeps the fires burning and the sonics are less primitive than meet the eye (ear)… A couple of neat tempo shifts move from a slower Doom-laden sound to a raw, Hardcore-Punk one with a fuzzy bass sound that is abrasive enough to be on a Black Metal album.” – Metal Noise
“I read the lyrics to the songs before I actually listened to the music, and was astonished at just how well-written the content was on that end… Mark Sokoll’s lyrics are witty, thoughtful, and clever… CHAKA has several strong components going for them beyond the theme. Mark Sokoll’s vocal performance is passionate and vibrant…The bass-heavy tones are refreshing for the genre. CHAKA rinsed away my skepticism and misgivings. Neanderthal Tales is more than anything else, proof that originality can still be found in the foundational Metal genres.” – Contaminated Tones
“Ladies and gentlemen the year is 2020 and with the new year comes the birth of the latest rock sub-genre…. CAVE METAL! Mark Sokoll… bassist of Darkside NYC (as well as the highly-underrated Terminal Confusion from way back in the day) is the main brain behind this four0song, ten minute debut which has its share of backstories… “Flak” leads off (check out the video) with a fuzzy bass and some straight outta da cave styled vocals. With so many styles of metal out there to be had cave metal is not that bad of a self-description to be honest with you. What I like about “Neanderthal Tales”is that these songs mix shit up… there is no singular pattern that they stick to. Just for that this EP gets some bonus points.” – In Effect Hardcore Magazine
Single Title: It’s Not Human (2:47) (off forthcoming album Amplifying the Past LP)
Release Date: 06/06/25
Label: Seven Percent Solution
Distribution: CD Baby
Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: CHAKA
• All songs written by: CHAKA
• Produced by: CHAKA
• Mixed by: Ty Canon
• Mastered by: Ty Canon
• Single Artwork by: Moises Hellforge from Brazil
Recording Lineup:
Ty Canon – Guitar
Frank Principe – Guitar
Mike Caldarella – Drums
Mark Sokoll – Bass, Vocals
Live Lineup:
Frank Principe – Guitar
Mike Caldarella – Drums
Mark Sokoll – Bass, Vocals
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Describe The Single Artwork:
For our It’s Not Human single, the artwork features two primitive axe/bone weapons crossed with a gruesome DNA strand double helix down the center, resembling a hideous spinal cord, which sits behind two rotting, opposing skulls: one modern and the other primitive, with our logo displayed above.
About the single (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
For our It’s Not Human single, the song is about the archeological discovery of an ancient tooth originally thought to come from a human being. It was a Neanderthal tooth, and it allowed scientists to map the Neanderthal genome and ultimately, ours. It also covers the important discovery of the DNA double helix by Drs Watson and Crick. Musically, it is a juggernaut due to its abrupt start and quick pace. The rhythm undulates, becomes dreamy, and ultimately returns to being Thrashy.
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BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS:
1. Guitarist Ty Canon lives in Ireland, while drummer Mike C. lives in NJ. Guitarist Frank P. lives on Long Island, NY, and bassist and vocalist Mark Sokoll lives in Queens, NY.
2. All of the members of CHAKA are from a Queens neighborhood called Auburndale in Flushing. We have known each other for 40+ years!
3. Drummer Mike C. recorded one of the upcoming songs for the Amplifying the Past LP without any musical reference!!
L-R – Mike Caldarella (Drums), Mark Sokoll (Bass & Vocals), Frank Principe (Guitar)
NYC heavy trio CHAKA has dropped their thunderous new single “It’s Not Human”, a primal assault of groove and aggression that marks the first release from their upcoming debut full-length album, “Amplifying the Past”, due out later this year.
Formed as a studio project and now evolved into a live sonic force, CHAKA has deep roots in Queens’ metal and hardcore scene. Founding bassist and vocalist Mark Sokoll, a veteran of bands like Darkside NYC and Terminal Confusion, is joined by longtime friends Mike C. (ex-White Trash) on drums and Frank P. (Lost Cause) on guitar. The band also collaborates remotely with Ireland-based guitarist Ty Canon, a childhood friend whose riffs continue to shape their recordings.
Lyrically, “It’s Not Human” presents a sonic excavation. The song delves into the real-life discovery of a Neanderthal tooth, a pivotal moment in tracing the human genome.
“It’s about evolution, science, and ancient ancestry,” says Sokoll. “We’ve always drawn inspiration from human origins, military history, and authors like Arthur C. Clarke and Carl Sagan.”
Musically, the track is a relentless juggernaut—starting abruptly, rushing forward with thrash intensity, then turning dreamy before returning to a pummeling close.
The single’s artwork visually echoes this evolutionary theme, featuring crossed primitive weapons behind a grotesque DNA helix, flanked by dueling skulls—one ancient, one modern.
Set for release later this year, “Amplifying the Past” represents CHAKA’s most dynamic and collaborative work to date.
“This record expands on our earlier sound but lets the songs breathe more. We want listeners to feel like they’ve been on a cathartic, headbanging ride,” adds Sokoll.
The band’s style is best described in five words: Primal. Loud. Heavy. Aggressive. Groovy. Drawing on influences like Black Sabbath, Carnivore, Motorhead, and Celtic Frost, CHAKA delivers raw, no-frills metal with a scientific twist.
On stage, CHAKA amplifies their sound even further. Fans can expect not just volume, but presence.
“We’re a loud trio—maybe even louder than four or five-piece bands. We’re all in our 50s, but we don’t hold back.”
Despite geographical distance—band members live in New York, New Jersey, and Ireland—CHAKA thrives on modern file-sharing and old-school chemistry as the trio has known each other for over 40 years. That connection fuels their sound.
More singles and videos will follow as the band finalizes the LP. CHAKA also promises future EPs and extended releases, all staying true to their mission: making music that’s as thoughtful as it is heavy.
Discography:
2025 – It’s Not Human – single (in anticipation of the Amplifying the Past LP)
2024 – Musth – single
2021 – Mister Brink – Hallowe’en video/single
2019 – Neanderthal Tales – EP
2018 – Leperfest – Ypres, Belgium
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