Customer Reviews

Chimaira

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

"...we prey on the weak and conquer!"-- So goes the bellowed chorus to track two, "Save Ourselves," from Chimaira's new, self-titled album. Chimaira ARE stronger...stronger than they've ever been.

Since they're signed to a major label (and their last album was their most popular), it would not be very surprising if Chimaira had record sales on their minds when they wrote their fourth album. They could have easily made a few MTV ready hit singles on here, or they could have been lazy and made this C.D. (which is simply entitled "Chimaira") just a rehash of a past one.

Fortunately, this Cleveland metalcore sextet decided to take a pretty big risk; "Chimaira" is an "epic" album. Chimaira's last album, 2003's "The Impossibility of Reason," was only a small step forward from their sophomore outing, "Pass Out Existence.". But "Chimaira" is a big leap ahead of both of those albums. It is more inspired, catchier, and has overall much better songwriting.

Even though I don't entirely agree that it is "epic" (which is what the band described it as), this album is definitely mature and complex. It has a new, heavier sound (in some places, it sounds like a completely new band). Some of the album's innovation is due to the songs' length (every song is at least five minutes) and this is also the first Chimaira album to feature a guitar solo on every track. Plus, even though the solos aren't really anything special, the musicianship is also improved. Matt DeVries and Rob Arnold's guitar work borders on greatness; their riffs are bigger, more professional, and all around a lot better. Add some quick, deft drum work and the final result is a bludgeoning album which is mighty catchy and even more contagious.

Mark's vocals are the only drawback. Granted, they are as relentless as the rest of the band, and they do go rather well with the music, but Mark sounds generic, like he's a singer from a band like As I Lay Dying, Atreyu, Trivium, 36 Crazyfists, etc. Plus, he almost never deviates from the same vocal style, so his constant, throaty, blood stained yells do get annoying at times, and make the listener long for some more clean, backing vocals. Other than that, however, this album is killer!

1. "Nothing Remains" was written upon hearing of Dimebag Darrell's death. It begins with the ascending sound of drums and guitar feedback. It eventually becomes full volume, with a sprinting beat, punching guitars, and good drumming. Then it builds to a climax and Mark lets loose an almost emo-like yell of "Nothing remains!" This song is a personal favorite, though, because it has several tempo changes, so it seems very multi-faceted. First, it's a pounding rhythm, then there's a solo, and (around 4:10) it becomes a staccato beat with lurching riffs. Meanwhile, Mark's vocals are becoming increasingly sharp and violent. This song also seems to build well, and it's maximized by a couple half second pauses.
2. "Save Ourselves" has more big, scorching riffs (with one guitarist playing in each headphone), a catchy, rhythmic beat, a cool ascending yell, and an irresistable chorus (the "Can you feel us?" line).
3. "Inside the Horror" has even speedier chugging, running riffs, and two solos (the second of which makes a wah-wah sound). And, about three minutes and twenty seconds in, this song becomes a stop-start beat.
4. "Salvation" has almost thunderous, machine gun, cascading riffs and the chorus of this song is the only time, on this whole album, when the vocals are cleanly sung.
5. "Comatose" has still more speedy chugging riffs and some catchy drumming. The beat does slow down a couple of times, but those times doesn't kill the song's energy.
6. "Left for Dead" has more cascading riffs and three solos (the most on the album). This song is really a highlight, though, because it builds and gains density well.
7. "Everything You Love" combines bobbing, swooping riffs with amazingly fast double bass drumming. The drummer, Kevin Talley, almost sounds like a drum machine, here; the double bass drumming is very fast, but also constant and persistent (it remains the same speed and volume).
8. "Bloodlust" features heavy, downshifting riffs and more good drumming.
9. "Pray for All" begins with a fast smattering of drums, but it's when the guitars join in that the song really sounds awesome. The riffs are fiery, and another fast double bass drum line runs underneath part of this song, creating a very propulsive beat.
10. "Lazarus" is a good ending song. It has more dizzying riffs (which sound almost like a buzzsaw at times), and some gentle backing vocals. But about halfway through, the beat/song almost completely dies. It starts back up again and, with some ascending riffs and another solo, it builds to full volume and speed again. It ends, though, with some light guitar chords which almost sound like a piano.

This album definitely takes more than one listen to enjoy. The first time I heard it, I hated it! And even though I still wish Mark's vocals were interchangeable, I have learned (with repeated listens) that this album is a great listen, with very good musicianship and a great, almost non-stop energy. It's now one of my favorite C.D.'s released this year (2005), and it is definitely the best metalcore record thus far.

"Chimaira" will last a lot longer than metalcore--people will still love it and call it great even when metalcore dies off. This is ironic in a way, because Chimaira debuted in 2001, so they were one of the first metalcore bands (but now, by making an album which is as expansive as this, it seems like they're trying to escape that label.)

This album shows signs of greatness, and so does this band. A great band will always try to out-do itself; a great band will try to make each album better than the last. And Chimaira have done that, so they, too, could become "epic."

It almost seems impossible for Chimaira to release a bad album. While some may argue that their earlier material ("Pass Out Of Existence", "This Present Darkness") was weak (especially compared to their later stuff), they were still very strong, though not strong enough to distinguish themselves from bands such as Slipknot and Fear Factory. When "The Impossibility of Reason" was released in 2003, it was obvious that they were not happy with the Slipknot/Fear Factory comparisons, creating an album that was much more of a modern take on old-school thrash metal and garnering them comparisons to bands like Pantera and Slayer.

This time, Chimaira's new album "Chimaira" is an album that really cannot be compared to other bands because, well, it doesn't sound like any other band. It is an album that is so unique that the sound can only be Chimaira's. "Chimaira" combines genres like thrash, metal, industrial, death metal, and metalcore into one CD, and the result is a beast of a record that is sure to give them even more attention they have been receiving.

As singer Mark Hunter has said about this record, it is not a "first-listen" record; it takes a few listens before you can fully grasp just what this album is about. This is not "The Impossibility Of Reason" Part Two, and I'm sure that that fact right there will probably turn off some Chimaira fans at first. It's really hard to praise this album upon first listen because there is just so much going on that you can't take in everything at once. At first, I'm sure some of the songs will sound the same. However, with each listen, and as you get more acquainted with all the songs, the CD get's progressively better.

Even if it is hard to get into the CD at first, it is obvious, even at first listen, that Chimaira have progressed significantly. New drummer Kevin Talley (formerly of Dying Fetus, Misery Index) is a spaz machine, making the fastest of parts sound all the more brutal with double-bass that sounds like a drum machine and blast beats that recall his days in Dying Fetus. He is also able to enhance the slower parts of songs with slower beats, making them sound quite epic.

Electronics master (and extremely under-appreciated) Chris Spicuzza has also improved, making himself more present on "Chimaira" than he was on "The Impossibility Of Reason" but not obnoxiously noticable like on "Pass Out Of Existence". To put it simply, Spicuzza knows how to create an atmosphere in all of the songs, knowing just what to put in each part to enhance the song that much more.

Perhaps the two most significant progressions are in the the guitars and the vocals. Guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries have stepped up their game massively, as shown on all the solos, most notably in the solos featured in "Save Ourselves", "Left For Dead", and "Lazarus". It is clear that Arnold spent an ample amount of time crafting these solos to perfection. The rhythm section has also improved, and it's very apparent that Chimaira are taking full advantage of the two guitars, as they are often heard overlapping different riffs, instead of just both guitars playing the same thing as seen in previous efforts. Bassist Jim LaMarca is actually heard here, unlike in other metal releases where the bass is just ignored. LaMarca, like the guitars, has stepped up his game as well in order to keep up with Arnold and DeVries.

Another big improvement is in vocalist Mark Hunter. Expect less cleaner vocals and more intense screaming on this album, as the clean singing has almost been completely stripped away, only to be present on songs such as "Salvation" and "Lazarus", where they work like a charm, but would seem inappropriate in the other songs. But even more improved than the actual vocals themselves are the lyrics. On "The Impossibility Of Reason", the lyrics were bordering on just plain cheesy, often lacking depth. The lyrics on "Chimaira" are much deeper than anything else Chimaira has done before, coming across very poetic. This is seen in songs like "Inside The Horror" where Hunter screams "The sun starts to fade away/ The blank expression on the blade/ Skin callosed yet easy to pierce/ On the floor blood mixed with tears" and on "Lazarus", where Hunter recalls the suicide of a friend, pouring out his emotion on such lines as "Eleven eight, ninety-four, six thirty, evening/ The first time we're seeing Lazarus unconscious/ Dressed in the clothes he loved/ Laid out with all of his favorites/ The tears of so many friends/ Looked around, and this view was haunting." Hunter has obviously spent more time on these lyrics than he has in any of Chimaira's previous efforts.

As stated earlier, the music takes genres such as thrash, industrial, straight-up metal, metalcore, and death metal and combining them, creating a sound unlike anything that's been heard before. Songs like "Everything You Love" (which has a chorus very similar to Metallica's "Leper Messiah") and "Bloodlust" pull influence from old-school thrash masters like Anthrax, Testament, and Metallica. Songs like "Nothing Remains", "Inside The Horror", and "Comatose" come across with more of a moden sound, taking modern metalcore and sprinkling influence from bands like Pantera, Slayer, and (coincidently) Dying Fetus on it. The electronics provide the industrial noises that give the songs atmosphere. There are plenty of "wow" moments on "Chimaira", most notably at the beginning of "Salvation", the double-bass of "Everything You Love", and the surprise ending of "Pray For All". What once may have seemed impossible for Chimaira to pull off now sounds completely plausible after hearing this record.

To be fair, I should probably look for some flaws in the CD. Upon first listen, a lot of the songs will sound the same, and the solos are not always distinguished from one another. Also, drummer Talley does not have the same amount of creativity that prior drummer Andols Herrick had. But, are these not forgivable? After a few listens, all the songs sound different, there are so many solos on this CD that it can be forgiven if one or two have similar feels to them, and the drumming, even if it isn't as unique as Herrick's, fits the music very well, and Talley still comes across as a beast on the drums.

All in all, this may have been predicted from the very beginning of this review, but this has "Album Of The Year" written all over it. It may seem a bit premature to say that, seeing as the year is only a little more than halfway done. But, to be honest, no album has ever made me feel what I have felt while listening to it. Even after the thrash metal opus "The Impossibility Of Reason", Chimaira still had their hands full with haters, many continuing to call them nu-metal. "Chimaira" is the album that will finally silence the remaining nay-sayers, and have finally created a sound that has put them in a category of their own, and possibly elevating them to an elite status that puts them on par with their idols.

Awsome! what a great job they did this time. I'am not your ordenary fan I'm 34yrs old and a deacon at my local church Mark and the rest of Chimaira put together a hard hitting song with out haveing to swearing every 2 words. If you grow up on punk and hard core you will not take out this cd. Just give it a chance you will like it.

First of all, Mr. Jack Burton summed up a lot of what i needed to say, so read his review.
Chimaira are back and better then they ever were. I've always been a fan of Chimaira, even back to Pass Out of Existance/This Present Darkness. I have their DVD, which is awesome, and now i have their new self-title CD. These guys are raw, straight-forward metal, and i wouldnt want it any other way. I'll admit the only possible flaw might be Mark's lack of diversity with the singing compared to past CD's, but he's still amazing and has written much better lyrics for this CD, which i think evens it out. This CD is much more raw and brutal then any of their other stuff, so if you're into full blown ass ripping metal, this is your gem! I love all the songs, the stand out ones for me are Lazarus, Save Ourselves and Inside The Horror. In the end it's all about opinion, but i have the highest respect and admiration for Chimaira. Buy this album.

The anticipation just continued to build as i waited and waited for the 3rd Chimaira release. The impossibility of reason quicky became my favourite album of all time, and after purchasing the bands DVD and hearing "i think Chimaira's next release will do to them what reign in blood did for Slayer". Automatically the standards were high. Finally it happened...the day i was able to buy this cd....and did it live up to my standards.....DAM FREAKING RIGHT IT DID! It surpassed what i thought it would be. Everything i love about music is incorparated into this disc. Kevin's brutal drumming, Rob's awe-inspiring solo's and Mark's powerful vocals are just 3 reasons to buy this album!
Nothing remains 10/10. First song heard off the disc, and still good
Save ourselves 10/10. 2nd best song on the cd and my personal follow up to Power Trip
Inside the Horror. 10/10 not even as unique as the rest, but still just makes the album better and better
Salvation. 11/10 Best track on the cd, best song of the year, GREATEST SONG EVER. I creamed myself big time when i first heard this!!! worth the price of the cd alone
Comatose. 10/10 love the "i.....i am inside" bit
Left for dead. 10/10 3rd best song on the cd..but GREATEST SONG INTRO EVER!! this is seriously like...the next smoke on the water as it comes to a world-known riff. Absolutly amazing. 3 sols in the song too
Everything you love. 10/10 yup...this song is EVERYTHING I LOVE about Chimaira
Bloodlust. 10/10 Outstanding song, amazing solo, killer chours...need i say more?
Pray for all. 10/10 most unique song outro ever!!
Lazarus. 10/10 longest track and was a personal fav for a while. Awesome closer

All in all, the entire album can be summed up in a few words
Brilliant
Amazing
Classic
BUY NOW!!!!!!!!

MUST HAVE!!!!

I've never considered myself a 'huge' Chimaira fan. I remember seeing them for the first time on the now de-funct USA Network show "Farmclub.com" when they were just an unsigned band from Cleveland. I later got a hold of their original EP "In This Present Darkness" and developed a fondness for their down-tuned groove oriented style. Months later, I found out that the act got signed to Roadrunner Records and were about to release their first major offering. "Pass Out of Existence" was a promising, if somewhat jagged release. All in all a pretty solid album but not very consistent and at times schizophrenic.

Next came their 2nd major release "The Impossibility of Reason". It was a much more focused release...no more 7 string nu-metal riffs, no more clean vocals that sounded forced, and no more confusing stylistic shifts that plagued parts of "Pass Out of...". Their new sound was rooted more in Old School 80's Thrash and Pantera's 'power groove' style (while still maintaining their prominant double-bass 'fear factory'-isms). The album was a strong and impressive step in the right direction.

Now we come to their 3rd self titled release. After hearing the lead off track "Nothing Remains" online a week before release date...I was taken aback by the drawn out song arrangement and numerous sections throughout the track. Well...'taken aback' isn't quite the right term, 'intrigued' is a better description. The song just kept evolving and had a very dark feel to it. While not the greatest Chimaira track ever...I was left quite impressed, and very curious to hear more.

Upon first listen of 'Chimaira' in it's entirity...one thing kept coming to mind..."This does not sound like Chimaira". I mean, it has elements of ALL their past releases but...it just sounds like an entirely different band. Elaborate song arrangements, lengthier tracks, an abundancy of guitar leads, and a very dark and sinister atmosphere.

The high point of the album for me is the guitar work. This release is full of killer riffs, crushing breakdowns, and experimental elements that never feel forced. The guitar tone absolutely crushes, and the riffs are tight and precise. Rob Arnold's lead work has improved leaps and bounds...he almost sounds like Kirk Hammett (Black album era) on some tracks and his solos sound very well constructed.

Mark Hunter's vocals (which have always been their weakest link IMO) haven't necessarily changed in sound, but just feel much more aggressive and spiteful throughout the album. There is relatively NO clean passages with maybe 2 exceptions throughout and the lyrics range from average to very personal (especially on "Left for Dead" and "Lazarus").

The rhythm section is in top form throughout the disc and new drummer Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus/Misery Index) fits the new style perfectly, adding well placed fills and crushing double kicks. Talley handles the ever shifting tempo changes in some tracks fantastically and gives what may not be his most technically challenging, but most well rounded performance of his career.

There really is no need to do a track by track analysis because in all honesty, there is no filler on this record (something I can't say about the rest of their releases). Every track sounds different from the next, and while some tracks standout more than others, all 10 tracks are solid enough to stand on their own.

While Chimaira have evolved and fine tuned their sound, they have lost not one ounce of heaviness, agression, or intensity. They have done what very few bands are capable of doing and that is adding elements to their sound without compromising their hardcore/metal base, and not to mention their songwriting has improved immenssly.Chimaira have finally acheived a sound that is reletively different from the other metal-core acts they are jumbled in with and have released the strongest album of their short career and one of the strongest releases of 2005.

On first listen of the record i felt the album was kind of bland. After i listened to the cd another 2-3 times things started to really sink in. I should mention that the average length of all the songs are between 5 and 7 minutes in length so there's a lot of things to take in. I can say at this point that this album has completely grown on me and i think it's the best metal record of 2005 and in a period of time where a lot of metal bands are kinda softening up, Chimaira are just getting heavier. Just be mindful that this record is a grower, but once you've established yourself with this cd, you'll be grateful it's in your collection.

Before this album, I had looked Chimaira up in, "The Impossibility of Reason," I believe, and I'm sorry, but I felt it was a complete debacle. Nevertheless, when their new album hit the racks, I figured I owed it to them to give 'em another shot. This time around, I was satisfied, just not enough. However, the INCREDIBLE drumming throughout this CD by Kevin Talley, and the indirect influence of other reviews sparked my interest once again. So I listened, and I was hooked. However, ( Always me with that damn however, I know ) as others have mentioned, Mark's vocals have to modes : 1. sing, which he does only in "Salvation" and, for 3 short seconds in "Nothing Remains" 2. kill. Believe me, I love raw aggressiveness as much as the next guy, but I'd at least like some variation in the vocals, and I'm not even necessarily saying cleanly-sung vocals. Obviously, that is the only factor for me that keeps this album from receiving 5 stars. Although, I do believe, that with their next album, Chimaira will fix this problem and produce something flawless. My tops :

1. Nothing Remains - What you might call a single, I guess. I enjoy the tribal-sounding drums at the beginning. Kevin shows us he can really double-kick here, not to mention the pummeling riffs.
2. Save Ourselves - Nice solo, Rob , nice. One of the very few vocal variations grace us in this song, too, the build-up to the chorus.
4. Salvation - Clean vocals! Well ... sort of, I do like his singing voice, though, I hope on Chimaira's next album there is more of it. If you're new, listen to this one first.
7. Everything You Love - My GOD, Kevin absolutely DESTROYS his kick drums with reckless abandon on this track. The riffs jump down your spine as well.

So, here's the deal, guys. If you're not willing to give chances, Chimaira, so far anyway, is not for you. But, if you're willing to give it a few spins, buy it or download. We'll be seeing MUCH more from Chimaira within the next few years. Thank you for your time.

It is hard to find a band that can captivate the metal world, and then continue to keep them in awe with every subsequent release. Enter Chimaira, this Cleveland outfit has been on the scene for a while now, and always seem to be a step ahead of everyone else.
It has been said that the lead track, "Nothing Remains", was written on the day of Dimebag Darrell's death. If so, what a tribute to the legacy of a true pioneer. This song is one of the best lead songs on an album that I've heard in quite a while. It comes in slow, and progressively gets faster and harder and then unleashes pure chaos. You can't call yourself a fan of hard music, until you hear this song...brilliant.
Vocalist Mark Hunter continues his personal tear on to the scene with his very distinct, violent style and vocal delivery. He is a captivating frontman that understands the history and wants to be at the forefront of the metal movement. I'd say that this album put him and his boys in a good spot.
Another aspect of this album is the length. There are ten songs on the album, but only one song falls short of five minutes! And even that track is upwards of four and a half. I've wanted a band to stay at that pace. Brilliant. You always are ready for what is next, and you never get bored.
Stylistically, this band has actaully gotten heavier than their previous releases. They maintain their ferocity as usual, but now, the melodic vocals and interjections by the programmer serve as an accent instead of their own entity. This leads to absolutely haunting points on the album.
As I stated before, the album starts out brilliant, and then the end track leaves you where the beginning started you, one of the best metal tracks that I've heard in years..."Lazarus", left me breathless and in awe. This song, about a friend's suicide, hits every emotional chord that the event would leave you to feel. You feel the anger and hositlity, the beauty of life, the tragedy of death, and all the "what if's". It is a work of art and the programmer is used to perfection on this one as well, as an accent, which gets you to feel things repeatedly. This track is one of the longer ones on the album at around the seven minute mark.
To sum things up, this is definely one of the best albums released this year, and has a few songs that will contend for song of the year. This album is what metal is all about and I can't wait to see what these guys do next, they do it their own way, and they watch us follow. So, kudos to Chimaira for such an inspiring release. You owe it to yourself to check this one out.

What the hell is wrong with all of you posers. Emo? Let me assure you there is nothing remotely emo about this record. Chimaira's musical prowess have strengthened on this record with more diverse songwriting and epic songs. They take from the greats of the 90's metal scene (Sepultura, Pantera, Machine Head)add their own agressive and orthodox changes to it,and ultimately create an album that is a masterpiece.If your sick of hearing cookie-cutter bands that all either sound like Shadows Fall and In Flames rip-offs, then this is a breath of fresh air for you.Highlights on this album are, "Lazarus" (awesome metaphoric lyrics and an ass-ripping drum beat and solo), "Nothing Remains" (fast-paced drumming with aggressive ear -shattering screams of horror), and "Pray for All"(great thrashy, low-end riffing like Trendkill-era Pantera along with kick ass triplets on the kick drum).Get it now if not you will turn into a humongous wuss who listens to Hawthorne Heights and cries himself to sleep at night.