Customer Reviews

The Impossibility of Reason

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Chimaira returns with one of the most brutal releases to be released on Roadrunner Records in a long time. From the second this album kicks off, you can be certain that this album is going to destroy with the brutal opener "Cleansation". Everything about this album is an improvement for Chimaira, the introduction of solos, the improvement of Mark Hunter's vocals, and the massive improvement in the double bass pedal. Also, the electronic elements that were present in "Pass Out of Existence" aren't as abundant on this album, making the overall sound, heavier and rawer than ever before. This is the heaviest thing Chimaira has ever recorded, even heavier than "This Present Darkness". I have seen these guys live twice and both times they totally dominated. Anybody who thinks these guys aren't metal, or thinks they are nu metal is nothing but a fool. These guys can match any death metal band out there in intensity. Anyways, the absolute best songs on this CD are the brutal opener "Cleansation", their first single "Down Again", "Pure Hatred" (absolutely brutal, with excellent lyrics), "The Dehumanizing Process", and the incredible 13+ instrumental "Implements of Destruction". Any true fan of metal should respect this, and they are the next wave of TRUE american metal. Start supporting bands like Chimaira, and support the war against false metal bands like Korn, Disturbed, and Linkin Park!!

4.5 stars. I first picked up "Pass Out of Existence" but later, after seeing this album posted on so many Listmania lists here uderscored with due praise, I checked this out. Wow! Simply put, this CRUSHES!!! their first release. While the lead vocals are grating at times, there is enough variation in his rasping shouts and enough emotional power that I rarely got irritated. This album is inspiring when considering the direction of mainstream Heavy Metal these days. Nu-metal is crap! I have a serious question. Who the hell is that drummer? Holy....!!!! Andols Herrick's drumming is incredible, and pummeled me senseless the first time I heard this nearly excellent CD. While the lyrics are cliched, bordering on adolescent, the delivery given by Mark Hunter on vocals makes my negative crititcism almost irrelevant. The riffs here are inventive and induce heart-felt headbanging and thrashing of limbs. The production is also first-rate. I am very impressed.

This has to be my favorite cd out right now, besides killswitch's new album and God Forbid's latest release. Everything about this
Album is great, Some of the best guitar work out there and the drums are amazing. Anyone who says this bands sucks can go to hell.
Tom Araya of Slayer was quoted as saying Chimaira will be the next big thing in American Metal and I for one believe it.
Cant wait for their next album, its a tribute to the Pioneering band Death and their Vocalist who passed away. They will be Covering their material. The best tracks on here to me were Eyes of a Criminal, Power Trip, Pure Hatred, and Cleansation.

Out of all the bands I expected some really great CDs from, let's just say I never really expected Chimaira to make as huge of an impact as they did with this. Not that Pass out of Existence sucked, it was actually pretty good, except I got bored with it fast. Well, either this is a compleltely under the name Chimaira, or the real Chimaira took notes and made one of the best records of 2003.

Anyways, what I noticed right off the bat was the production. Unlike POOE, where it seems over-produced, this record is just straight up raw. It's crystal clear. You can hear every vocal, every double bass lick, every riff, and every solo. Did you just say solo? Yes, and I gotta say that Rob Arnold and Matt Devries throw some mean licks and solos, which is noticeable in the track "Cleansation." No, this ain't nu-metal. This is pure aggression. Another thing I noticed is Anders's drumming. Wow, he has improved greatly. From slow, melodic numbers like "Down Again" and "Pictures in the Gold Room" to fast ditties like "Power Trip" and "Overlooked", he is consistent all the way through. Plus, his double bass is killer. Just listen to "The Dehumanizing Process" and you'll see what I mean.

Another thing I want to point out is in Mark Hunter's vocals. Where as on This Present Darkness and POOE, where he was sort of one-dimentional, he actually sings a lot on this record. When he sings, he sounds almost like Layne Staley, but when he growls, pure evil. Anyways, if you're into metal period, pick up The Impossibility of Reason. You'll love it.

First off, I saw Chimaira at Ozzfest this year, and holy sh-- it was amazing....the most brutal pit I've ever been in. The band had tons of energy and vocalist Mark Hunter really knows how to work a crowd. Being I am from Ohio just like these guys, I really appreciate how much this band has, can, and will accomplish. Anyways, onto this brilliant piece of heavy metal. This CD is not for the weak. This is pure, 100% brutal heavy metal, no gimmicks, no bullsh--. This is real, and will definitely go down with some of the greatest metal records of all time. Chimaira have grown as a band in every way...and they have grown into a metal monster that will either take those with it that want any part of it, and will destroy any opposition. I won't waste time trying to convince you there are any "best songs" on this...this whole cd is mindblowing. BUY IT NOW.

By now most metal fans know the hype about Chimaira. Between their decent first album, constant touring, and press from Roadrunner, you simply can't avoid them. Everything I've heard since this album was mixed was that it was going to be the best metal album of the year so far, hands down. Well they were sort of right. It is not hands down the best metal album of the year so far (other greats include Lamb Of Gods new one, if you're here, buy that RIGHT NOW). But this album is pretty darn good. Its nothing new, but its definitley not nu metal, and its definitley heavy bleepin metal. Anyone who has said this band is the next great American heavy metal band is right. I truly believe these guys can become greats.

The Impossibility of Reason starts off with the track Cleansation. This is your standard Chimaira song, complete with one very new thing: the guitar solo. Chimaira's first album Pass Out Of Exsistence had no solos to speak of. Why, I will never understand, because Rob certainly has the talent to bust a few out. The solo in Cleansation proves this. He's capable of pulling it off. The rest of this album is, without a doubt, straight up metal The vocals are mostly growls and screams, but the melodics are thrown in often enough to keep it interesting. The guitars are crushing, the drums are awesome, (especially the double bass) and the bass is more then up to standard (being a bassist, I wish I could hear a little bit more of it in parts, but Jim definitley shows he's got skill on this). The speed varies, but one thing I liked very much is that the faster material reminds me of a VDOP-Age Pantera, modernized. This is most evident on Power Trip. Mark almost reminds me of Anselmo during this track, very cool. This album shows many different influences musically, a bit of Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Slipknot (eh), Lamb Of God, and a few other stand outs all thrown into one. The lyrics could be improved, in my opinion. They aren't anything you haven't heard in CD's you've bought in the past few years, even months. However, the delivery is top notch. Mark Hunter can SCREAM. The only song I can see being a "radio" single is Down Again, but I don't envision Chimaira tearing up radio charts. This is a good thing. The band has enough hardcore fans that it is much better for them to stay generally out of the radio and MTV mainstream (not that they fit in with Disturbed and Linkin Park). Note: If I don't see these guys on Headbangers Ball I will be angry. I don't headbang to Staind. I strain my neck to true heavy music, and this is true heavy music.

Standout Tracks: Pure Hatred, The Impossibility Of Reason, Power Trip, Eyes Of A Criminal, Overlooked, and Implements of Destruction. However, every song is above average in my opinion. There is not one bad track.

The Impossibility Of Reason is everything I had hoped for from Chimaira and more. This album is a million times better then Pass Out Of Existence. IOR is a non stop, in your face, metal album. Any doubt that this band wasn't the real deal, or was a no talent wannabe "hard" band (which was NEVER true, they have always been heavy) should be gone. These guys tear it up. One of the best of 2003. And if you haven't seen them live, they're great. Check em out this summer with In Flames and Soilwork. You won't be sorry.

With the news this week of Phil Anselmo officially leaving Pantera, it's time for me to find a band to fill the void left by the greatest metal band of the 90's. As luck would have it, Chimaira released The Impossibilty of Reason this week to intense advance buzz. I had heard the lead off track "Cleansation" on the web, and was initially floored, but NOTHING prepared me for what was to follow. You see, I thought their last cd, Pass Out of Existence, was nothing more than third rate Slipknot worship. I'm not a huge fan of Slipknot, so I pressed on.
However, something happened to this band over the course of the last two years. Chalk it up to touring with heavier bands such as Slayer, but these guys have found their inner metal and unleashed it on a horde of unsuspecting masses. To say this cd is heavy, would be a huge understatement. This is not the same band that released Existence. The growth that occured between these two albums is extraordinary. This cd will make every critic's top ten this year, and if it doesn't, then that respective reviewer needs to be tossed off of a very tall building. This is American metal. IT IS NOT NU-METAL. Their last cd was borderline nu-metal - this one is straight up, no-frills Pantera groove metal, replete with Dimebag style solos. Listen to the second track and tell me they aren't channeling Vulgar era Pantera. Don't even get me started on the breakdowns. I'm almost afraid to drive and listen to this cd at the same time. When some of these breakdowns kick in, you better hang on tight and hope your head is on a swivel.
This cd just oozes class. I honestly haven't been this excited about a release in quite a while. I had low expecations for this release up until about a month ago, and then I slowly realized that they were about to release something very special. This cd WILL turn them into major players in the American metal scene. This one is a career maker in the same vein as the recent Shadows Fall cd. It's nice to see nu-metal finally getting kicked to the curb, and real musicians stepping up and reclaiming the metal throne. Along with the new Lamb of God, and Soilwork, this one is going to be real hard to beat this year. Buy this, or step aside.

This release from Chimaira has been widely accepted as one of the most excellent heavy metal releases of recent years - and rightly so. A few complaints were leveled at the first release by critics - despite it's superb variety of tracks - there was perhaps too much reliance on electronics, and the music lacked that crunch that bands like Pantera had in their day. The suggestion that there are even the slightest traces of nu-metal here is ridiculous, the entire band merges into an awesome blend of sound that is much greater than the sum of it's parts. The variety of the songs here is not as wide as with previous album Pass out of Existence, but every song on the album has it's place. An album that you can listen to without ever using the skip button. A modern metal masterpiece, there should be more great things to come from Chimaira, although topping this effort may prove difficult.

The Track List and my personal ratings is as follows:

01) Clensation : 9/10 One of the heaviest tracks on the album, provides a strong start to the album, with a powerful chorus and drum intro.

02) The Impossibility of Reason : 7.5/10 The title track is surprisingly one of the weaker songs here, but overall still very good. A solid metal track.

03) Pictures in the Gold Room : 9/10 A haunting song that truly shows off the drumming skills of Andols Herrick. A mellow backing to the chorus really works. This song is the perfect foil to Power Trip.

04) Power Trip : 10/10 Shortest song here, is a true crowd-pleaser. The shredding guitars and vocals are the highlights. Could become a classic for Chimaira in the same way Walk was for Pantera.

05) Down Again : 9/10 A true metal ballad, will be song of choice for many on the album. Keeps all of the bands heaviness while leading in with a piano introduction. Rob Arnold's guitarwork is gripping here.

06) Pure Hatred : 8/10 Pantera-esque beast of a track, another very solid song with powerful riffs right up to the end.

07) The Dehumanising Process : 7/10 Fantastic opening riffs, some of their best on show here. Slightly let down by the rest of the song imo, still a brilliant addition. You can find yourself listening to the intro to this one a lot....rewind... :D

08) Crawl : 8/10 drops the pace a notch or two, a very catchy song with well thought-out lyrics.

09) Stigmurder : 9/10 A real thrasher of a track this one, deeply unpleasant lyrics and very fast paced with a brutal ending. Takes time to grow on you, but in the right mood and its the best of the lot.

10) Eyes of a Criminal : 10/10 Featuring a brilliant chorus, quality lyrics, and the best drumming heard since Lombardo, is musically pretty much perfection. Tops it off with one of the best outro's ever.

11) Overlooked : 8/10 Another solid song, was actually my favourite at first, but is the ONLY song on the album to wear a little. Still, excellent. This song is primarily there to set up IoD.

12) Implements of Destruction : 9/10 A shimmering ten-minute instrumental that is somewhat a tribute to the old Metallica instrumentals. Unprecedented for modern metal, could be a sign of the bands intention to create a legacy for themselves.

13) Army of Me : 9.5/10 Only ever played live in the UK apparently! Not that great as a closer to the album, but a very very good track with my personal favourite chorus, and another hardcore outro to finish things off.

Buy this album, it's well worth your attention and the extra CD is probably worth having from the limited edition set.

I picked up this CD a couple of days, after hearing rave reviews of it, calling it "The new face of American metal" I though "Probably just another nu metal band backed by MTV". But for some strange reason I grabbed it while I was at best buy (No Opeth >:-( ) And when I got home and popped it into my Stereo I was blown away! Guitars and drumbs are just sick, especially for a relativley new band, (and reformed Nu Metal) Thrashy riffs, and great leads and solo's! Drums are also great, crushing double bass. No comments on the bass player, he's decent, just mostly follows the guitars rythm. Now, the vocals. Hunter is a decent singer, but he really needs to fix up the scream. The lower death metal screams on Stigmurder are @#$%ing awsome, he needs to use those for the whole album, they really fit the mood of the music. The lyrics also need work, they are a little forgettable. Other than those minor issues, this is a damn good CD. Chimaira deserves your money.

For those unfamiliar with Chimaira, they sound like a mix between Pantera, Alice In Chains and (Pre- "...And Justice For All) Metallica. Because of that, "The Impossibility of Reason" is quite a powerhouse of heavy music. The vocalist does the Anselmo thing, but on the track "Down Again," the band helps out and allows him to pull off the Staley/Cantrell vocal harmonies to the point where it actually sounds like Layne (R.I.P) is singing. Creepy. The musical composition of each track is like how Metallica used to write (think Battery) but their sound is like the raw power of Pantera. Yes, they have guitar solos on here too- thank God bands are starting to do this again. I'm giving this CD 4 stars because this is one of those CDs that has standout tracks. Some songs sound like filler to me, but that's my opinion. Overall, this CD is great and gets better with each listen. Chimaira will be huge if they continue producing albums like this.