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Chimaira |  | Artist: Chimaira
Label: Roadrunner Records
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy Used: $4.75
as of 11/22/2009 01:27 EST details
You Save: $14.23 (75%)
New (31) Used (18) from $4.75
Seller: CDGMEDIA
Rating:  85 reviews
Sales Rank: 73310
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 618262
UPC: 016861826222
EAN: 0001686182622
ASIN: B0009XG41M
Release Date: August 9, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Nothing Remains | | • | Save Ourselves | | • | Inside the Horror | | • | Salvation | | • | Comatose | | • | Left for Dead | | • | Everything You Love | | • | Bloodlust | | • | Pray for All | | • | Lazarus |
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Album Description
Chimaira return with their brand new self-titled album, following their breakthrough The Impossibility Of Reason, which was met with huge critical acclaim. The band refused to write songs that fit any stylistic format, instead opting for a much more musically diverse approach, with guitar solos unlike anything on their previous records. The brain-damagingly heavy "Nothing Remains" (which Hunter revealed was written the day Dimebag Darrell was murdered) opens the album and the heaviness quotient doesn't lessen. The album's closer is the epic, dynamic mindscrambler called "Lazarus", a deeply personal track about a friend who committed suicide. With Chimaira, the band's progression is evident; with a fresh and invigorated feel blowing away any preconceived notions, to produce a rollercoaster of modern and challenging metal.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 85
 Chimaira Find Their Own Sound With This Metal Masterpiece August 10, 2005
Edward S. Bell (Boston, MA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
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.
even a deacon likes it! August 10, 2005
Jason A. Stephens (cleveland oh)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
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.
Back and better than ever! August 10, 2005
MetalFan4Life (Canada)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
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.
It's a grower August 11, 2005
H. Mahmood
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
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.
Kicks the ass of EVERYTHING ELSE December 17, 2005
Victor Slain (Albury, NSW Australia)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
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!!!!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 85
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