Search - Chimaira :: Chimaira (Spec)

Sweet

Gary F. Poppelreiter | Iraq (deployed) | 01/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ive already had this for a few months now. its the same as the import from england.. im a true chimaira fan, i paid like $35 for mine haha. its definatley awesome, clayden and malignant are 2 must have songs for any chimaira fan!! the live stuff is the same songs from the live in holland part of the dvd"

A high-water mark in modern metal

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 03/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chimaira's third full-length, 2005's self-titled album, is among my top five reasons why it has been great (or at least nice) to be alive in recent years. I could go on for pages listing all the reasons why it's easily the best album of 2005, and definitely among the best metal records of the new millennium, but I don't want to risk putting any readers to sleep, so here's all you need to know in a nutshell: "Chimaira" is every metalhead's wet dream.



With this album, Chimaira went from being an exceptional metalcore outfit to being a truly great metal band. Every aspect of their music is improved on this disc. The songwriting is much more inspired, realized, meticulous, mature, expansive, and epic (nearly every track here is over five minutes long), and the musicianship is just mindblowing. This album marks the first and only appearance for skinsman Kevin Talley (of Misery Index and Dying Fetus fame), who contributes a wealth of excellent drumming (including death metal-inspired blast beats); guitarists Matt DeVries and Rob Arnold throw out gobs of great, busy, meaty, frenetic, nimble-fingered riffs (which evoke Bay Area thrash groups like Testament and groove metal bands like Pantera), and professional solos; and frontman Mark Hunter almost always sounds like he's exorcizing a lifetime's worth of demons by bellowing his vocal parts straight from his gut.



True, "Chimaira" lacks immediate hooks, and some listeners initially may find Mark's amelodic vocals kind of annoying (the cleanly sung parts are very few and far between), so it will surely take several patient, repeated listens to get used to and appreciate the album fully. But believe me when I say this: It will grow on you (and grow, and grow, and grow), and once you are warmed up to it, the results will be amazing. Plus, what "Chimaira" lacks in accessibility, it more than makes up for with contagious grooves, air-guitar-worthy riffing, deft drumming, furious energy, palpable rawness, and inexorable urgency.



The members of Chimaira wrote the disc opener, "Nothing Remains," after hearing of Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's death, and even though the lyrics don't have anything to do with the murder, the song sounds so angsty and angry that it makes the listener share the emotions that the band members must have been feeling at the time. The song's hooky, punching riffs and strong thrash leads are bolstered and complimented perfectly by driving, slamming blast beats, and a fairly long, ripping guitar solo crops up near the end. "Save Ourselves" is the doubtlessly best song on here. It's an especially speedy and bruising number which locks onto a propulsive groove, and boasts catchy, chug-and-churning riffs, a winding, dive-bombing solo, and an absolutely irresistible, anthemic, shout-along chorus that tattoos itself to the listener's brain after only one listen. Despite some hefty, crunchy guitar hooks, "Salvation" is the record's most melodic track, because it features a slower tempo and a huge, super-infectious chorus with sweet and haunting clean vocals. Next, track five, "Comatose," brings the album's tempo back up with pulsing energy, a catchy, propulsive rhythm, and blistering, machine gun riffs that interlock perfectly with Talley's drum beat.



Some of the other best tracks include "Left For Dead," which sounds tailor-made for getting the whole crowd headbanging at one of Chimaira's concerts, the awesome, terrifically fast, insistent, and pounding double bass work and wild, careening solo on "Everything You Love," and the set closer, "Lazarus," which boasts great, deep grooves, throbbing, palpable energy, and building momentum that seemingly oozes out of the listener's speakers.



The bottom line here is simple: If there has been a more satisfying, contagious, or addictive heavy music album released this side of the year 2000, I sure haven't heard it!"

People seem to have a problem with progress... Great cd!

dividing light | hell, usa | 02/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I ordered this because i had free cds on BMG and they don't have a very large selection of metal. When i listened to it i realized that Chimaira was a great band in the metal scene today. People that are talking about how the cd didn't sell must not realize that there's no money in metal and that there is tons of unrecognized talent in the world. Mark Hunter has an awesome voice. The vocal range is decent and there are some multi-tracked parts that sound awesome. The guitar riffs are, for the most part forgettable, but every song has a solo. They are technical and skillful, and almost have a classic sound. The bass isn't unheard like in many metal albums. Although Andols Herrick wasn't part of the lineup when this was recorded, the drums are great and the double bass cannot go unnoticed. Chimaira has definetely matured and progressed.

But there's more. The second disk has two new songs which are pretty cool, but i ended up loving the live stuff. (being a new Chimaira fan) They don't miss a note, and they sound as good, if not better live. The running time is good. (All but one song on the first disk are over five minutes long) The packaging is cool. (Some kind of special black casing) The duel disk is definetely worth however much amazon's charging for it. 5 stars."