Track Listing

1. Nothing Remains
2. Save Ourselves
3. Inside the Horror
4. Salvation
5. Comatose
6. Left for Dead
7. Everything You Love
8. Bloodlust
9. Pray for All
10. Lazarus

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #148235 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

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.

Customer Reviews

"Can you feel us? We're stronger..."
"...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."

Chimaira Find Their Own Sound With This Metal Masterpiece
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!
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.