The band Chimaira got their name from a monster found in Greek mythology named Chimaera, who breathed fire and fear into the hearts of many. And on their newest release, Pass Out of Existence (Roadrunner), this band unleashes 14 monstrous tracks of woe and destruction on a world in need of some raw heavy metal. And don’t get it wrong, this is not your younger sister’s metal. This is the real deal. Imagine how Slipknot would sound like if their masks just got stolen. With seething sandpaper vocals, vaporous background noises, apocalyptic guitar riffs, and extreme blasts of bass, Chimaira is about to blow themselves up and take the world with them.
The band is made up of Mark Hunter on vocals, Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries on guitars, Andols Herrick on drums, Jim LaMarca on bass, and Chris Sicuzza on electronics. For this album, the boys called up mega-producer Mudrock (Godsmack, Powerman 5000) to spin the knobs. Not only did he masterfully produce, engineer, and mix the tracks written by the members of the band, but he also exorcised the demons from their bodies. The songs encompass several themes, including facing your past (“Let Go”), confronting your inner feelings (“Dead Inside”), failed attempts at love (“Lumps”), and even coming home to your family shit-face drunk (“Rizzo”). But the number one recurrent theme on this CD is, by far, death and suicide.
My favorite song on the disk is “Painting The White To Grey,” which is about misery and self-loathing. Lyrically and musically, this song is absolutely amazing. Some of my other favorites include “Sp Lit, ” “Options,” and “Forced Life.” The title track is a rather angry number that is sure to get your blood boiling. As a break from the pit-inducing riffs, the band offers an ethereal interlude, with the following eerie lyrics engulfed in the fog, “When I close my eyes, I see myself dead.” Chimaira admit that their songs “unearth emotions better left unexplored,” but they make no apologies.
The members of the band proudly proclaim that they are “on a mission to destroy everything in their path.” And when this monster of a CD is released on October 2, nobody will be safe.
-Rikk eLhaj
Rikk@UnEarthed.com
