Chimaira

I lost interest in Chimaira just after "The Impossibility of Reason" came out. Not because I didn't like the album but more so because my taste in music was changing. I actually decided to check in on them and see what they had been up to since and I was blown away by this album! I mean I had no idea how good it really would be. Great from start to finish.

Stand out tracks: Resurrection, No Reason To live, Six.

I came to notice Chimaria with their self titled release, which was quite outstanding. Upon the release to the follow-up to that album, I was excited and ready to be blown away again. The result was far from what I was anticipating.

The opening track to Resurrection, being the title track, sounded promising. Strong riff & solid drumming, but in comes the vocals which sound strained and lathargic compared to the previous album. Along with the vocals goes the actual song as well, and this continues to be a theme throughout the entire disc.

Song after song the same exact formula is thrown together and the techincal guitar work that was present on the previous album is nowhere to be found. Also the impressive solos that were once heard are absent as well. In its place has be added banal songs such as "Worthless", "The Flame" and the outright abysmal "Killing The Beast". The latter song has the most transparent and simple minded lyrics on any release of 2007 and a performance that is more than forgettable as most anyone will skip the track ever single spin of the CD.

The only saving factors of the album are "No Reason to Live" and "Six". The former sounding as if it could have been a reject from the previous album but still stronger than the remaining tracks of this effort. "Six" is a different offering from the band and is not comparable to much of their work before. The song style almost feels as if Chimaria were about to step outside of their circle and try something a new, but then quickly return to what they are more comfortable with. The largest downside to this track is that it is far too long and drawn out.

All in all, the album is an overall disappointment. This is ground that has been covered before by other bands that don't even have the possible talent or charisma. Easily a step backwards for the band that will, more than likely, leave many fans questioning the next release previous to purchase.

In this CD you can tell Chimaira is done experimenting. They have found what is most fun for them to play, and what they sound best doing, and that was Resurrection is all about. They have the old drummer back now, which was a good choice. I'm not sure why they left Roadrunner Records, but my guess is their music was becoming to heavy for such a mainstream company. Resurrection is a aggressive, fast, in your face CD, but doesnt go overboard by still putting out those melodies when needed. Most of the songs are really fast, but have sweet breakdowns to even it out. They went back to the stompy drums and guitars that they used in "This Present Darkness", but kept it fast too like on "Chimaira(Self-titled). Mark Hunter's voice changed alittle bit, but I guess you could say for the better considering he hits every note possible on this CD. He is the best metal vocalist ever. Chimaira is flat out amazing.

I was searching for more groove metal in the vein of Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power and this came back as being tagged "groove metal" more than most other albums. What the Hell, right? Might as well give it a shot.

I can see some similarities to Pantera. When the vocalist used spoken word vocals, he can sound remarkably like Phil Anselmo, but this strikes me as much more reminiscent of Lamb of God, in that it's closer to extreme metal than Pantera ever was and tends to be based more on ultra heavy, repeated riffs than on the grooves.

Despite these differences, Chimaira has made a pretty strong album. The songs can be a little repetitive within their own structures, but are generally entertaining and make for a good listen. Initial rating of 3.5/5.0, though I'll need to give this another spin to see how it feels after multiple listens.

I bought this album the day it came out as I had high hopes for it. I was disappointed with it immediatly. I have tried and tried to get into this album since, but I just can't. Infact, I really don't like this album. Their previous album Chimaira was killer, but this just crap.

The mythological Chimaira is a three headed beast and that is a pretty good description of The Impossibility Of Reason. This is my first cd by Chimaira and I just got this today (September 1) and I love it. This is an amazing band. I don't know how to describe this band. It's a mixture of Thrash, Death, Metalcore, and Hardcore Metal elements. Mark Hunter is one of Metal's best vocalist in my opinion. The guitars are very Thrashy and Andol's drums are really good. My favorite tracks are Cleasation, Impossibility Of Reason, Power Trip, Down Again, The Dehumanizing Process, Stigmurder, and Eyes Of A Criminal. This is an excellent cd overall. I reccomend this to any Metalhead.

This cd rips your face off right from the beginning till the very last song. This is Chimaira's best cd ever. Andols(drummer) is awesome. If you like double bass drum you will love this cd. Plus this is a younger group but they still do guitar solos. You won't find none of that nu- metal [...] here.

Keeping up with their feirce debut yet still managing to kick things up a notch in not only the melody and sheer musicianship but also in lyrical content, Chimaira delivers a brilliant sophomore album in `The Impossibility of Reason'. Bringing together crushing guitars and thundering drums this band illuminates and burns bright on these 12 tracks. The opener `Cleansation' is freaking brilliant, but I will say that I was a little less impressed with `Implements of Destruction', their closing track. I expected something a little more jolting, like `Jade' from `Pass Out of Existence'. The band delivers on tracks like `Pictures in the Gold Room' (just listen to those drums!) and my personal favorites `Stigmurder' and `Eyes of a Criminal'. It's a perfect transition album from their debut to their third self titled release.

good cd, but it was a little heavy for me. and that saying alot cuz i like heavy.

Just great. These guys remind me alot of Nothingface. Great songs, great playing, great vocals. The perfect heavy package

When I first heard this album, I thought it was garbage. The grating vocals seemed to ruin every song with monotony. However, with every subsequent listen to this album it became better. And better. And better. Certain songs began to stand out. The epic closer "Lazarus" stuck in my head. The way that songs like like "Nothing Remains" and "Left for Dead" built into explosive, crunchy riffs was addicting. Actually, almost every song on the album does this. This album is a masterpiece.

While this certainly is a very heavy album, the flawless combination of riffs and drums makes for an often-times catchy listen. If you're into real metal bands like Kalmah or In Flames give this album a listen. Hell, even if you don't like the heavier side of metal give this album a try.

The first time I heard this cd I almost totally dismissed it. However it was being heavily played on Sirius Hard Attack at the time and after a while I pulled it out, dusted it off, and gave it another try in early 2006. Let me just say this cd has not left my car since then - which says a LOT. Even now as I type this it is in my car ready to play when I get in. Every song is 'effin awesome!!! The guitar work is amazing and at times it gives me goosebumps. My only gripe is Mark's vocals. I just don't think it is necessary to scream the entire time. Some songs would be a even better if he would just . . . sing! But with that said, if you love metal and do not own this cd - go buy it already. I would have to say my absolute favorite song on the cd is Lazarus.

As for the newest cd, Resurrection - I am still trying to get that one broke in. Chimaira is an acquired taste. Some get it and some don't. For me it takes a few listens, and eventually I'm hooked.

First off i say Epic but not in a power metal slave girl saving dragon slaying kinda way(thank god) But every song on the cd just has a huge feel to it. They mix early to mid ninteties power groove with the shredding of 80's thrash and they even throw it some electronic sounds keyboards and middle eastern music(usually a kiss of death as far as i'm concerned)but they mix all of it and it is AWESOME.

When "Pass Out of Existance" came out back around 2000, it quickly became one of my favorite cds of my freshman year of college. It had a very heavy metal vibe with the great hooks usually found in alternative rock. I like a wide range of rock and metal music, so this found a special place in my cd collection.

Fast forward to 2005, and it seems that they have become much more of a straight-forward "in your face" metal outfit. "The Impossibility of Reason" sort of bridged the gap from POoE, and now Chimaira's self-titled album is much more of a pure headbanging experience. It is a good album, and I recommend it for the handful of songs that are brilliant, but it seems like a lot of the hooks I found in their previous efforts are missing here. I think that as a band, they have great mastership over their instruments, but it's the all-powerful hook that needs to come back to make them more than a blip on my radar again. When I listen to the album as a whole, there are not enough reasons for me to keep coming back to it regularly. Not enough hooks to get my attention and get me singing, headbanging along. But compared to the rest of what is out there, this is above average metal.

I wasn't sure how this cd would turn out because one of my favorite drummers of all time Andols left the band, but never fear he comes back and is on the cd after this. Instead for this cd they got the drummer from Dying Fetus who was recommended to them from Kerry King of Slayer. The new drummer did really good. A lot of double bass drum, just like I like. This is a very aggressive album. I rank it second overall of all Chimaira's cds.

Even tough chimaira's first album was nu metal which doesn't even sound like nu metal only a few sounds,overall is a pretty kick a's album.It's not their best but it's pretty brutal and heavy this is much more like a way heavier slipknot that's why it might seem nu metal and the only people who won't like this are true nu metal fans those who listen to those wannabe's bands like korn and rappers.This to me only sounds metal and not nu so if you have chimaira's other albums i say you should check this out,RAP AND HIP HOP SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then you fail at life.

In all seriousness though, this is some of the worst hard rock I have ever heard. There are 6 members of the band, including 1 DJ, and about the total musical talent of a bunch of whiny, angst ridden kids who just took up instruments last week, who, incidently, these guys are/were.

Look elsewhere for actual music.

This CD Rocks! If you like any of Chimaira's other albums, you will sove this one too. Very hard, makes you wanna punch your best friend in the face.

Okay, so their debut may not be the masterclass that their sophomore and third albums are hailed to be by fans but it still serves up some brutal tracks that will please any fan of the band. The first song I ever heard by this band was the impressive `Dead Inside' with creepy sound effects and infectious guitar and drum work. I was instantly intrigued, but it wasn't until listening to the entire album that I can say I was hooked. The best tracks here are the aforementioned, the brutally melodic `Painting the White to Grey', `Lumps', `Taste My...' and the borderline disturbing closer `Jade'. As a whole this album may run a little long and may contain some filler tracks but it's a good glimpse at what the band is capable of and it still fits nice in any music collection. Chimaira has done what every good band should, take what they've started with and grown, matured, into a better and stronger band!

Chimaria is a horrid band. These guys brings nothing to the table that hasnt been done about 100x before. First off, every song has a couple easy power cords that a 10yr old could play, and the drumming is weak. This band sounds like a replica of Korn, which gives them 2 strikes to begin with (Ok ,Korn had one good album, but thats it) and I dont hear any resemblance to Slipknot (as some reviewers had posted). Even though I really dont listen to Slipknot, they have more talent then this bunch of losers. If you want Good Metal, avoid this. If you are looking for a run of the mill, NU Metal band that sounds like something you have heard a million times before, then this is for you.

The members of Chimaira have yet again delivered another thrashy record that is sure to keep their fans happy. Chimaira may have got pretty popular recently, which will always lead snobby metal heads to dismiss them as teenage music; however the reason Chimaira are getting the attention they deserve is because they are that damn good!. Resurrection is by far one of Chimaira's best albums ever with inventive riffs, memorable solos and absolutely kick-a** drumming. The music is a little more technical and complicated than on previous albums and this is not bad thing, Marks vocals become better with each passing album and he has a much more varied range of voices here than in the past and Rob Arnold shreds on the guitar as hard as he can and comes up with some amazing riffs especially the ones on Six which also have some terrific solos.
The album is very long and it might take a while to get used to, but after a few spins you will begin to understand what a huge album this is, with such attention to detail and a general high standard of song writing. This is also proof that they have improved from their previous outing which was an average album that I thought was overproduced but it still had some great songs in it. This time the group is in a new record label and have a fresh new start which sounds alot better, creating one of their absolute best and heaviest record so far.

The album opens with the brilliant title track and mark hunter's vocals are as fierce as ever, the chorus of this song is stunning and the riffs slay left, right and center which is a good sign for things to come then Pleasure in pain follows and is a great track as well as Worthless which took a few listens to appreciate but it was still quite good, the song is simple in some way but its heavy and the lyrics here as with the majority of tracks deal with expressions of hatred and vengeance and so forth. The track Six follows and is an epic at under 10 minutes long, but where the longer tracks didn't quite maintain their brilliance on their previous album, this track actually works and is probably one of my favorite Chimaira songs, its a journey of a song experimenting with different styles and keeping it interesting.
The album moves along nicely with Killing the beast which has some really catchy moments, the track Flame is as good as anything chimaira have ever recorded before with some controversial lyrics, Both Killing The Beast and Flame are intense in their slow delivery and are lyrically quite unnerving. And then End it all and the closing Empire remind us how thrilling this band can be when in full thrashtastic mode. Empire in particular sounds like a black metal song and has some nice and atmospheric keyboards courtesy of Shagrath. This album is heavy as hell and quite simply it rocks like nothing ordinary. Highly recommended!.

Cant stop listen this album, my favourite songs are from "the flame" to "empire" but I always start from that track and push the repeat button to listen all the album,,, I listen this album every day since I purchase it so if you like Chimaira be sure this one blow your imagination and your fellings with the rithym and the lyrics.

And i can honestly say that this is by far their best album. It's worth the money just for the song "Six" alone, but yet every song is just so refreshing to hear. Definitely the type of cd you blast in your car with the windows down.

This is one of the best newer metal bands I have heard in a long time.
recommended this to all metal heads.

Just a totally unbelievable album. They stepped up there game since last time.I can honestly say that each and every song on here is absolutly crushing!

I got this with the dehumanizing process DVD. I love this album, alot more raw than their debut and the songs on Pass Out of Existence did not sound as good as on this cd. I also love the Impossability of Reason. In the DVD they said this album was better than their Roadrunner debut. Mark Hunter is an excellent vocalist. Great chugging riffs, and drumming. It's sad that many people will miss out on this masterpiece by passing up the Dvd.

This is Chimaira's first release and it is an 8 song EP. Two of the songs, "Painting the White to Grey", and "Sphere" were re-recorded on Pass Out of Existence. The main difference between this and modern day Chimaira is it is a lot rawer, and the electronic elements are not as abundant. The song "This Present Darkness" is an instant classic and should satisfy any true headbanger. Mark Hunter's voice is very intense on this album, but his vocals do not sound as confident as they do on The Impossibility of Reason (definitely their best release so far). If you can find this CD, I recommend you get it, but prepare to pay a lot for it because it is currently out of print.

This album is intense as well as musically well put together. The guitar riffs are awsome as well as the drumming. If you like the sound of 16th notes played on the bass drum as well as it following the guitar riff patterns then Chimaira is for you. If someone says that they are boring and dull sounding then dont listen to them. Also if they say that they sound like Slipknot and those other bands dont listen to them. Listen to Chimaira for yourself and you will understand why people rate them so high.

...this album is much better than their Roadrunner debut, "Pass Out of Existence". The production may not be as good, but the songs, the delivery, the emotion... is all much better.

Sounds just like Dry, kill, logic and ill nino. The drummer is really excessive and boring. (...)

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!

Let me make it clear that I've been a fan of Chimaira for 4 years since I first bought Pass Out Of Existence, and this album has been a favorite since the day it came out. Now, I originally was gonna pass on this. Normally, I don't if the extra material is good. All this has is a bonus cd with two cover songs from a previous band that 1 or 2 of the members were in, and the rest are live tracks from the Holland show that was on the Dehumanizing Process dvd, which is great if you want the audio element of that show, otherwise it's not worth it. Anyway, I was looking to get a newer copy of the album and decided on this special edition. First thing right when I opened it, the main cd popped out. The disc wasn't secure in the tray, and it wouldn't stay in. You couldn't even turn it over to look at the back of the case. Try flipping the tray over for the second disc and the other would fall out. For some it may not be a problem, but for someone like me who takes extremes in taking care of his cd's and has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder if you don't know), it's irritating. So I went back to the store, exchanged it. They had two other copies, both had the same problem! I just said screw it and exchanged it for a newer copy of the regular version.

So if you already bought the original, don't waste your time with the special edition.

Just a view from the UK here - fantastic album, tightly produced, full of vicious energy....great for driving if only we had the autobahn! And careful about those little old ladies that get in the way.....

Spend those pennies on it today!

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.

if you like heavy music that kicks you in the pants, laughs at you, then watches you come back for more, and you don't like this cd you must not be thinking for yourself. Or your really a pansie flower. this cd is everything good rolled tightly to be burned away slowly as all you can do is respect the level of talent chimaira is on. even if you don't like heavyness you can't even deny the talent on this cd and if you do you should do me a big favor and get out of america right now. THIS MEANS YOU METALWANNABE4EVER your opinion sucks like your mouth fag

this is one import that's well worth the purchase. we start off with one of the best metal records to come out of Roadrunner Records since Killswitch released Alive or Just Breathing. except that you add the b-side "Army of Me" to the lineup. if you have the Freddy VS Jason soundtrack then you know how incredible this song is. if you don't, shame on you. NOW!! add to that a bonus disc including an outtake from Impossibility... that must've been cut to make the album shorter. it's quite worthy of the rest of the record. then there's 2 outtakes from the previous album, Pass Out of Existence. the first, "Without Moral Restraint", I would consider better than most songs on that CD. the second is a Cure cover but don't be fooled. there'll be no whiny vocals coming out of Mr. Hunter. instead, insert some grinding guitars and vocals that range from quiet to screaming that only chimaira could achieve. mix in some demos that sound arguably better than their finished counterparts. wrap it up with two live tracks that are always treats since chimaira excel on stage. some people may not like double disc limited edition albums, but this one is worth ditching the original for.

i love this band i don't get why people think they are sellouts
they're making it so they are further and further away from selling out
don't judge a book by its covers look inside if you don't like them
well i guess you won't buy the album

I'm an old school thrash/death metal fan. This is the first Chimaira CD I've bought and I don't regret it one bit. The "Reasoning The Impossible" (CD 2) demo's sound better than the original ones! I bought "This Present Darkness" and "Pass Out of Existence" after hearing this CD combo. Those CD's are awesome too. Chimaira's sound is something like a cross between Slayer, Death, Pantera and a shot of Unearth. They definitely have a distinct sound though, which is quit refreshing considering that all the new heavy bands seem to sound the same. I feel that all of Chimaira's releases are a "must have".

Ok, Although I accidentally ordered 2 and one of the 4 discs was defective ((skips on track 4 but I won't wanna give it back)). The 2nd disc is frickin awesome, I was like a gitty little girl when it came in. The CD's 2nd disc called "Reasoning The Impossible" made me flip -- it was so cool. The demo tracks give you a good look into what they used to sound like. The live tracks make you want to see them in concert. I think this is by far the best album I have ever ordered off of Amazon.com. Shipping time was EXCELLENT. Came one day early even though it was shipped from overseas and processed the next day my order was placed but the album itself is 100% gr8 metal. I recommend this cd to fans of Lamb Of God, Killswith Engage, Hatebreed, murderdolls or any other metal bands. Fans of metallica really seem to like chimaira although i'm not a fan of metallica.

Even tough chimaira's first album was nu metal which doesn't even sound like nu metal only a few sounds,overall is a pretty kick a's album.It's not their best but it's pretty brutal and heavy this is much more like a way heavier slipknot that's why it might seem nu metal and the only people who won't like this are true nu metal fans those who listen to those wannabe's bands like korn and rappers.This to me only sounds metal and not nu so if you have chimaira's other albums i say you should check this out,RAP AND HIP HOP SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then you fail at life.

In all seriousness though, this is some of the worst hard rock I have ever heard. There are 6 members of the band, including 1 DJ, and about the total musical talent of a bunch of whiny, angst ridden kids who just took up instruments last week, who, incidently, these guys are/were.

Look elsewhere for actual music.

This CD Rocks! If you like any of Chimaira's other albums, you will sove this one too. Very hard, makes you wanna punch your best friend in the face.

Okay, so their debut may not be the masterclass that their sophomore and third albums are hailed to be by fans but it still serves up some brutal tracks that will please any fan of the band. The first song I ever heard by this band was the impressive `Dead Inside' with creepy sound effects and infectious guitar and drum work. I was instantly intrigued, but it wasn't until listening to the entire album that I can say I was hooked. The best tracks here are the aforementioned, the brutally melodic `Painting the White to Grey', `Lumps', `Taste My...' and the borderline disturbing closer `Jade'. As a whole this album may run a little long and may contain some filler tracks but it's a good glimpse at what the band is capable of and it still fits nice in any music collection. Chimaira has done what every good band should, take what they've started with and grown, matured, into a better and stronger band!

Chimaria is a horrid band. These guys brings nothing to the table that hasnt been done about 100x before. First off, every song has a couple easy power cords that a 10yr old could play, and the drumming is weak. This band sounds like a replica of Korn, which gives them 2 strikes to begin with (Ok ,Korn had one good album, but thats it) and I dont hear any resemblance to Slipknot (as some reviewers had posted). Even though I really dont listen to Slipknot, they have more talent then this bunch of losers. If you want Good Metal, avoid this. If you are looking for a run of the mill, NU Metal band that sounds like something you have heard a million times before, then this is for you.