THE ALBUM OF THE DAY IS… CHIMAIRA, CHIMAIRA
Tomorrow we hit Sounds of the Underground in Jersey, and of all the great bands we’re going to see – Testament, Shadows Fall, Amon Amarth, and Darkest Hour, to name a few – Chimaira is the one I’m most excited for. And as much as I enjoyed the Pantera retread that was The Impossibility of Reason, this was the disc that really cemented Chimaira as one of my very favorite American New Wave bands: uncompromisingly brutal, incredibly dense, almost impossible to digest after a single listen. Almost two years after its initial release, it feels like there are still little nooks and crannies I’m discovering within the music: the way a riff will shift slightly, the Chris Spicuzza ambience just below the surface, the creative fills by Kevin Talley, who proves that there’s plenty of room for flexibility within death-style drumming. All the while, vocalist Mark Hunter and lead guitarist/primary songwriter Rob Arnold provide furious anthem after furious anthem. This album isn’t for the faint of heart, the weak of mind, or anyone whose soul is at ease; it’s for everyone full of rage, anguish, despair, disgust. It is a truly cathartic experience – a genuine masterpiece.
-AR
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