Ex-Chimaira Members Rob Arnold and Jim LaMarca Are Keepin’ Busy

We all know what Mark Hunter’s new incarnation of Chimaira has been up to, but what about the band’s other founding members who have since moved on? Turns out at least two of ’em — lead guitarist Rob Arnold and bassist Jim LaMarca — have been keeping plenty busy themselves:

• Arnold has just launched a new website, Rob Arnold World, which, according to an official press release, “offers news, info on all of Arnold’s past and present projects, details about his new recording studio, info on guitar lessons and session work, and much more.” There’s already a lot of cool stuff on the site, including free lessons on how to play some of the songs Arnold wrote and recorded for Six Feet Under’s Undead last year. But perhaps the most exciting bit of news revealed on the site is this: The Elite, Arnold’s project that includes former (at least, I think it’s now “former”) Bleed the Sky/current Chimaira drummer Austin D’Amond, are working on a new full-length release. As an unabashed Rob Arnold fanboy, I’m always stoked to check out whatever he’s working on, so I’m glad that even if he’s apparently retired from touring, he still has new music in the works. Fingers crossed, the album will be out later this year. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out The Elite’s debut EP, WW3. You can download it for just five bucks from Amazon. I can’t imagine anyone who digs Arnold’s other work wouldn’t be into this, too. You can also keep up with the band via Twitter.
• Meanwhile, Arnold has also produced, mixed, and mastered Ghosts of a Fallen Empire, the new band from Youth Forgotten — which features no other than Mr. Jim Fuckin’ LaMarca on bass. You can check out “Take Control,” the debut track from the album, below. It’s metal-flavored hardcore very much in the same vein as bands like Hatebreed and Terror, which is to say, it’s the perfect soundtrack from jumping in the pit and doing some serious bodily harm. Presumably Ghosts of a Fallen Empire will be out later this year, too; in the meantime, you can keep up-to-date on Youth Forgotten via their Facebook page.