 Chimaira
- [self-titled] (2005)Don't bother listening to this CD if you're not already angry and/or depressed. The songs are long, and angry. Very, very angry. There's nothing poppy about it, nothing melodic about the vocals. Most songs are rather slow but with enough changes and guitar leads and solos to keep your attention. The drumming is one of the highpoints of the album, seeing as this dude used to be in Dying Fetus and almost joined Slayer. Upon hearing that I was expecting all of his stuff to be blast beats and other fast craziness, but again, that's not what the music is about. There are fast crazy parts but only when needed. "Nothing Remains" starts the album out with equal parts: screaming, groove, pretty instrumentals and grinding beats. I've been in love with suicide songs as of late, so I enjoyed lines such as "Don't tell me, that I am taking the easy way out / No underlying message to figure out/ What you got from me is what I put out". It's amazing to think that our metal forefathers were brought to court over subliminal messages that suggested suicide. Oh, how times have changed. Many of the songs are surprisingly catchy, since they really weren't aiming for that. You can spot the Testament influence in "Save Ourselves", it's got a long solo in it as well as memorable stops that make me go "woah!" every time I hear them. "Lazarus" is a seven and a half minute song dedicated to a friend who committed suicide, it's not a ballad or very sympathetic, instead attacks the feelings going along with the death. It's very blunt, and as usual.. very angry. You have to appreciate a song like this, it's honest, emotional and still brutal, without blaming anyone. If one were to sum this album up in a sentence it would be "Dude, life sucks, let's fuck shit up". Be in that mindset when you listen to this and you'll love it. It may take a couple listens to drill the stuff into your skull, but it should be worth it. I was sent the special edition with a bonus disc with bonus tracks and a whole lot of live songs. That second disc rocked a lot, I'd recommend picking up that version if possible. 
4 out of 5 skulls Official Site : www.chimaira.com Myspace: www.myspace.com/chimaira Record Label : www.roadrunnerrecords.com |