Metal these days is rarely inspiring, rarely invoking of the goat horns (let alone a fist). The music world is changing, and very little of it is for the better. Many of the flag bearers of the genre are starting to lose their grip, if they haven’t dropped the banner already.
I’d been hearing about Chimaira in recent years, either on the radio or through acquaintances, but I had always just written them off as just some power metal band recycling the same riffs, screaming the same angry angst. So you can imagine my surprise when I gave their upcoming album Resurrection a listen.
This is a complicated album, and that’s a good thing. By track seven I already feel like I’ve listened to a whole album, and there’s six more songs to go. There’s never a dull moment, and just when you think it’s about to get boring, their song structure changes long enough to correct your preemptive conclusions.
Perhaps this is where Fear Factory should be. And funny I should say that, as Chimaira has sited FF as a major influence.
It’s not quite as ‘cyber’ as Fear Factory, however, which may or may not be a bad thing. This isn’t to say that they have their own aural sounds subtly layered in, but they seem to have locked into a sound of their own, while at the same time finding plenty of room to explore. One thing I do wish Resurrection had was a little more actual singing, even if it were only back up, or used in a similar manner as Dimmu Borgir, I think it would compliment the dramatic textures of the album.
If you’re going to pick this up, get the limited edition version. Two extra songs, plus a documentary of the making of the album. Extra stuff can be worth the buck, and in this case, it definitely is.
Website: Chimaira
