Review : CHIMAIRA – “The Infection”

Chimaira – “The Infection”
released April 21, 2009 on Ferret Music

Wanna know why it’s so difficult for me to write a Chimaira review? They were one of the first bands I reviewed, interviewed, and genuinely liked when I first became a DJ/Metal Director at WRUV FM Burlington, so I know part of me tries harder to enjoy them. They’re important amongst the NWOAHM movement; a leaner, more experimental, unmasked version of Slipknot, that is likewise blessed and cursed by their vocalist (whose lyrics are take-it-or-leave-it, but delivered distinctly and memorably). The music is what’s most interesting, as they actually still find ways to do a convincingly brutal breakdown (4) and the best black metal inspired chorus I’ve heard this year (1). They misstep in the second half, with the inconsistency of 6, the painfully cliché tropes in 5 & 7 (8 hurts too, but it redeems itself better), and the well-meaning-but-exhausting instrumental closer (including five minutes of pointless static at the end). This is a band with great ideas, but maybe previous producer and longtime friend Ben Schigel was not the way to go. They have yet to record their great album, and I, for one, am anxious to hear.

FCC: 2, 5, 7
Try 1, 3, 4, 8

01. The Venom Inside
02. Frozen In Time
03. Coming Alive
04. Secrets Of The Dead
05. The Disappearing Sun
06. Impending Doom
07. On Broken Glass
08. Destroy And Dominate
09. Try To Survive
10. The Heart Of It All

Rating:  

~Matt Longo