Resurrection
People will continue to butcher the pronunciation of this band’s name, but we should all learn the proper way to say it because they deserve that kind of respect. This album is a resurrection for
Chimaira in a few ways, the most notable being the return of drummer Andols Herrick. He was sorely missed on the last album (Kevin Talley did a decent job on Chimaira, but something was missing) and he brings his speed, precision, and sweet drum fills back with him. The beginning of this album is a trifecta of greatness: “Resurrection”, “Pleasure in Pain”, and “Worthless”. They get the job done in delivering the goods, whether it be shred-tastic riffs, monstrous beats, or pit-friendly breakdowns. “Pleasure in Pain” has keyboards in the background that lay a haunting aura around the song and “Worthless” has the energy of a hardcore punk song in the verses, a ripping solo, a death growl in the end, and abrupt starts and stops that accentuate the breakdown.
“Six” is over nine minutes long with a slow, moody beginning that segues into a driving, confrontational melody, and then back into a harmony between the singer Mark and keyboardist Chris. “No Reason to Live” is as negative as the title suggests; “So fucking disgusting” is repeated multiple times, and the line,“The smell of shit and piss fill the air” makes me infer a possible Hurricane Katrina reference (I’m not sure, just guessing). The only weak song is “Killing the Beast”, which brings Chimaira back to their nu-metal roots in its almost-spoken verses and generic chorus.
“The Flame” opens with the sound of a woman screaming and then getting hit by something (and no, it’s not a promo Steve made). At the end, it is revealed that Mark was playing the role of the father abusing his daughter. Dark stuff it is. I REALLY started to get the idea that something may be wrong in Mark’s life on the next 2 songs, “End It All” and “Black Heart”. The former is about getting sick of touring in a band and feeling ashamed for not being content with the fans’ admiration. “Black Heart” piles on the depression, but it’s a kickass song regardless. The bridge in “Needle” is like a fuckin’ Nascar race that zooms by as Mark sings from the perspective of a drug-filled needle. When Chimaira was in New York recently, Mark stated that “Empire” was the fastest song they’ve ever wrote. And I can’t call him a liar. A choir sets an apocalyptic tone in “Empire” as Andols gets all hellbent on us with his abuse of the kit. As the song goes, “Empire/Destroying dignity/Empire/Destroying humanity”. Let’s hope they don’t destroy themselves; there’s too much talent here to waste.
