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Tracklist
1. The Venom Inside
2. Frozen In Time
3. Coming Alive
4. Secrets Of The Dead
5. The Disappearing Sun
6. Impending Doom
8. Destroy And Dominate
9. Try To Survive
10. The Heart Of It All
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After having a resurrected themselves with their previous effort “Resurrection,” Chimaira provides us with yet another concept of their seemingly endless creative outputs. This album marks their fifth studio effort and their third with producer Ben Schigel. After leaving the grounds of their nu-metal style with their first two releases, Chimaira expanded their music with longer, more thought-out riffs, alternate voice styling, and added an atmospheric, thrashy feel with their self-titled album "Chimaira" and their most successful and epic-infused album, “Resurrection.”
"The Infection" brings Mark Hunter & Co. into a darker, deeper style that they had experimented with slightly in every album. One of the main points of concern for many fans is the overall slow tempo, used to induce the atmospheric darkness Chimaira wants to represent to us. What fans have to remember is that this album marks a new adventure into a slow, churning deep death that we feel; an infection. Although not as tough as their previous efforts, Chimaira seems more relaxed and in their shoes with what may be considered as their most creative album to date.
What hasn’t disappeared, and what has been working as Chimaira takes us on their ever-transforming journey, is the creative usage of Mark Hunter’s signature voice style and the talented guitarwork helmed by Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries, especially in the epic-instrumental closer, “The Heart of It All.” But no sweat, there are plenty of moments of thrashy-grudge-inducing potency and the attitude is still in check, such as in opener, “The Venom Inside.”
The production is top-notch, as can be expected with previous releases. Guitars and ambiance are upfront and in your face. Vocals are a range of whispers, melodic singing, rage-felt angry screams and deathly growls, including a signature style only mark hunter can provide. The riffs of many songs are catchy, thrashy, and provide the backbone of what Chimaira has unleashed in "The Infection." Breakdowns are all over the board and provide a fresh outlet from all the ambiance, but surprisingly feel natural and in step with the album. The only non-essential flaw is that there are no real epic songs with vocals this time around, as masterfully done with the track titled “Six” on "Resurrection." However, with new energy, Chimaira displays “The Infection” as a masterfully-atmospheric album with hooks, catchy riffs, and creative vocals that provide us with a new view for an old band. This marks their most creative effort to date, and I for one have expected nothing less from this band. It’s true what you may have heard; “The Infection” is contagious.
Review by: Eric Yakubovich
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