Chimaira – Resurrection [Special Edition]
Ferret Music (U.S.)/Nuclear Blast Records (Outside U.S.A.)

(5/5)

To define the word aggressive in Webster’s Dictionary, there should simply be a picture of Chimaira! With one EP and three previous full length albums under their belts, Chimaira kept the pain train coming full force with their most recent full length release Resurrection. Throughout this 11-track masterpiece, vocalist Mark Hunter leads the band with his massively aggressive screams and yells combined with his singing to compliment the musical roller coaster created by guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries, bassist Jim LaMarca, and drummer Andols Herrick (who came back into the band for this album). To accent the whole sound of the band, keyboardist/sampler Chris Spicuzza throws in his thundering 808s (“bass blasts”) and deep growls to back up Mark. As for the overall sound of the album, Resurrection is definitely one of the top Metal albums of 2007! My favorite tracks off the album include “Resurrection” (title track), “Six”, “Needle”, “Empire”, and my top favorite happens to be Matt Devries’ favorite off the album as well, “The Flame”. “Resurrection” is a great track to listen to for the mere fact that it is such a great start to this album and gives you a preview of how aggressive this album will be. On top of the aggressiveness, there are some harmonic bends in this track that are absolutely out of this world! As far as “Six” goes, this another favorite of Matt’s. It’s a favorite between the both of us for the simple fact that it shows how diverse this band can really be. “The Flame” tops the list for me because of its overall quality as well. It starts out with the sound of a girl screaming, the breaking of glass, then pure aggression from there on out. In the aggressiveness of the track, there are also some great precision stops and some of Chimaira’s trademark 808s. Overall, if you’re looking for a shot of adrenaline and some pure aggression to fuel your day, grab a copy of Chimaira’s Resurrection!

3 – The End is Begun [Special Edition]
Metal Blade Records

(4.5/5)

When you look at all the bands on Metal Blade Records, 3 sticks out like a sore thumb, but their newest album The End is Begun helps prove that this band deserves to be on any label they desire to be on! The End is Begun can be looked at as a collaboration of all of 3’s older material to create a unique, Progressive Rock sound involving acoustic guitar, electric guitar, heavy bass, and not just drums from a set but also other percussion. Honestly, this album is one of the most unique albums I have ever heard and I really enjoy listening to it! The guitar work from lead guitarist Joey Eppard and rhythm guitarist Billy Riker is absolutely amazing! Really, I like Joey playing acoustic guitar more than his electric guitar work, but either way, he is an amazing guitarist! As mentioned before, not only are there drums being played on a drum set by Chris Gartmann, there is also extra percussion added by percussionist/keyboardist Joe Stote who also adds in the extra keyboard and sample parts. Putting the finishing touch to this great music is bassist Daniel Grimsland. With his awesome bass parts put together with the rest of the music and Joey’s great falsetto range, 3 has put out a great 13-track album. On the special edition, there is a 14th track that is their cover of Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play”. Out of all the tracks, about half of them are “favorites” of mine including “The World is Born of Flame” combined with “The End is Begun” (title track), “All That Remains”, and “These Iron Bones”. “The World is Born of Flame” is the first track on the album and really rises up as a great track that gives an effect of “zooming in on the band” instead of hitting you full force with everybody. The second track is the title track “The End is Begun”. This track almost “rings” off the first track continuing with the acoustic work of Joey with an almost marching beat to it. These two tracks really provide a great beginning to what is, overall, a truly remarkable album!