Chimaira is a heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio and one of the most notable bands in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. The name is derived from the word "chimera", which refers to a monstrous creature in Greek mythology.

 Early days (1998–2000)

Chimaira's initial lineup consisted of vocalist Mark Hunter, lead guitarist Rob Arnold, rhythm guitarist Jason Hager, bassist Andrew Ermlick, and drummer Andols Herrick. An early demo the band recorded began to receive widespread airplay on several college radio stations around the area. Even landing a spot performing on the short lived USA Network show Farmclub.com. The band was known to be relentlessly booed at early shows due to them choosing not to play a "pure" metal style and adopting a more "hardcore" image.

 This Present Darkness & Pass out of Existence (2000–2003)

Eventually, the band recorded their first EP, called This Present Darkness, which was released in 2000, during this process they replaced bassist Andrew Ermlick with Rob Lesniak. Later on Ben Schigel, the band's producer and studio keyboard/turntables/electronics provider joined them live temporarily. Banking on the success of the EP, the band was signed by Roadrunner Records and quickly recorded their debut album Pass out of Existence in 2001, by this time Jim LaMarca was now bassist and Chris Spicuzza was handling all electronics duties. Shortly after the release of the album and the tour that was to follow, Jason Hager left the band when he found out he was going to become a father. Matt DeVries, from another local band called Ascension, was recruited to take over as rhythm guitarist.

 The Impossibility of Reason (2003–2005)

The band returned home in late 2002 to begin writing and recording their next full-length album, The Impossibility of Reason. The making of the album was documented and later seen on their debut DVD release called The Dehumanizing Process. After the release and ensuing tours that followed, drummer Andols Herrick decided to leave the band. As evidenced in the DVD documentary, Herrick appeared to be unenthusiastic about constantly being on the road. He returned home to attend college to obtain a music degree.

Chimaira eventually welcomed Ricky Evensand as its new drummer. Evensand, hailing from Sweden, was probably most notable for being a part of Soilwork for a short time. Evensand's stay in Chimaira was relatively short-lived. Due to visa problems and his temperamental nature, Evensand eventually left the band. Going on advice from Slayer guitarist Kerry King, Hunter contacted Kevin Talley, an experienced death metal drummer who had previously been in the bands Dying Fetus and Misery Index. With Talley on board, the band finished their remaining tour dates before returning home for some downtime. They soon began the writing and recording process on their next album.

 Chimaira (2005–2007)

By the first quarter of 2005, the band had finished most of their next release and hit the road once again. The self-titled album, the first (and only) one featuring Talley, was released in August of 2005 while the band was taking part in the inaugural Sounds of the Underground tour. Hunter and DeVries had also taken part in another musical project that year, Roadrunner Records' twenty-fifth anniversary CD entitled The All-Star Sessions. Also taking part in the recording of several songs was former drummer Andols Herrick. These recording sessions reignited Herrick's interest of being in a full-time band. Eventually, in early 2006, Herrick and the members of Chimaira conversed and Herrick was welcomed back into the band. Talley's split from the band was amicable, as he was already being offered spots in several different bands and projects (The Red Chord, Misery Index, DÅÅTH).

 Resurection (2007–present)

In 2006, the band was released from their contract with Roadrunner Records and eventually signed with Ferret Records for United States distribution. They also struck a deal with Nuclear Blast for international operations. The band was said to be excited about their new deals, and their fourth album Resurrection was released on March 6th, 2007. Hunter and Arnold have revealed that this album has shaped up to be their heaviest and most musically technical album to date. The band feels rejuvenated after their split with Roadrunner and the readmission of Herrick on drums. The only downside of this happy event was that the band decided to call off the Eastpack Antidote tour with Soilwork, Sonic Syndicate and Caliban. Chimaira was replaced by Dark Tranquillity.

My personal favorite: Split!



A really great song: Ressuretion!



Another great song: Nothing Remains!