The Infection Review

Released: Apr 21, 2009
Genre: Groove Metal, Metalcore
Label: Ferret Music / Nuclear Blast
Number Of Tracks: 10
Chimaira once again churn out chunky, turbocharged metal from the cold, bitter depths of Cleveland, Ohio. The Infection is a full-on, full-out and full-bore metal assault that never takes a breather. Exhaustion never felt so good!

Sound:	7.7
Lyrics:	8
Impression:	7.7
Overall rating:	7.8
Users rating:	8.6
Comments:	57

overall: 8

Featured review by: UG Team, on april 22, 2009

Sound: The Infection is an efficient album. Opening with an ominous, semi-epic instrumental the passage, the album aims and fires without much apprehension. With 10 tracks, the guarantee of “all killer, no filler” is one that can easily be made. Cleveland’s Chimaira have always knocked on the door of mainsteam metal success that has been opened by the likes of Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God and As I Lay Dying, but the six-piece has never fully entered the room and crashed the party. There’s no real reason for that, as the band is deft with manufacturing metal songs that are raw enough to chafe the first layer of cells from your skin. The guitar work is good. The screaming is good. The drumming is, and we mean no offense to those who are heavily medicated or institutionalized, f--king insane; it’s the anchor of The Infection, with it's super-precise patterns. The Infection is easily the band’s most brutal to date; the opening salvo, “The Venom Inside, ” is slightly blackened, while “Frozen in Time” is threaded with an ever-so-subtle keyboard melody that is often reserved for European metal bands. About three minutes into this song, there’s a haunting, creeky part that will make the baby fine hairs on your spine stand on end; it’s creepy, eerie and thoroughly metallic. Chimaira are throwing everything, including the kitchen sink, into their sonic stew and the band ends up with a blackened and deathy American metal record that should shut the mouths of naysayers who tried to classify Chimaira as “nu” metal in the past. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: It’s as though vocalist Mark Hunter raked his larynx over burning hot coals and spit the resulting blood, scabs, bile, infection (pun intended) and ash onto the record. There’s nothing clean or “goes down easy” about Hunter’s delivery on the whole of The Infection. The quiet-loud vocals that appeared on The Impossibility of Reason, which is arguably the band’s most focused and best record, are nowhere to be found. Instead, Hunter is spitting with more piss and vinegar than ever. While it’s hard to decipher what he is saying without a lyric sheet, there are moments, like his yell “It was my mistake” and the “I’m coming alive” part of “I’m Coming Alive” that allow for singing along, this album is mostly for the headbangers who prefer the growl and the groove. “Impending Doom, ” which is the sixth track on the record, is the only song that could be considered a “single” thanks to what can be loosely termed as “accessibility,” but for the most part, Chimaira hover as close to the underground with going completely subterranean as possible. // 8

Impression: Guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries prove to be a formidable tandem on The Infection, which is driven by both Slayer and classic Metallica-influenced riffs. It’s as though every member of Chimaira stepped up to the plate and knocked it outta the park when it came to writing and playing their parts on the album. Hunter’s ferocious; drummer Andols Herrick is a machine holding down the rhythm section with Jim LaMarca; Arnold and DeVries squeeze out riffs that could cut plate glass; and Chris Spicuzza, who handles the electronics, has enhanced the record with his touches and flourishes in more obvious, audible ways than ever before. Check about four minutes and beyond of “Secrets of the Dead” for a real taste of what Spicuzza adds to Chimaira’s overall sound! Chimaira have gotten more metal with age and this is one Infection you’ll want to succumb to! // 8

- Amy Sciarretto (c) 2009

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: kellen.dobmeier, on september 02, 2009

Sound: Chimaira tend to evolve some with every album. First came Pass Out of Existence which was a nu-metal masterpiece (compared to mainstream nu-metal anyway). Thankfully, they moved on with IoR which was metalcore. Then came their self-titled which was thrash influenced metalcore. I have not personally listened to Ressurrection yet but have heard good things. Chimaira has since returned with 'The Infection' which is probably their most solid album to date. Thankfully, they have evolved again. The Infection is slower, heavier, and much better than anything they have ever released. The opening track entitled 'The Venom Inside' is a monster of a song that has some obvious death influence during the chorus. Then comes Frozen in Time which has 2 of the best breakdowns I've heard in quite some time. Not being a huge fan of breakdowns, I was pleasantly surprised with these two. The only downfall to The Infection is that it has a definite standout track which is 'Impending Doom.' This song is by far the best that the band has ever created and could set a standard for the years to come. The album kicks the bucket with a very impressive instrumental entitled "The Heart of it All" which is nearly 15 minutes long but doesn't seem like it at all. Chimaira took the time to think about composition with "The Infection" instead of all-out brutality or technicality. For example, guitar solos are few and far between on this record but impressive nonetheless. This is undoubtedly their best album. Even if you don't much care for it at first (which I didn't), keep listening and let it grow on you. I promise you that it will. // 8

Lyrics and Singing: Mark Hunter has always written vicious lyrics. That doesn't change this time around. Thankfully, he chooses to be vicious without being unnecessarily crude or violent. The lyrics to 'The Venom Inside' are excellent. The most impressive vocal performance is in track 6 entitled 'Impending Doom.' It is the only song I can recall with a dose of Mark's clean singing. His singing voice isn't outstanding so it's good that he just threw it in once during the album. Mark is a beast of a harsh vocalist though and it shows through in every song except the instrumental. // 9

Impression: This album is one of the best metal albums I have bought this year. I am definitely surprised that it came from Chimaira. Aside from this album, I only have their self-titled which is a beast of a record but didn't force me to buy their other albums. I'll state once more that 'Impending Doom' is the standout track and if you don't hear the entire album AT LEAST hear that song. In the end, I'm very satisfied with this release and I hope Chimaira continues to grow and evolve. The Infection shouldn't' be their apex if they do so. I certainly hope they continue to get better. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on april 23, 2009

Sound: One of the few bands I listen to that never seems to make the same album twice, Chimaira's latest release takes things in a new direction for the band. One thing you will quickly realize is the tempo of the songs--slow, atmospheric and heavy. For those who liked their self-titled and Resurrection this may be a turn off, as a few of the songs such as Secrets of the Dead and Destroy and Dominate trade speed for the 'heavy' factor, resulting in songs that are for a large point groove oriented (it will be interesting to see the moshing that will come at concerts to these songs). Another factor that seems to stand out is the verse-chorus transition. In The Venom Inside the transition from the verse to chorus seems forced, as if it is missing something to tie it altogether. While not a standout issue, again it might leave a bad taste in some fan's mouths who prefer well structured songs. Like in most of Chimaira's releases, the bass is largely ignored in favour of the guitar onslaught, and while both guitarists do a good job (The Heart of it All being a example), some of the riffs feel overused or boring, unable to hold your attention to the song and otherwise diminishing it's replay factor. There is no question to the druming being superb, and many of the tempo changes and drumming techniques present could be described as reminiscent of the death metal genre. // 7

Lyrics and Singing: Probably the second largest change in The Infection has come in Mark Hunter's singing... Err screaming. His vocals are more guttural in this record, trading screaming for growling, giving the record a death metal feel in areas (Coming Alive is a good example of this). This change from simple screaming will probably turn some more fans off, but there is no question it fit's with the tempo of the songs and does not hinder the music much in any way. Mark's clean singing is also not that bad, and fit's well in Impending Doom during the 'lull' sections of the song. Lyrics are like most of Chimaira's: cheesy to some and acceptable to others, depending on your taste and views. Overall they are the usual metal fare (just look at the song title names if you have any doubts), and do not affect the record much in general. // 7

Impression: While a big change for Chimaira in terms of music, the Infection is a reasonable record that has some minor hiccups that will probably be seen as bad for some fans. While not superb, The Infection is still alright, and some songs (minus their defects) are good listens. To get a taste of this record listen to The Venom Inside, Frozen in Time, The Disappearing Sun and The Heart of It All. Having gone from Nu-Metal to some twisted version of thrash-metalcore (for lack of a better term) and finally death metal-esq groove, it will be interesting to see what the boys from Chimaira will come up with after this for their next record. On a final note, listen to this album several times before making a decision on it, as many of these songs do have a habit of growing on you, as they certainly have for me. // 7

Comments

[HorsemanOfDeath]

for once i agree with the critic. and first

[death_metaller]

very good album

[telemetal]

hey amy, how goes things at Roadrunner?

anyway, killer album, just got finished listening to it, never a dull moment, really good crushing music.

it still comes in second to the self titled album though, that is one of my fave albums of all time, it just can't be topped imho

[webbtje]

Massive step down from Ressurection. Disappointing at best, for me.

[telemetal]

webbtje wrote:

Massive step down from Ressurection. Disappointing at best, for me.

Resurrection was good, but a few of the songs seemed like filler to me.

as i've said, this album is good, but it pales when comapared to the self titled

[lethaldosage45]

yeah, the Self-titled one was great... I am gonna give this one a listen right meow!

[DeathAndMyDecay]

I would almost say this new one is better than "The Impossibility of Reason" because it has more groove and punch to it. I find every song on this cd catchy and I don't find myself skipping through. The intro to "The Venom Inside" sounds very influenced by some early Metallica like "Battery" or "Blackened". I love how it transitions after the intro! Anyways...great ****in album!

[FearBefore]

It doesn't have the same punch that the self title and Impossibility of Reason has. Still a great CD but on a different level from their previous material.

[AEnima18]

Kerrang gave this 2 out of 5. Said it was just metal-by-numbers and nothing very special. Now I've read this I'm not sure what to think. Guess I've gotta make my own mind up...

[GaijinFoot]

AEnima18 wrote:

Kerrang gave this 2 out of 5. Said it was just metal-by-numbers and nothing very special. Now I've read this I'm not sure what to think. Guess I've gotta make my own mind up...

sure you can manage that?

[Paro_metalhead]

****ing awesoome album, full of energy nd aggression, but nothing can top their self titled masterpiece tho

[xXChimairaXx]

YES.

[Setabominae336]

This album was a good one. In my opinion it doesn't beat the self-titled though, as a few have already stated.

Self-Titled>The Infection>Resurrection>The Impossibility of Reason>

Awesome album indeed.

[Mr. Parker]

Yeah I thought S/T was better at first but now after a few solid listens, I would put them side by side as equals.

[barryenright232]

thought this album was monotomous at best.

[barryenright232]

O yea forgot to mention, massive chimaira fan...this album = massive step backward from resurrection, going back into ST territory which in my book at least, isnt a good thing.

[Pretty_Much]

This album is intense! And lol at GaijinFoot XD

[Legionator]

Its not better than the last two but i still like it a lot. Chimaira fan for life.

[death_metaller]

AEnima18 wrote:

Kerrang gave this 2 out of 5. Said it was just metal-by-numbers and nothing very special. Now I've read this I'm not sure what to think. Guess I've gotta make my own mind up...

kerrangs a pile of shit
probably gave it 2 cos theres no glow sticks or a little emo slut singer

[Thienskater]

I'm still waiting for this cd to come in the mail, i got the limited edition fan bundle. I probably won't get it till early next week. Ohwell, just a few more days.

In my opinion, the S/T wasn't all that great. I thought resurrection was a much better album than the s/t

[Eternium]

Focused too much on breakdowns and wasn't as fast as Chimaira usually are, imo.

[Kastöm]

This album was unbelievably bland. After listening to Resurrection, this just seems like a MASSIVE step down.

[MXcarson92]

Personally I liked Resurrection better, but maybe I just have to listen to The Infection a few more times. Secrets of the Dead is a good song though, sounds more like the Resurrection CD. This shit is HEAVY though! They kicked ass in concert when I saw them too.

[SoundOfDeity]

I'll check this out, but i hope that kerrang were wrong about this album, i reall do, chimaira are amazing

[AA00P]

Meh, upon first listen, the riffs seem to be nothing but monotonous chugging.

Will need to give this one a few more listens, maybe I'm missing something.

[s-o-u-l-f-l-y]

death_metaller wrote:

AEnima18 wrote:

Kerrang gave this 2 out of 5. Said it was just metal-by-numbers and nothing very special. Now I've read this I'm not sure what to think. Guess I've gotta make my own mind up...

kerrangs a pile of shit
probably gave it 2 cos theres no glow sticks or a little emo slut singer

Yh kerrangs been going soft since the emo explosion that left a mark on the metal world (REVENGE WILL COME SOON) anyway i hope this albums decent, i have the self-titled one and ressurection so this better be good.

[AnEvilWalrus]

Thought this was a great album, though it took a couple listens to grow on me. There are some parts of the album that aren't terribly great *coughdestroyanddominatecough* and the riffs aren't as original and well-written as in the self-titled, but I thought it was somewhat heavier then most of the other stuff they've put out.

Also, Impending Doom is amazing.

[ratracekid111]

AEnima18 wrote:

Kerrang gave this 2 out of 5. Said it was just metal-by-numbers and nothing very special. Now I've read this I'm not sure what to think. Guess I've gotta make my own mind up...

dude just listen to it. Its not like ug and kerrang are gods.....completely

[LTD-live]

Not sure what album everyone else is listening to but THE INFECTION, is pretty great!!! I've been a Chimaira fan since day one and I really like how the band has evolved. Definitely not "metal by numbers by any means!!! There is some really amazing things going on in this record musically. In some ways it feels a bit stripped down in terms of sound, but the compositions and production are way up on this.
2 THUMBS and 666 DEVIL HORNS UP!!!!

[telemetal]

the last track, the heart of it all, does it jsut go silent after about 9 mins? even though its a 14 min song?

Checked

[Tedward]

previous stuff is HEAVY

I should give this a listen.

[xDeathxMetalx]

Alright, I Will Argue For A Few Reasons With A Couple Of You(No One In Particular).
One, The Band Is As Strong And In Tune With There Creativity As Ever.
Two, This Is Definatly A Solid Album. Better Than Ressurection? Yes It Definatley Is More Musically Mature And Back To The Basics. Its Raw, Its Fast, The Guitar, Drum, And Vocal Work Is Pretty Damn Good.
There Are points Where i Argue That Ressurection is Better, Mostly Because Of Songs Like "Six" And "Empire" Which Were Musical Genius At best.
...Now Three, There Older Cd's Like There Self-Titled And The Impossibility Of Reason, While They Were Great As Well, They Were Not As Good. Mark Hunters Voice Wasnt As Defined As It Is Now. I Personally Like Mark's Voice Better Now Then Ever.
Sorry That I Ranted People Lol, But Im Really Passionate About Music. Its Generally My Lifeblood.
If You Ever Want To Talk About This Subject Or Any Musical Subject Or Band/Artist/Group. Hit Me Up. Ill Talk Lmao
Thanks For Listening To Me Rant

[LarksTongue67]

Not bad, not bad. I definitely enjoyed the first half over the second half.

[SnakeSkinner]

xDeathxMetalx wrote:

Alright, I Will Argue For A Few Reasons With A Couple Of You(No One In Particular).
One, The Band Is As Strong And In Tune With There Creativity As Ever.
Two, This Is Definatly A Solid Album. Better Than Ressurection? Yes It Definatley Is More Musically Mature And Back To The Basics. Its Raw, Its Fast, The Guitar, Drum, And Vocal Work Is Pretty Damn Good.
There Are points Where i Argue That Ressurection is Better, Mostly Because Of Songs Like "Six" And "Empire" Which Were Musical Genius At best.
...Now Three, There Older Cd's Like There Self-Titled And The Impossibility Of Reason, While They Were Great As Well, They Were Not As Good. Mark Hunters Voice Wasnt As Defined As It Is Now. I Personally Like Mark's Voice Better Now Then Ever.
Sorry That I Ranted People Lol, But Im Really Passionate About Music. Its Generally My Lifeblood.
If You Ever Want To Talk About This Subject Or Any Musical Subject Or Band/Artist/Group. Hit Me Up. Ill Talk Lmao
Thanks For Listening To Me Rant

Dude, why did you capitalize the first letter of every word in your post??? Awesome album, by the way. Still not as good as the Self-Titled.

[GetTheGasoline]

GaijinFoot wrote:

AEnima18 wrote:

Kerrang gave this 2 out of 5. Said it was just metal-by-numbers and nothing very special. Now I've read this I'm not sure what to think. Guess I've gotta make my own mind up... sure you can manage that?

lmao

[Mr. Parker]

This is an album that you have to listen to a few times to get a feel for it. I love Chimaira but at the first listen I was like....uh, well then, that was it uh. I mean I did have a few favs at first but since giving it a good listen through it is not as mild or boring as you might think. Lots of complex things going on in them riffs.

[della_bona]

six the best chimaira song ever

[Uncrrupt]

This one is weaker than the self titeled, which was their weakest till today. The first 4 songs sound nearly the same .... where the **** is speed on this record? ... where are the hooks? .... and when will hunter use his full range of his voice?

The first time I will agree with a kerrang-review. Shame on me.^^

[200tommo791]

Of what I have heard (every track bar the final), the album is horrible.

[Wall_of_sound]

barryenright232 wrote:

thought this album was monotomous at best.

I agree...
Generic Metalcore at its worst....
Boring, slow repetitve riffs and monotone growling. I don't think Chimaira will ever quite do it for me

[MXcarson92]

Somebody else try this with me... I just listened to "The Venom Inside" and "Secrets of the Dead" and then played "Resurrection" directly after. Resurrection > The Infection.

[eddiesclone]

Impending doom for the win!

[Cerberus7string]

GaijinFoot wrote:

AEnima18 wrote:

Kerrang gave this 2 out of 5. Said it was just metal-by-numbers and nothing very special. Now I've read this I'm not sure what to think. Guess I've gotta make my own mind up... sure you can manage that?

kerrangs bullshit

[Edika]

My first contact with Chimaira was this album so I can't compare with their previous work and maybe that is a good thing. While at the first few times it didn't seem to be something special, it atually is very atmospheric and has a very catchy vibe. You just need to let it grow on you a bit.

[Aric666]

Well you can all **** off, because i love this album. Mainly because i love breakdowns. \m/

[roosterfx1]

i cant believe how many people dont like this album. just coz its not as up-tempo doent mean its not as good as their previous albums. i consider chimaira to be my fave band. and i , unlike most people think The Imposibillity of reason was their weakest album. this is definitely a step up. take the time to truly appreciate how good it is. its atmospheric, dark and its slow tempo ( for me ) is a brilliant change. i love slow badass riffs i can bang my head to, as opposed to 200 mph songs grinding in your ears.
i love this album and so should you if you listen to chimaira, and are you seriously trying to tell me you dont like those seriously detuned riffs on The Disappearing Sun and Try to Survive....?

Well you can all **** off, because i love this album. Mainly because i love breakdowns. \m

well said.

[Jester InFlames]

Good album. I became a fan after Resurection, and I discovered that I didn't even notice the tempo. This is just my vibe, bullseye

[TheTahh]

Its the best album to date. It doesnt need speed to be good. And Im glad that his vocals changed for the album. They are what made this album complete. And personaly, I think their self titled album was weak. Before The Infection, The Impossibility of Reason was the best.

[Jester InFlames]

I'm amazed how people can speak alot of shit about something just because of little details. HUGE album my favourite uo to date this year (2nd is mastodon) and really good in all points of views that's what it is. Repetitve? you don't know 2 whole genre's then metalcore like as i lay dying & company+ deathcore BMTH & company

[strato77sphere]

Chimaira's best album to date. I like the song Coming Alive.

[YamiJoey]

It's good, but not their best. IMO they've gone down the "LETZ ALL BE BRUTALZ!" route that a lot of bands are doing these days, and it's annoying. I LOVED the heavier parts of other albums (Paralyzed was especially good, and their heaviest up to that point) but this has gone into the realms of the death/black/hardcore/whatever that most bands are doing now, and it's annoying. They've kept their original sound, and what they've grown into, but it just seems like they've toned all that down to add more of a beatdown feel.

Still very good, just not s good as I'd've hoped.

YJ

[metalonastrat]

i love it. one of the few albums i can listen to all the way through without skipping a single song.

[superjoint2112]

Really it doesn't matter if an album is good or not everyone just flames everything nowadays...its a touch disappointing. But i don't mind this album at all, not their best not their worst.

[lazy town]

on broken glass is downloadable on GH WT and its kick ass

[IROn 5L1nKY]

I really have had a hard time getting into Chimaira so far, and I have listened lightly across several of their cds, a song here and there. However, I bow down and worship "The Heart Of It All" because that song blew me away the first time I listened to it. Not only does it appeal to me as a composition of genius and an amazing use of every type of melodic and dissonant harmony imaginable, but these guys write music so similar to what I aspire to write, it feels like they are sort of my musical bretheren. I love the meandering clean riffs that start up the first few minutes of the song and then the cleanly laid out arpeggiated chord rhythm that they use to do a bit of slower melodic soloing over, and then the heavy dissonant riff kicks your face in the ass!
All in all, I would say I'm a fan just because of that song, but it's hard for me to get into the rest of their stuff because I'm usually not a fan of really hardcore music like this.

[baspvn]

enjoy their older albums a lot more =\