CHIMAIRA 'Resurrection' (Ferret Records) RATING: 9.5/10 Buy now

By GREG MAKI

Chimaira doesn’t break any new ground on Resurrection, their fourth full-length release and first for Ferret Music after parting with Roadrunner Records last year. Instead, it is the album the band has been building to throughout its career. They have realized their potential with the first unforgettable metal release of 2007. Inspired by both the label change and the return of original drummer Andols Herrick, there is a newfound intensity and urgency running through the entire recording. Under the guidance of producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, God Forbid), they have discovered a sound in the studio that is as ferocious as that of their live sets.

Resurrection begins with fast moving grooves of the title track, which finds frontman Mark Hunter triumphantly proclaiming, “We have become so goddamn powerful!” The 10 songs that follow venture into far darker territory, largely inspired by tensions within the band while on tour and with Roadrunner. Frustration dominates “End It All,” on which Hunter intones, “Pathetic, isn’t it?/After all these years, still not content,” and “Happiness has been long lost/Suffering a drug with no cost/How great it would be to end it all.” But for all his despair, Hunter is not without hope, grit and determination; the refrain of “Six”: “Never back down, never back down/Destroy everything.”

“Six” illustrates the band’s musical progression better than any other song and represents the high point of their career to this point. The nearly 10-minute track opens quietly. There’s even a hint of acoustic guitar before the breakneck riff kicks in at around 1:30 . The dynamics on display here are unparalleled in the band’s catalog. An unexpected dash of melody leads into a beautiful extended guitar solo before the song slams home with its crushing chorus. With this performance and a number of other solos throughout the album, lead guitarist Rob Arnold establishes himself as a star. Rhythm guitarist Matt DeVries ably complements him on riffs that are both heavier and more technical than what they have done in the past. Herrick and bassist Jim LaMarca lay out a thunderous bottom end, while keyboardist Chris Spicuzza subtly adds texture to the recording. His backing vocals and Hunter’s increased versatility—on “Killing the Beast,” vocals just on the edge of singing are even more menacing than the familiar growl—further enhance the album’s dynamic nature.

With each song bleeding into the next, it’s best to take in Resurrection in one sitting. If pressed to pick out favorites to go along with the aforementioned title track, “Six” and “Killing the Beast,” I’d go with “The Flame” and its mid-tempo groove, and the closer, “Empire,” which has a goth feel (due to guest keyboards by Morgoth the Impaler) and the album’s catchiest hook.

Chimaira has been a solid band, particularly in a live setting, for several years now. Resurrection places them firmly in the upper echelon of American metal.