The Infection | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 20, 2009 | |||
Recorded | September–December 2008 at Spider Studios | |||
Genre | Groove metal, metalcore | |||
Length | 55:36 | |||
Label | Ferret Music (US) Nuclear Blast (Worldwide) | |||
Producer | Ben Schigel | |||
Chimaira chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Infection | ||||
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
About.com | [4] |
Blabbermouth.net | 7/10 [5] |
Kerrang! | |
MetalSucks | [6] |
The Infection is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Chimaira. Released in the US on April 20, 2009, and worldwide on April 24, it reached position 30 on the Billboard 200 charts on its first week of release, selling around 15,000 copies. This was improvement from the previous album's debut at No. 42. It is also their third album featuring the classic lineup and the last album to feature long time bassist Jim Lamarca, drummer Andols Herrick, as well as longtime keyboard player Chris Spicuzza.
Within the order of promoting the album, the band revealed a track name from the album and a piece of the album cover on the main page of their website approximately every other day. The final track and entire cover were revealed on February 12, 2009. "Secrets of the Dead" was released as a single on iTunes March 3, 2009 and was first played for the public at their Chimaira Christmas show in Cleveland, Ohio. The song "Destroy and Dominate" was played live for the first time on Friday, March 6, 2009, at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2009. "Destroy and Dominate" was released for free on Chimaira's official Twitter profile on March 16, 2009, for one hour only. [7] On April 16, 2009, Chimaira released the first nine tracks of The Infection on their MySpace profile for listening. [8] The song, "On Broken Glass" is available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero World Tour . [9]
Rob Arnold told Kerrang! that "Try To Survive" was the first song written for the album. [10]
All songs on the album were written in drop C except for Destroy and Dominate, The Disappearing Sun, and Try to Survive, which were written in drop B.
In order to further involve the fans and promote the album, Chimaira released the stem files that were used to create the "Destroy and Dominate" music video. Fans were asked to create their own version of the music video. The members of the band chose their favorites and the prizes went as follows: [11]
1st Place: The Infection (Deluxe Tin Box) and two concert tickets to see Chimaira
2nd Place: Two concert tickets to see Chimaira or a Chimaira T-shirt
3rd Place: Two concert tickets to see Chimaira or a Chimaira T-shirt
All tracks are written by Rob Arnold and Mark Hunter, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Venom Inside" | 4:05 |
2. | "Frozen in Time" | 4:05 |
3. | "Coming Alive" (Arnold) | 3:04 |
4. | "Secrets of the Dead" (Arnold, Hunter, Matt DeVries, Andols Herrick) | 4:25 |
5. | "The Disappearing Sun" | 4:24 |
6. | "Impending Doom" (Arnold, Hunter, Chris Spicuzza) | 6:05 |
7. | "On Broken Glass" (Arnold, Hunter, DeVries) | 3:46 |
8. | "Destroy and Dominate" (Arnold, Hunter, DeVries) | 4:42 |
9. | "Try to Survive" | 4:40 |
10. | "The Heart of It All" | 14:52 |
Total length: | 55:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Revenge" | 3:12 |
12. | "Convictions" (State of Conviction cover, feat. Jason Popson of Mushroomhead and Pitch Black Forecast) | 2:13 |
13. | "Warpath" | 4:18 |
Total length: | 65:19 |
This is a special "Briefcase" version of the album. Only 580 are said to exist, and the first 100 bought are signed by the band. Extra features include:
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
---|---|
Finnish Albums Chart | 32 [12] |
The Billboard 200 | 30 |
Six Feet Under is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed in 1993. The band consists of five members: founding vocalist Chris Barnes, guitarists Ray Suhy and Jack Owen, bassist Jeff Hughell and drummer Marco Pitruzzella. It was originally a side project formed by Barnes with guitarist Allen West of Obituary, but became a full-time commitment after Barnes was dismissed from Cannibal Corpse in 1995. Six Feet Under has released 13 albums, and is listed by Nielsen Soundscan as the fourth-best-selling death metal act in the U.S.
STEMM is an American heavy metal band from Niagara Falls, New York. STEMM was formed in 1998 by Joe Cafarella. He, along with Louie and Jimi Penque, Russ Martin, and Alex Scouten made up the original lineup of the band. Alex left the band in 1999, and was briefly replaced by guitarist Fred Blackwell. Rich Spalla replaced Fred shortly after. This lineup remained intact until 2003. Joe and Rich merged with drummer Danny Nelligan, bassist Stephen Crowl, and vocalist TJ Frost of Buffalo band 5 Years Gone, to create a new incarnation of the band. This lineup also saw a change in the musical direction of the band from Rapcore to more of a metal act.
Chris Barnes is an American death metal vocalist. He is noted for his low guttural vocals and explicitly violent lyrics. He was the co-founder, original lead vocalist and lyricist of Cannibal Corpse from 1988 to 1995, later founding and performing as part of Six Feet Under, and has appeared on Torture Killer's second album Swarm! Barnes designed the original Cannibal Corpse logo, the Six Feet Under logo and also created the artwork for Warpath, released in 1997.
Mark Hunter is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Chimaira.
The Impossibility of Reason is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Chimaira, released on May 13, 2003. It is the first album to feature Matt DeVries on rhythm guitar. The album is a noted for its groove metal-oriented sound, especially when compared to the band's previous releases which were considered closer to the nu metal genre. Upon release, it debuted No. 117 on the Billboard 200 charts. To date the album has sold around 200,000 copies in the US.
Chimaira is the third studio album by American metal band Chimaira, released on August 9, 2005. It debuted No. 74 on the Billboard 200 charts and sold 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The album would be the band's final release under Roadrunner Records and the only one to feature Kevin Talley on drums.
Rob Arnold is an American musician, best known for performing as the lead guitarist of the metal band Chimaira and later the rhythm guitarist of the death metal band Six Feet Under. In an interview with Roadrunner Records, he named Kirk Hammett, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman and Kerry King as being influential to his playing style. Some of his favorite bands include Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera, Sepultura, and Cannibal Corpse.
Roadrunner United was a project organized by American heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled The All-Star Sessions. Four "team captains" were chosen to lead 57 artists from 45 past and present Roadrunner bands, and produce and oversee the album's 18 tracks: then-Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, Trivium frontman and guitarist Matt Heafy, Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, and Machine Head frontman and guitarist Robb Flynn. The project was the brainchild of Roadrunner UK general manager Mark Palmer and Roadrunner USA VP of A&R Monte Conner. The album project was coordinated by Lora Richardson and was mixed by Colin Richardson and Andy Sneap. The All-Star Sessions spawned one single and music video. The DVD included with the CD purchase is a documentary of the "Making Of" the songs. It features the sessions of the four team captains making their songs.
Matthew DeVries is an American musician. He is the rhythm guitarist in the metal band Chimaira and the former bassist in Fear Factory. During his time with Chimaira, he, along with lead guitarist Rob Arnold and singer Mark Hunter, wrote many of the band's songs. In 2005, DeVries appeared on the Roadrunner United: The All Star Sessions album, playing on two of the tracks, "Annihilation by the Hands of God" and "Constitution Down".
Pass Out of Existence is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Chimaira, released on October 2, 2001. According to vocalist Mark Hunter, as of 2003, the band has sold 44,000 copies of the album in the United States alone. Pass Out of Existence features an altogether different sound when compared to the band's later albums, leaning more towards nu metal rather than the groove metal style featured in later material. Its heavy use of electronics has also been noted.
Bleed the Sky is an American heavy metal band formed in Orange County, California, in 2002.
Resurrection is the fourth studio album by Chimaira, released on March 6, 2007. Debuting at number 42 on the Billboard 200 charts, Resurrection shipped about 16,000 copies sold in its first week. The album was released in two forms: a regular version, and a limited edition version with different cover artwork and a DVD documentary of the making of the album. Chimaira's first album with Ferret Music since leaving Roadrunner Records, Resurrection features original drummer Andols Herrick who rejoined the group shortly before the writing process. Resurrection is also the first Chimaira album to feature some additional backing vocals by keyboardist Chris Spicuzza.
This Present Darkness is the debut EP and first major release of American heavy metal band Chimaira. As of 2007, the EP has sold more than 10,000 copies, and paved the way for the group’s debut album, Pass Out of Existence which would see a release the following year. Two songs from this EP, "Painting the White to Grey" and "Sphere," were re-recorded for the album's 2001 release.
The discography of American heavy metal band Chimaira consists of seven studio albums, two extended plays, eleven singles, two video albums and thirteen music videos. Chimaira originated in Cleveland, Ohio, composed of vocalist Mark Hunter, guitarists Jason Hager and Rob Arnold, bassist Jim LaMarca, drummer Andols Herrick and programmer Chris Spicuzza. Hager was replaced by Matt DeVries in 2001. Chimaira's first release was an extended play, This Present Darkness, which sold 10,000 copies. After signing to Roadrunner Records, the band's debut studio album, Pass Out of Existence, was released in August 2001. A second studio album, The Impossibility of Reason, followed in 2003, debuting and peaking at number 117 on the Billboard 200. Herrick was replaced by drummer Kevin Talley, formerly of Misery Index, in 2004. A video album, The Dehumanizing Process, arrived later that year, documenting the writing and recording process behind The Impossibility of Reason. Chimaira released a self-titled album in August 2005, which peaked at number 74 on the Billboard 200. After an internal crisis due to pressure from the label for a new release, the band moved on from Roadrunner and signed a new deal with Ferret Music. In early 2006, Herrick rejoined the band and Chimaira recorded their fourth studio album Resurrection, which appeared in early March 2007. Resurrection peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200.
Emil Werstler is an American guitarist and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee who is perhaps best known for his work in metal and gypsy jazz. In 2004, Werstler became lead guitarist for the metal band Dååth, whose second album The Hinderers peaked at No. 49 on the Top Heatseekers chart in 2007. In 2009 Dååth released The Concealers on Roadrunner which reached No. 35 on Top Heatseekers and was placed as No. 3 on a list of the "top twenty metal albums of 2009" by Metal Sucks. In 2010 Werstler released the instrumental metal album Avalanche of Worms as a collaboration with Eyal Levi with the album receiving a largely positive response for its musicianship and experimental nature.
Benevolent is an extreme/experimental metal band formed in 2007 by Lebanese brothers Hadi and Fadi Sarieddine. Formerly based in Kuwait, the band is now based in the United Arab Emirates.
The Age of Hell is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Chimaira. The album was released on August 16, 2011. The album sold more than 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on the Billboard 200 chart. In an interview, the band stated they have filmed a music video. On August 10, 2011, the official video for "Year of the Snake" was released. The DVD that was released through a Hot Topic edition featured a 50-minute interview with the new line up, no music videos were featured.
The Age of Remix Hell is a digital EP by American metal band Chimaira. The album was released for free online on December 24, 2011, through Multiupload.com.
Chimaira is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in August 1998, the band's name is derived from the word Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology. Throughout its history, the band had numerous line-up changes, leaving vocalist Mark Hunter as the only constant member. The band dissolved in 2014, but announced a reunion in 2017 and a return in 2023 with most of the group's longtime members rejoined.
Christopher Harris, known professionally as Chris "Zeuss" Harris or simply Zeuss, is an American record producer.