Chimaira was formed in 1998 by rhythm guitarist Jason Hager, and vocalist Mark Hunter. The pair recruited Jason Genaro on drums and Andrew Ermlick on bass to complete the line-up. Their first EP, This Present Darkness, was released on January 11, 2000, on East Coast Empire records. This EP featured a few songs that were later re-recorded for their major label release on Roadrunner Records, entitled Pass Out of Existence. Jason Hager later left the band after Pass Out Of Existence due to family issues and the band gained Matt DeVries, a long time friend of the band and guitarist for the Cleveland based band Ascension. Pass Out of Existence didn't sell that many records when it was released in 2001, but The Impossibility of Reason, released in 2003, was enough to fund Chimaira's extensive touring with In Flames, and their second-stage performance at Ozzfest, also in 2003.
Musically, Pass Out of Existence had a much more "electronic" sound than The Impossibility of Reason, with Chris Spicuzza's pronounced electronic loops featured in many songs. This sound was often compared to artists like Fear Factory, Spineshank and Slipknot. The Impossibility of Reason kept with a more pure, metal-esque instrumentation, akin to metalcore bands such as Killswitch Engage, and this was found to be very popular--the album reached #2 on Billboard's "Heatseekers" chart.
Their self-titled album, released in August 2005, built upon the progress of The Impossibility of Reason. The electronic feel of Pass Out of Existence and This Present Darkness is much reduced, and the guitar riffs and solos are taking a more central position to the band's music. The band hired Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Misery Index) to fill position behind the drumkit.
The themes of "rejection, revenge and repercussion" [1] from The Impossibility of Reason remain, although there are exceptions here - the track "Lazarus" is named for, and written about a friend of Mark Hunter's (singer) commiting suicide. In mid-2006 Chimaira and Roadrunner announced they would amicably part ways.
On March 6th, 2007, Chimaira released "Resurrection" on Nuclear Blast/Ferret Records, with some special packs containing a DVD of the making of the album. Andols Herrick returned to the band, and musically the album is an evolution of previous efforts. The songs feature heavy and pounding riffs, as in the likes of "Chimaira", but also features more thoughtful melodic parts and, what can be considered, more progressive solo parts and arrangements. Also from Chris Spicuzza on keyboard there is a heavier contribution than on the last album. The band even manage to create a black-metal-esque song with the help of Morgoth The Impaler on keyboards. Unsurprisingly, the song "Resurrection" was written about the new lease of life the band (especially Mark Hunter) felt upon release from Roadrunner, who they felt, were not promoting the band as much as the band felt they deserved.
Before the release of the album, The Infection (2009), the band had been posting short clips on their web page from the upcoming album, which was written in Cleveland, Ohio with producer Ben Schigel, who previously produced the band's album The Impossibility of Reason and their self titled album. The Infection was mixed by Zeuss, who mixed and produced albums for Hatebreed and Shadows Fall, and was released on April 21, 2009. At its annual Chimaira Christmas show on December 30, 2008, they debuted a new song entitled "Secrets of the Dead."
The first single off The Infection was "Secrets of the Dead", which was released March 3, 2009. The Infection debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200. During a number of European tour dates supporting The Infection, Chimaira had Emil Werstler of Dååth filling in for Matt DeVries, as DeVries' girlfriend had their first child.
The 10th annual Chimaira Christmas show was held at the House of Blues in Cleveland Ohio on December 27, 2009 and was filmed for a live DVD titled Coming Alive, which was released in 2010.
In late 2010, bassist Jim LaMarca retired from the band. Chimaira released the following statement regarding his departure "After a decade of good times and achievements, our friend and band mate Jim LaMarca [bass] has decided to retire from CHIMAIRA. We wish him nothing but the best as he settles in and starts a family. As for seeking a replacement… we'll cross that bridge down the line. In the meantime, consider it 'business as usual' with the CHIMAIRA you know and love." The band tapped Werstler once again, this time to replace LaMarca as a member of the band on bass.
By mid 2011, more lineup changes would occur. On April 5th, keyboard player Chris Spicuzza announced his departure from the band, citing a "negative environment and the general state of the music industry." A week later, drummer Andols Herrick also announced his departure. He stated he was asked to leave due to "differences." He also stated the band members had parted on good terms. Later in the year, it was announced that the annual Christmas show would be the last for guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries. Werstler was slid over to guitar duties and Jeremy Creamer, also of Daath, was brought in to replace him on bass. Matt Szlachta of Dirge Within was chosen to fill the other vacant guitar spot. Austin D'amond of Bleed the Sky and Sean Zatorsky of Daath have taken over drums and keyboard duties respectively.
America: Ferret
Europe: Nuclear Blast
Split
Chimaira Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No you're not
You're out with urge to satisfy yourself it's your vicious plot
Looking back I realize that it's my fault
I'm not around so your love comes to a halt
You have no remorse in you
It's the only thing you know
I never wanted this
Gave myself to you to get paid back with lies
Every time I trust you I lose in the end
I feel disgust in myself
I love how you can call me and pretend you're innocent
While I'm out here trying to better myself
You're a pig when it comes to my emotions
You drown me in your wake because you have no devotion
You have no remorse in you
It's the only thing you know
You destroy me every time you little cunt
I never wanted this
Gave myself to you to get paid back with lies
Every time I trust you I lose in the end
The lyrics to Chimaira's song "Split" tell the story of a relationship that has gone sour. The singer is lamenting the fact that his partner is out satisfying her urges while he is left at home feeling neglected. He realizes that it's partly his fault for not being around more often, but he's also disgusted with his partner's behavior. She has no remorse for her actions and seems to derive pleasure from hurting him. The singer is torn between his love for this person and his disgust at her behavior.
Throughout the song, the singer uses imagery to convey his emotions. He calls his partner a "little cunt" and a "pig" to show his contempt for her. He also refers to her as drowning him in her wake, which suggests that her behavior is overwhelming and suffocating him. He feels like he's giving everything he has to the relationship, only to be paid back with lies and betrayal.
One interesting aspect of this song is that it was written during a tumultuous time for the band. In 2010, Chimaira's original lineup underwent a major shakeup, with several members leaving the band. "Split" was one of the first songs written by the new lineup, and it reflects the uncertainty and tension that surrounded the band at the time. Despite these challenges, Chimaira continued to create music and tour for more than a decade.
Line by Line Meaning
Late night comes are you home?
Are you home at this late hour?
No you're not
You are not home.
You're out with urge to satisfy yourself it's your vicious plot
You are out trying to fulfill your desires, which is a malicious plan.
Looking back I realize that it's my fault
Reflecting on the situation, I understand that I am to blame.
I'm not around so your love comes to a halt
Since I am not present, your affection for me diminishes.
You have no remorse in you
There is no sense of guilt within you.
It's the only thing you know
This is your habitual behavior.
You destroy me every time you little cunt
You harm me every instance, you despicable person.
I never wanted this
I never desired or intended these circumstances to occur.
Gave myself to you to get paid back with lies
I bestowed trust in you only for you to deceive me.
Every time I trust you I lose in the end
Countless times I confide in you and eventually end up losing.
I feel disgust in myself
I feel repulsed by my actions and involvement in this situation.
I love how you can call me and pretend you're innocent
I find it amusing how you can contact me and feign innocence.
While I'm out here trying to better myself
Meanwhile, I am making an attempt to improve myself.
You're a pig when it comes to my emotions
You act like a disgusting pig regarding my emotional state.
You drown me in your wake because you have no devotion
You suffocate and overwhelm me due to your lack of dedication.
You have no remorse in you
You still do not have any remorse.
It's the only thing you know
Your behavior of being remorseless is habitual.
You destroy me every time you little cunt
Once again, you are harming me, you worthless person.
I never wanted this
I never wished for these circumstances to arise.
Gave myself to you to get paid back with lies
I trusted you and sacrificed my well-being, only to be repaid with deceit.
Every time I trust you I lose in the end
Repeatedly, when I confide in you, I eventually end up paying the price.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY HERRICK, CHRIS SPICUZZA, JASON HAGER, JIM LAMARCA, MARK HUNTER, ROBERT ARNOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bluntofdoom
DUDE - HA - I ' VAGUELY RECALL ' SEEING THEM - OVER TIME * I WENT TO A LOT OF SHOWS IN THE . . . MID 90 S TO ABOUT 2010 * - BUT I DO ' VAGUELY THINK / RECALL ' - THAT AS THEY ( CHIMAIRA ) ' SEEMED ' TO ALMOST ' MAINTAIN ' A ROTATION OF MEMBERS FOR A LITTLE WHILE
. . .
HMMMM - THEY DO F N JAM ! ! !
THAT IS ALL
THE MAIN POINT
MMM HMMMM
@CutestBoyInTheMorgue
This album turns 21 today, and it is still as incredible as it was when I originally discovered it.
@nimhard
This band is severely underrated and this album was decades ahead of time. This could have come out today with this exact kind of distortion, etc, and it would sound like it's from today. Such an amazing album and probably the most vicious form of nu-metal to ever exist.
@MrReuno
And then vocals hit and you're back in 2000'
@jakiesenn8624
There's still people calling this nu metal? I don't think some spoken parts constitute as a major enough hip-hop influence to call this nu metal.
@nimhard
@@jakiesenn8624 It's totally nu metal and it's glorious.
@kaskade5909
@@nimhardevery release on their discography is metalcore. The band hated that they got lumped in with nu-metal. Wrong category!
@nimhard
@@kaskade5909 The term metalcore wasn't even widely used when Pass Out of Existence came out. That is revisionist history at its best lmao. Everyone and their mother hated being lumped in nu metal. Doesn't make their first major label record less nu metal.
@allismagicalinsights378
Hell yes.... it’s 2019 and I’m a pure fan to Chimera till my last breath!!! These men have gotten me through some rough years! They’re all awesome guys! I meet them Year’s ago in Rochester, NY PENNY ARCADE!!! Madden night!
@snipe-sj2co
Alli Cassidy hell yeah! Buffalo NY here
@RiffRaffBJJ
You have no remorse!!!!!!!!! :P