|
 The
Possibility Of Answers
Ripping straight from Cleveland OH, Chimaira takes aggression to the next
level with their latest release; The Impossibility
of Reason. Bringing elements from past metal and incorporating the Chimaira
essence to it, they have been able to create a surge of violent aggression,
with a positive spin. The New Wave of American Metal!
MusicsEmbrace - We know what Chimaira
means; (Greek Mythology. A fire-breathing she-monster usually represented as
a composite of a lion, goat, and serpent) and we know what you guys have
become, but what led to the name?
Andols Herrick - Basically even before I
was in the band myself, the very original drummer and I believe Mark the
vocalist, picked the name, I think from a dictionary. The name was intriguing
and so was the meaning, it seemed to be quite fitting for describing the
number of people in the band and the different personalities coming together
to form one being, so it seemed pretty fitting for us.
MusicsEmbrace - Mark decided to bring
himself into the production of this album again, and also enlist Ben Schigel
in order to re-create the raw feeling that was on "This Present Darkness" did
you guys accomplish what you guys wanted and how did it feel working all
together again?
Andols Herrick - I think it felt great.
Ben Schigel is an extremely talented producer, musician, he's very
intelligent he knows how to make a song sound good, he knows how to get good
sounds, he knows how to arrange things well. I think he did an incredible job
with everything he did, along with Mark and Rob who also produced as well,
and those 3 guys together did a great job, everything I expected and wanted
out of it.
ME - The album art on The Impossibility
Of Reason has a lot more white to it, kind of tearing down the 'metal'
clichι, although there's a good solid balance of blood stains, which is also
present in the video for "Down Again" (referring to the
red/white color contrasts) can you comment on the direction of the art?
AH - Basically what I understand they
were just kind of going for a sort of a Stanley Kubrickish vibe and we
actually had a long time friend of ours actually did the art work it's self,
he basically just painted it and took a picture of it, no photoshop or
anything and that's what is on the cover right now.
ME - The track "Implements of
Destruction" takes the listener on a self voyage allowing them to re-evaluate
the album before them, it kind of just drifts off, a similar but more fitting
ending was used on "Pass Out Of Existence" as well, do you purposely allow
for this moment of serenity on your albums or was it just coincidence?
AH - Do you mean the way the song ends or
the noise?
ME - Just the way it like ends, it fades
away.
AH - Yea, but it comes back though. You
know it's sort of done on purpose, it gets louder and louder to the point
where it is excruciating and it's going to blow your speakers if you don't
turn it off. So it makes you work with it or something, you've got to stop it
or it'll blow your speakers.
ME - Is there any sort of rituals you go
through when recording a song or was there such a focus on creating something
new all things of that nature where just thrown out the window?
AH - The writing process basically,
usually, Rob or Mark come up with the original idea. Then everyone will kind
of put in their two cents, as far as the song structure goes, and everyone
after they put down the foundations everyone will try to throw in their ideas
and that's how kinda the song gets put together. We'll take it to the studio
and do a demo version and then it make get totally re-arranged there or might
stay exactly the same, it just depends on what happens after we record it.
ME - Having someone like Kerry King of
Slayer compliment you guys on guitar, well does that make you feel a little
special?
AH - That is amazing, having Kerry King
be a fan of the music is, probably can't be a bigger compliment then that.
We're very happy with that.
ME - You guys are like a life saver to
some people, how do you feel about fans who identify to you or your music so
closely, are you proud of that or is it just some un-necessary pressure that
directs from the music?
AH - I don't think its any pressure at
all, I think it's great that people can find something meaningful in it for
themselves
and they can really attach themselves to it, that's excellent.
ME - Do you see yourself as a role model
or a responsibility to the public figures to be political or liberators for
those in the metal industry who are starting out?
AH - I think our only job is to play
music, I don't think there is anything else to be involved with that.
ME - "Impossibility of Reason" has set
the bar a little higher, I believe, for metal bands. Do you think yourselves
will be
able to live up-to this album?
AH - I think we definitely will be able
to. We've been playing some of the new songs live this tour, we've pulled out
a couple of new ones in our home town show in Cleveland and they came out
great. I think we're all excited to play them actually and we want to keep
rolling with them and keep playing them.
ME - From which do you derive more
pleasure, playing in a small club type atmosphere, where you can be more
intimate with your fans or a large venue where you can't be as intimate, and
be truthful.
AH - I like elements of both. I like when
you play in a small venue and there's that intimacy, it's great. However I
like having the space of a large venue and the quality of monitors and sound
systems that actually tends to go with that.
ME - I think the most dangerous thing for
a live band is to get to comfortable, how do you keep your live shows fresh
when
touring for six months or more, besides changing the set-list.
AH - We just give it 110% every night.
You know there is going to be certain nights where, you might not be feeling
it, but you gotta push through it, give it all you got. Never try and
disappoint the bands.
ME - Ok so you chose word association, so
just spit out whatever word comes to your head...
ME - Serenity |
AH - Not Us
ME - Friend | AH
- Band Mates
ME - Death
| AH - No Big Deal
ME - Sellout |
AH - Radio Bands
ME - Staind | AH
- Excellent Band
ME - What would you like to say to all
your fans?
AH - I appreciate all of them coming out
to ours shows and supporting us and buying the cd, hopefully not downloading
it, we'll see you on tour, thanks for coming out and supporting us.
I would like to thank Andols and Chimaira for giving up some of their time
(in the middle of setups) to answer a couple questions for me. Also a thanks
goes to street teamer PinZ for help on the questions.
Check out Chimaira's
official site for up2date news!
-- Interviewed by Krez |
