This is definitely a treat if there was any, the new Chimaira CD/DVD package known as the The Dehumanizing Process. Being a longtime Chimaira fan myself, I knew this band would deliver something good… but to be honest, this package for the most part went above and beyond my expectations, with the exception of a few minor things I kinda noticed. First, let’s focus on the good aspects of this package. The cover is killer and looks straight out of bowels of hell! The extras, such a the 7 song concert in Holland, every music video done so far, and liner notes make this a must have for any fan of metal period… .especially any fans of Chimaira or fans of the Roadrunner Records roster in general. Be forwarned, this is not a concert DVD… this is a fascinating glimpse into the world of Chimaira… .as seen through their eyes. The story starts off in the somber landscape of a hometown known as Cleveland, Ohio, and shows the band gearing up to record the second full-length for Roadrunner Records known as The Impossibliity Of Reason. This DVD also shows all the in’s and out’s of what this band had to go through to make this record come to shape… and all the up’s and downs that happened during the touring cycle for thier last opus. Not only does this DVD capture the trials and tribulations of the band, but it also shows the psychology behind how each band member (past and present) operates and thinks. The most fascinating characters in this piece were definitely Vocalist Mark Hunter (The Boss), Guitarist Rob Arnold (The Perfectionist), and Ex-Drummers Andols Herrick (Total Sweetheart) and Ricky Evansand (who had quite a bit of a temper and started destroying stuff while cussing in Sweedish at one point). One part that stands out is Bassist Jim LaMarca driving in the snow drenched landscape of a Cleveland winter listening to a song that had radio potential called Stay The Same and him emotionally wrestling with the idea of having the song put on the new album or not. Obviously, the song did not make the cut. That part showed me a band that wants to stay true to themselves and thier fans… and basically not insult the fan’s intelligence, by putting out a $3 nu-metal song. That earned major respect from me! Now as for CD that was in this package known as This Present Darkness, this is a true treat for Chimaira Fans. This Present Darkness is the bands actual first album, that the band submitted to Roadrunner Records, which got the band signed. The album, which originally came out on their own label East Coast Empire Records, has been out of print for a while… so this is great chance to pick the package up and hear what the band originally sounded like before getting signed to the big leagues! One word to describe this album: Brutal! Very brutal as a matter of fact. Yet, this version has been re-mastered for better sound and has a couple of bonus tracks, so it sounds and feels more like an actual album than when it originally came out! Empty (Track 7) was the definite stand out with it’s creepy drum and bass intro, and it’s march to war drum eats and demonic guitar rythums fuled by savage anger alone! However, as good as this CD / DVD package was, it was far from perfect! New Drummer Kevin Talley made a discouraging joke about domestic abuse, which was shocking to come out of his mouth, cause I have met him before and he was the nicest guy I ever had the pleasure to talk to. Basically, he was asked to give advice to up and coming drummers and his response was, Hit your drums like you hit your girlfriend! Beat the fuck out of them. In my humble opinion and my opinion alone, that was not a very kosher thing to say, especially seeing as half of Chimaira’s fan base is guess what… .girls, and very pretty girls at that! Trust me I know, I have worked quite a few shows with the band. I am sure Kevin was only joking, but still, that was something that should not have made the DVD at all. Also, the CD didn’t have a track listing, except on the DVD, which I personally thought was pretty pointless. It would have been nice to have had an actual printed track listing. There was also no booklet or lyric sheet to accompany the CD, and the original print had a dead-air song called Satan’s Wizard which was sung by a friend of theirs on stage live… .and is just absolutely hysterical… but is not on this print. Oh well, still gives the Chimaira diehards an excuse to hunt down the original print on www.ebay.com. Most importantly, the audio commentary sounded muddled half of the time and could not understand half of what the band said (yes, I actually watched the movie with the commentary)! But what I did understand, I laughed till I almost peed myself! Overall, the package accomplished what it was set out to do, which was show the origins of the band and shows their fans how this musical timebomb ticks. Go pick this up and fast… especially before their label get’s too many complaints about the domestic abuse joke, and takes that part out of any future pressings of the package. In my opinion, It’s bound to happen. Can anyone say Ebay again? www.roadrunnerrecords.com www.chimaira.com – said Joshua V. on Nov 11, 2004
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