  
Cleveland’s metal heroes Chimaira have come
back again with their new album "Crown of
Phantoms" fresh for 2013 with an altered
line-up again. Having been successful with "The
Impossibility of Reason" and "Chimaira",
they rode that right through "Resurrection"
until "The Infection" seemingly killed
it dead; "The Infection" in my opinion
was a complete flop, "The Age of Hell"
was a start in a comeback for the guys and marked
a possitive move with an all new line up back
to that heavy style can it be possible that "Crown
of Phantoms" can be the album this band desperately
need to save their career?
Now I love how Chimaira have always brought out
these really heavy songs but there’s much
more depth to them than that, there is all sorts
of stylistic choices and techniques that really
make this brand of music deeply sinister, “The
Machine” is a great opener with those theatrical
sequences giving a really big feel, that song
as well is trademark Chimaira being a bit strange
on the surface with alternating tempo’s
and alternate riffs. I always preferred the higher
tempo aggressive songs but I must admit the more
maniacal title track “Crown of Phantoms”
here has captured my attention as there’s
just something about it that gives me a burst
of energy. I must admit this if the first album
in a long time I’ve got into more than 4
songs; “Spineless” is a powerful one
both lyrically and musically very to the point,
“All Thats Left Is Blood” resembles
a golf ball being hard yet extremely bouncy, “Plastic
Wonderland” as well that really ignites
a fire in your ears.
I’m not sure how to conclude this review
because I just have the same feelings I do every
time these guys release new material, no matter
of line up changes or stylistic choices seems
to sway my judgement in either way. I really get
on board with the heavier high octane songs as
they really do have a flair for that it would
seem but I do get quite fed up of the songs they
do that are really slow paced simply because that
ominous sinister theme just drops my mood when
not backed by high octane metal. It’s a
good album, people will have some great fun with
it but is it good enough them back into larger
rooms and have queues miles long waiting for them
over here? I highly doubt it I’m afraid.
3.5/5
Review by James Webb
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