James caught up with Jeremy Creamer, Emil Werstler and Austin D'amond from Chimaira before their headline show in Wolverhampton to talk about their best moments as a band and plans for the future.

Thanks for giving us this time to speak to you, can you first start by giving us a brief history of the band including how you came together and came up with the name?
Emil: As far as the fine details go, I don’t know all of that but the guys came from Cleveland and for way more than a decade they were pretty much the premier ridiculously heavy band of the area, they toured relentlessly I mean hell I even saw them when I was 22 at an Ozzfest, I had no idea who they were but they’ve been around. It’s awesome but they have always been a badass live band that’s why when you saw them when they were on their rise opening for bands, you were always like shit that was fucking heavy, even when you go to see Inflames and you get this band called Chimaira opening you’re like shit that was heavy. Thats the history from my persepective, hope that works haha!

What would you say your best moment has been together as a band?
Austin: It’s all been awesome you know, it’s been incredible we’ve got this crazy line up now. Obviously going Soundwave just some of the experience we’ve had, their first show as members of the band and it was in Australia you know haha

Emil: Here’s your first show in front of 20,000 people haha!

Austin: It was the ballsiest, best way to break in the new dudes. They showed a huge amount of professionalism and I instantly felt comfortable with the guys, so many things could have happened and they did but we adjusted and never really missed a note, I’m stoked to be part of this whole thing.

What would you say your best moment has been together as a band?
Jeremy: Yeah, I mean we’ve done a bunch of these club shows and they’ve been awesome. Everyone’s just been so excited especially because we’ve gone to the smaller markets like Dundee where people don’t get shows often, those kids went crazy. People have been crawling up the speakers, especially me; we’ve been having a great time and everyone’s been really appreciative. We did hammerfest yesterday and it was huge, such a great experience. The UK’s awesome and we’re really enjoying it.

Have you had chance to hang out with Neosis and Revoker who are supporting you?
Jeremy: Yeah there’s a Swiss band and an English band, they’re having fun. They’re newer guys but then again we’re new guys in this band so we’re all just getting along. I went out to see the opening bands set the other night Neosis and it’s like Meshuggah meets At The Drive In, it’s really badass. Revoker are a Welsh rocking kind of drinking act and they’re killing it the crowds been really excited when we finally get out they’re both really awesome.

You gave away your latest album “The Age of Hell” for free here in the UK, what was the thought process behind that decision?
Emil: I know it was talked about for a while before the album even came out; I wasn’t really involved in the decision. We have a lot of fans out here and it’s a different record, the business is changing so a different approach was appropriate. When I found out I was like fuck it that’s a great idea give it away who’s gunna fucking buy anything these days anyway so why not? It stimulates the live perspective that much more too because it’s free and they can get into it.

Have you followed the reception of the album in the press or noticed how it’s gone down live?
Emil: It was a weird thing coming into this for everybody involved past, present and future. At the end of the day this line up change was huge when they were recruiting us they didn’t just pick some random guys off YouTube they picked the best fit which was us, I mean if your house was on fucking fire you don’t want some new fire-fighter coming out to save you, you want the best god damn fucking fire-fighter that there is haha. There was always the fear of not being accepted but fortunately for us we’re the new guys and everybody has shown us so much understanding, all the fans have been cool. Not to toot my own horn but I think that we’re doing a good enough job live to get people enthused about it, the overall outcome has been warm welcoming and accepting, I ain’t had shit thrown at me or been punched yet so we can’t be that bad haha.

Austin: And everyones putting their own twist on things, it keeps everything fresh and fun. We’re all really comfortable on stage and every night has just been amazing.

You’ve undergone a big line up change with you guys being the new additions, do you know what went on?
Emil: There is no public reason, I’ve been with the band for a while filling in and when it all went down there was a lot of space given, a lot of time given I didn’t want a reason. No need to air dirty laundry hell nothing may have even gone down, we don’t know. It was handled in a way that the people who want to still keep listening and stay with us can do so, the fact of the matter is people weren’t happy and now I can just hope that they are now. Its why I keep saying we’re really lucky being new that everyone’s warmed to us because when there’s splits; fans know all the faces, names, favourite fucking drinks, shit like that, everyones been super cool to us and I hope its because they like what we’re doing with the band now

Is it hard picking a set list from 6 albums worth of material?
Emil: We have an alternating setlist every night, because over here you drive a couple hours and can be in a whole new country, where as in the states you can drive a whole day and not even be halfway across Texas. It’s a challenge; Mark expresses interest in changing it every night because some of the same kids are popping up at multiple shows.

Jeremy: If they came to 4 different shows, let them actually see 4 DIFFERENT shows.

Emil: We’re going to do this justice so we’ll cool with all of that.

Are you hitting any of our summer festivals this year?
Jeremy: I don’t think we will be doing them this year, but next year we’re going to be smashing them. We would have this year but we spent the last couple of months getting used to the transition and we’re getting these tours on the go so we’re just going to take it from there, we didn’t plan enough.

Emil: The only things we have in the books are a couple shows of Alaska but apart from that there are only a few things that may or more not happen.

What are your plans for the rest of 2012?
Emil: We shall see! We’ll see what happens we aren’t sure yet. We’d like to do a few big tours then maybe start writing another record but nothing is concrete yet so keep an eye on us.

One last random question that we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra or Giraffe which one would you be and why?
Austin: I’d like to be a zebra because when I get killed by that lion I’m going out in style.

Emil: What by not being a giraffe?

Austin: Yeah man haha.

Jeremy: That’s tough man because a giraffe has a really long neck but a zebra has natural camouflage, so would you rather be eating the sweet fruit from the top of the tree’s or hide out in the grass. I’m going with giraffe because I like getting high and a giraffe is way higher haha.

Emil: If someone’s stupid you could tell them you were a horse and they wouldn’t know the difference, with a giraffe you’re still a fucking giraffe no matter what haha. Like the Special Olympics you’re still fucking retarded, so I’ll go with zebra haha.

Thanks for your time, is there a message for your fans reading the interview?
Emil: Come catch us at shows we’re really pushing it as much as we can so you’d be in for a great show.

Interview by James Webb