Over the weekend, Chimaira’s Mark Hunter posted four demos from the band’s most recent release (and one of my favorite albums of 2011), The Age of Hell. Two of those demos are for songs which appeared on the finished product, “Clockwork” and the bonus track “Scum of the Earth,” and those are kinda interesting to listen to for the same reason all demos are kinda interesting to listen to — because it’s fun to compare and contrast with the finished product.

More exciting, though, are two demos for untitled tracks which, for whatever reason, did not actually make it onto Hell. And they’re both pretty good, but one of them is REALLY fucking good, hitting that sweet groove G spot the way only this band can. I’d love hear Chimaira finish this one up someday, although if now-departed guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries had a hand in writing it, that may not be possible…

Unreleased Age Of Hell Demo by MarkHunter108

Pretty sweet, no?

Check out the other demos after the jump.

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So it looks like Chimaira kept pretty busy while we were away.

First: as announced in November, last week’s twelfth annual Chimaira Christmas marked the band’s final performance with guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries. And, unfortunately, DeVries’ parting gift to vocalist Mark Hunter – who is now the band’s sole remaining original member — was to knock him over in the middle of “The Age of Hell,” resulting in Hunter taking a nasty spill and spraining his ankle. You can watch video of the incident below courtesy of The PRP (the fall comes just after the 1:18 mark), and see a photo of Hunter’s swollen ankle here.

Potentially better news is that while Hunter had thus far remained mum on his plans for Chimaira’s future, the band has since announced replacements for Arnold and DeVries.

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Truth is, Matt DeVries doesn’t get enough credit for his contributions to Chimaira; I’m as a guilty of fixating on his bandmates over him as anyone, to be sure. But the dude wrote the riff from “The Dehumanizing Process,” and for that alone, all Chimaira fans owe him free drinks for as long as he lives. Fella deserves some props, y’know?

So. DeVries has now released a statement to The PRP regarding his decision to leave Chimaira after the band’s twelfth annual Chimaira Christmas show at the end of this month. He doesn’t really say anything that you wouldn’t expect him to say, but I know my fellow Chimaira fanatics will wanna read it. And so:

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Maybe we shoulda called it MetaSucks?

ANYWAY, here’s some shit we did this week:

• The Austerity Program’s Justin Foley responded to Dr. Katrina McFerran’s study on teens, depression, and music. Then Dr. McFerran responded to Justin’s response. Then Justin responded to McFerran’s response to his response. Then I went permanently cross-eyed.
• We debuted new music by Keith Merrow’s Demisery.
• We spoke to Corey Lowery from Dark New Day and Eye Empire.
• We checked out the latest release from Astomatous and H20, Ringworm, Mindsnare, and Soul Search.
• We showed you some nice photos from both Day 1 and Day 2 of The Metal Suckfest.
• We counted down The Seven Most Metal Video Games Ever Made.
• We were bummed to learn that guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries are leaving Chimaira at the end of the year.
• We were even more bummed to see Chris Barnes shilling for used cars.
• We argued about the best metal albums of the 90s.
• We found something even worse than Lulu: LIVE Lulu.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I haven’t gotten blackout drunk in a week.

-AR

First, read vocalist — and now sole remaining original member — Mark Hunter’s statement on the matter. My own thoughts follow.

I would like to start off by thanking our fans for a great tour. This last run was a blast, and truly the most fun we’ve had in a long while. The energy from the audience was exactly what we needed, and a welcoming return. Thank you guys!

Unfortunately, as much fun as we were having, behind the scenes we were aware of some unfortunate realities that prevented us from “living the dream” and having the time of our lives. We had another bomb to drop on the fans.

Early in July we were informed that Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries would be leaving Chimaira at the end of 2011. Of course this was a huge blow, but there were no hard feelings. We understand that life invades art, everything runs its course, and we have to take different paths.

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If I’m not mistaken, Chimaira vocalist Mark Hunter has now been interviewed for MetalSucks more times than any other musician — which is fine by me. Not only is he one of my favorite front men all of modern metal, but I always come away from these interviews feeling like I actually learned something about a band I love. In a world where it increasingly feels like too many folks are giving what I’d call “paint by numbers” answers to interview questions, Hunter’s willingness to be so sincere is always refreshing.

And, besides, Chimaira’s new album, The Age of Hell (out today on eOne — stream it here, buy physical copies here, or download it from iTunes here), is not only totally awesome, but it arrives admist a flurry of drama and controversy, as the band changed fifty percent of the line-up in the intervening years since 2009′s The Infection. So there was certainly plenty to discuss this go-’round!

After the jump, read the full transcript of my most recent chat with Hunter, in which he discusses those line-up changes, Hell‘s creation, the band’s upcoming tour plans, and much, much more.

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Photo by Todd Bell

NOTE: We were all set to premiere this song this morning, but someone blew their load early and released it over the weekend. Luckily for whomever decided that person was, we have some awesome new Chimaira music to serve as an outlet for our rage, so his or her life is most likely still safe… for now. In any case, assuming you didn’t get to hear the tune yet, well, here it is!

The Age of Hell is almost upon us.

It’s no secret that these have been (ahem) hellish times for Chimaira. But if their new single, “Born in Blood” (below), is any indication, than they haven’t missed a beat creatively. A rager in the vein of the band’s anthems “Power Trip” and “Resurrection,”  ”Born in Blood” is Chimaira music at its best: more vicious than a slaughter house, and just as full of hooks. To put it simply, Chimaira have, once again, stuck the fucking landing — and they seem to know it, too.  ”There is no more doubt,” vocalist Mark Hunter bellows in simultaneous acknowledgment and dismissal of the sextet’s recent travails. “We won the war inside our minds… nothing can stop us now.” Yeah, no shit, dude!

So turn you speakers way, way, WAY up — if your walls are shaking and the neighbors are complaining, you’ve got it almost loud enough! — and then check out “Born in Blood” below. Then go here to download the track, which features a guest appearance by Whitechapel’s Phil Bozeman. You can download another new single from the band, “Trigger Finger,” here. Both songs will appear on The Age of Hell, out August 16 via eOne. We can’t wait.

[this streaming promotion has ended]

It’s kind of a weird time to be a Chimaira fan — we know the band is working on a new album for a new label (eOne), and we’ve even gotten to hear the slightest sliver of new music, and yet the band has shed half its line-up since November. (Drummer Andols Herrick just announced his split with the group yesterday.)

I’ve said time and again that I’m really not worried about the ongoing quality of the band’s music, since none of the now-departed members were known for being the songwriters in the group, and, let’s be real, at the end of the day, it really is all about the quality of the songs. That being said, I understand why some Chimaira fans are feeling kinda anxious right now; as fans, these are musicians we’ve come to know and love (and Todd Bell’s various behind-the-scenes DVDs do a really incredible job of making fans feel like they know each member of the band, regardless of whether or not that’s actually true), so, yeah, one might find it a little disconcerting to see these guys fly the coop.

The band understands your concern, though, and are planning to address those concerns in a live chat tonight at 9pm EST/6pm PST. Says vocalist Mark Hunter:

“In addition to answering questions about the new album, we will discuss the past, the present, and the future. We’re looking forward to seeing you all, and please help spread the word. Thank you!”

You can watch the chat here. I’m not sure if I’m gonna be able to be near a computer at 9 pm tonight, so, um, everyone please watch/participate so you can fill me in later!

-AR

[via The PRP]

Alright, so I was out of the office this afternoon at a meeting, and I walk out and check my e-mail on my phone to find like a thousand e-mails from readers pointing us towards this post on The PRP, in which drummer Andols Herrick announces his departure from Chimaira.

Here are some excerpts from Herrick’s statement:

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The new version of Six Feet Under — which, in addition to founding and longtime members Chris Barnes and Steve Swanson, now features Chimaira’s Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries and Daath’s Kevin Talley amongst its ranks — made its live debut in Europe over the weekend. So, of course, we now have cell cam footage! Whoo-hoo!

There’s no new material here so the footage doesn’t really tell us that much about this reincarnation of the band, but… they do play killer covers of the Cannibal Corpse classics “Hammer Smashed Faced” and “Stripped, Raped, and Strangled” (which might be my personal favorite Corpse riff of all time).

Six Feet Under will be touring North America as part of the MetalSucks-sponsored Summer Slaughter 2011; dates for that trek will be announced on April 20.

-AR

[via The PRP]

The new Chimaira-tastic Six Feet Under rehearsing. Photo via SFU’s Twitter account.

In April, the new line-up for Six Feet Under — which includes Chimaira guitarist Rob Arnold (read my interview with him regarding the matter here) and ex-Chimaira drummer Kevin Talley — will make its live debut in Europe. Now Arnold’s co-guitarist in Chimaira, Matt DeVries, has been added into the mix, to play bass — although it sounds like he’s just stepping in for this initial tour and is not a permanent addition to the band.

Still, it’s kinda funny that past and former members of Chimaira now outnumber members of Six Feet Under in Six Feet Under. I’m sure this is just wishful thinking, but maybe they’ll throw a cover from Chimaira onto the setlist? I could hear Chris Barnes doing a pretty mean rendition of “Bloodlust”… In any case, it would seem that they’re definitely gonna do some Cannibal Corpse tunes, which should be fun.

Here are those tour dates for our European readers:

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Photo by Mart Reinson

While winding down their recent European trek with Unearth, Daath and Throwdown, Mark Hunter, vocalist of perennial MetalSucks favorites Chimaira, was cool enough to answer some questions via e-mail. After the jump, get Mark’s thoughts on European audiences versus American audiences, eating at McDonald’s abroad, the joys of Don “The Dragon” Wilson, showers in Germany, and more.

And by the way, there’s a NSFW image in this interview. You were warned.

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I am SO PISSED that I missed Chimaira’s most recent tour (with Hatebreed), because a) Chimaira slay live and b) I’m fucking dying to hear some more material from The Infection in a live setting – when I saw the band on this spring’s Music as a Weapon tour, the album had literally just come out that day and the band were, consequently, only playing two new songs.

So. Rhythm guitarist Matt DeVries had to pull a Mark Morton and leave the tour early so he could get home for the birth of his new child, Austin (Mazel tov, Matt!); filling in for him is Daath co-guitarist/all around cool dude Emil Werstler. I am using this little fact as an excuse to post this video I saw on Blabbermouth of the Wersterful Chimaira performing “The Venom Inside.” Also, to point out that bassist Jim LaMarca seems to have shed his signature locks. That leaves DeVries as the only dude in Chimaira capable of windmilling. Just sayin’.

Chimaira continue to decimate Europe alongside Unearth, Throwdown, and our friends in Daath through October 12; then, at the end of the month, they hit the States again with Trivium, Whitechapel and Dirge Within. Get dates here.

-AR

Chimaira have never made the same exact album twice, so the only thing a listener can assume about a new Chimaira record is this: it’s going to be crushingly heavy. This band makes truly unpleasant, misanthropic Metal with a capital fucking “M.” Fuck, their most famous song is all about how they don’t like you very much.

The Infection is no exception. It sounds at once both distinctly like Chimaira and yet not precisely like anything the band has ever made before. The dichotomy of it, though, is that the vitriol is wrapped the catchiest and, in some ways, most optimistic music the Cleveland sextet has ever created.

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Few bands in modern metal are as exciting as Chimaira. That’s because few bands constantly undergo such a dramatic and undeniable evolutions from album to album – and do so with a bare minimum of line-up changes. From their 2000 self-released debut, This Present Darkness, right up to 2007′s Resurrection, Chimaira have never made the same album twice. Elements of thrash, death, groove, black, and even prog metal and punk abound, and, ultimately, the only thing you ever know for sure about a new Chimaira album is this: it’s gonna be heavy as a motherfucker, and just as catchy.

As the band – which includes guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries, bassist Jim LaMarca, drummer Andols Herrick, and keyboardist/sampler Chris Spicuzza – anticipates the April 21 release of their sixth album, The Infection, we were lucky enough to snag an exclusive e-mail interview with vocalist Mark Hunter. After the jump, read Mark’s thoughts on the group’s latest offering, the ongoing metamorphosis of their sound, reuniting with longtime producer Ben Schigel, the internet as a marketing tool, the state of his pure hatred, and more.

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While in the studio recording their new album, The Concealers, the members of Daath decided to record a medley of classic death metal songs by Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and Dying Fetus (see behind-the-scenes video above). Charmingly dubbed “Fecal Finger,” the track won’t actually appear on the band’s new album, so they decided to let us pass it on to you… for free!

Daath drummer Kevin Talley explained the genesis of the track to us via e-mail:

“Fecal Finger”… a beautiful name for a beautiful piece of music. One day we jammed some death metal songs and we jokingly said we should play them at a show… so we did. We chose the DYING FETUS song because I wrote and recorded it with them and many people never saw me play it live. Matt DeVries [Chimaira] and I used to jam that MORBID ANGEL riff a couple years ago so we brought that in since it is crushingly brutal. And you can’t jam a jam without Jim Carrey’s favorite death metal band CANNIBAL CORPSE. We recorded this freakin shit because kids these days need to recognize who influenced the newer bands they listen to. After hearing the originals for so many years, it’s weird hearing these songs with a newer style recording. But Sean Z’s vocals are fucking sick and Jonny Davy’s (Job for a Cowboy) guest vocals on the MORBID ANGEL part are amazing. This recording is finally growing on me and it’s actually my favorite thing to listen to right now.

-Kevin Talley

And so, without further adieu…

Daath, “Fecal Finger”

The Concealers will hit stores sometime in early 2009.

-MetalSucks

So as you may have heard by now, Chimaira are allowing fans to watch them live in the studio as they record their new album. The way it works is, you go to their official site and if the “Live Cam” icon in the upper right corner of the screen is red, you can click on it and watch whatever the fuck they’re doing at the moment. Sounds pretty cool, right?

Unfortunately, as I watched drummer Andols Herrick finish up his tracks yesterday afternoon, I remembered something I already knew: being in the studio is not super exciting. In fact, it’s pretty tedious. Herrick played some drums, picked his cuticles, played the same song again, picked his cuticles some more, fucked around with the cymbals a little, spoke (inaudibly) with producer Ben Schigel, played the same song again… and then I woke up an hour later with drool all over my keyboard.

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