Chimaira - 'The Infection'

After a lot of turmoil leading up to Chimaira's 2007 CD Resurrection, things were much more comfortable for their latest effort The Infection. Everyone was getting along, and they brought back Ben Schigel, who had produced a couple of their previous albums and has been friends with the band for more than a decade.

As a result, The Infection isn't as brutal, but it's more creative and intricate than their last album. One of the main differences is the slowdown in tempo. Instead of fast and technical songs, you'll hear mostly mid-tempo tracks with a massive groove and creative use of atmosphere.

There's still plenty of potency to The Infection. Monster breakdowns and bludgeoning drums abound, but there's also a lot of variety and different approaches. "Impending Doom" starts with whispered and singing vocals from Mark Hunter before kicking in, and periodically returns to that style.

"Frozen In Time" is a very strong track. Massive riffs, ominous keyboards, a memorable chorus and strong vocals make it a highlight. "Secrets Of The Dead" has a great groove and catchy riffs, and has parts that remind me of a Dethklok song, with the same atmosphere and low pitched vocals.

The album ends with "The Heart Of It All," an epic instrumental clocking in at over 14 minutes. It's a nice showcase for guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries, and keyboardist Chris Spicuzza also gets plenty of room to display his talent. There are a lot of ebbs and flows and changes in tempo and intensity, but it gets a bit self-indulgent. It's pretty tough to hold the listener's attention for that long, especially for an instrumental. The last five minutes of the song is a barely audible keyboard hum, ending things with a whimper.

(released April 21, 2009 on Ferret Music)