Ill Niño

"This is War"

Members:
Cristian Machado – vocals
Dave Chavarri - drums
Ahrue Luster - guitars
Jardel Paisante - guitars
Lazaro Pina - bass
Danny Couto - percussion

On their first two albums, Ill Niño, crafted songs out of crushing riffs, surging beats and urgent vocals. They then took those songs and infused them with elements of their Latino heritage, including tribal percussion, flamenco guitars and Spanish lyrics. But as innovative and refreshing as their sound was, Ill Niño still felt somewhat constrained by self-imposed limitations. So, for their third album, One Nation Underground , the band decided to act on impulse and do what ever felt natural, even if it seemed unconventional.

"We wanted to make a record that would make us happy as musicians first and foremost," says vocalist Cristian Machado. By stretching their boundaries and catering only to themselves, Ill Niño were able to create music that broke new ground and reflected the savagery, rage, disillusionment, beauty and melancholy the band members felt within. "There was nothing holding us back this time," drummer Dave Chavarri says. "We wanted to let it rip and jam on different Latin rhythms and see where it led us"

The result is Ill Niño's most intense, consistent and challenging album yet. "This Is War" begins as a striking mélange of textural chants, propulsive riffs, scouring vocals and a memorable melodic chorus, then shifts into a Latin jam reminiscent of Santana. "Everything Beautiful" starts with tribal instrumentation, then builds through a jagged riff and yearning vocal redolent of Tool.

THANKS TO:
Roadrunner Records
Infected Soundtrack

Chimaira

"Pass Out of Existence"

Members:
- Mark Hunter - Vocals
- Matt DeVries - Guitars
- Rob Arnold - Guitars
- Jim LaMarca - Bass
- Chris Spicuzza - Electronics
- Kevin Talley - Drums

Chimaira is a six-membered alternative metal band, originating in Cleveland, Ohio. Chimaira's name has been the source of much confusion. Its correct pronunciation is kim-EAR-uh, even though the name is derived from Chimera, a lion-headed monster in Greek mythology whose name is pronounced kai-MEAR-uh.

Chimaira was formed in 1998, composing itself of Mark Hunter (vocals), Jason Hager (guitar), Rob Arnold (guitar), Jim LaMarca (bass), Andols Herrick (drums) and Chris Spicuzza (keyboards and electronics). Jason Hager later left the band after Pass Out Of Existence due to family issues and the band gained Matt DeVries. Their first EP, This Present Darkness, was released two years later, on January 11, 2000, featuring a few of the songs that were later on their release, Pass Out of Existence. This Present Darkness found much popularity and critical acclaim, and Chimaira found themselves on a short-term record contract with East Coast Empire. The band further skyrocketed in popularity, acquiring a new contract with RoadRunner Records. Pass Out of Existence, released in 2001, and The Impossibility of Reason, released in 2003, was enough to fund Chimaira's extensive touring with In Flames, and their second-stage performance at Ozzfest, also in 2003.

Musically, Pass Out of Existence had a much more "electronic" sound than The Impossibility of Reason, with Chris Spicuzza's pronounced electronic loops featured in many songs. This sound was often compared to artists like Fear Factory, Spineshank and Machine Head. The Impossibility of Reason kept with a more pure, metal-esque instrumentation, akin to metalcore and thrash-ish bands such as Killswitch Engage, and this was found to be very popular--the album reached #2 on Billboard's "Heatseekers" chart.

Their selftitled album, released in August 2005, built upon the progress of The Impossibility of Reason. The electronic feel of Pass Out of Existence and This Present Darkness is much reduced, and the guitar riffs and solos are taking a more central position to the band's music. The themes of "rejection, revenge and repercussion" from The Impossibility of Reason reamain, although there are exceptions here - the track "Lazarus" is named for, and written about a friend of Hunter's commiting suicide.


THANKS TO:
Wikipedia
Roadrunner Records
Higher Ground Music