Chimaira

Die hard thrash metal outfit Chimaira are on tour igniting moshpits across the UK performing songs from their most recent studio album, The Infection. This latest release is their most ambitious yet, consisting of 10 songs worth of unadulterated metal. The group is made up of lead singer Mark Hunter, guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries, bassist Jim LaMarca, drummer Andols Herrick and keyboardist Chris Spicuzza. The band formed in 1998 and soon became integral figures in the American new-wave metal scene. Their first studio album, Pass Out Of Existence, was produced in 2001 on a large budget for Roadrunner Records and is considered their most commercial album. For their 2003 release they worked towards producing music that was less mainstream and faithfully expressed all that Chimaira wanted to convey to their fans. For their eponymous 2005 album the group signed with Ferret and felt they were now on the right track. Chimaira were criticised at the time by members of the media for being unstable and inconsistent, but fans felt that this clearly demonstrated their belief in their music and willingness to experiment. This level of dedication and passion comes through in their performance style and collective stage personas.

• Website: www.myspace.com/chimaira