[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chimaira1_4051.jpg]]

Chimaira was easily one of the genre's most consistently hard-hitting and [[HotBlooded passionate]] bands. Formed in the year of 1998, the band was, with Music/LambOfGod, a notable member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, the modern equivalent of NWOBHM. They originally started off with a NuMetal / GrooveMetal hybrid, eventually dropping the influence from the former and mixing the latter with {{Metalcore}}, DeathMetal, and ThrashMetal. Well-known in the metal community for their vocalist Mark Hunter and their guitarist Rob Arnold, the band has had [[RevolvingDoorBand several lineup changes]] since their formation.

Musically, they were noted for their extensive use of double-bass drumming and their brutal, rhythmic vocals. Despite the many influences in their music as stated above, they are labeled by most as a {{Metalcore}} or GrooveMetal band, though they are far, far more respected than most bands in the former genre.

On September 3, 2014, Mark Hunter officially announced the end of the band shortly after Emil Wrestler quit, which had led to the rest of the members leaving prior to Hunter making said announcement. In 2017, they announced a one-off reunion with the original lineup. As of 2022, they are active on an extremely infrequent live basis and have no plans to ever record music or be a fully active band again.

!!!Last Known Members:
* Mark Hunter – lead vocals (1998–2014)

!!!Notable Past Members:
* Rob Arnold – lead guitar, bass (1999–2011)
* Andols Herrick – drums (1999–2003, 2006–2011)
* [[Music/FearFactory Matt]] [[Music/SixFeetUnder DeVries]] – rhythm guitar (2001–2011)
* [[Music/DyingFetus Kevin Talley]] – drums (2004–2006)
* Ben Schigel – drums (2011)
* Richard Evensand – drums (2003–2004)
* Austin D'Amond – drums (2011–2014)
* Sean Zatorsky – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals (2011–2014)
* Emil Werstler – lead guitar (2012–2014), bass guitar (2010-2011), rhythm guitar (2009)
* Jeremy Creamer – bass guitar (2012–2014)
* Matt Szlachta – rhythm guitar (2012–2014)


!!!Studio Albums:
* ''Pass Out of Existence'' (2001)
* ''The Impossibility of Reason'' (2003)
* ''Chimaira'' (2005)
* ''Resurrection'' (2007)
* ''The Infection'' (2009)
* ''The Age of Hell'' (2011)
* ''Crown of Phantoms'' (2013)
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!!Chimaira provides examples of:

* {{Angrish}}: Mark Hunter's signature vocals sometimes embrace this.
* BodyHorror: ''Resurrection'' 's artwork.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Their later albums are much angrier than ''Pass Out of Existence'', which itself was ''already'' really angry. In general, they're this for GrooveMetal and {{Metalcore}}
* {{Deathcore}}: Have skirted the line here and there, with ''The Infection'' being the closest that they've ever come to actually being this.
* EldritchAbomination/[[GodOfEvil Goddess Of Evil]]: "Six" is apparently about one.
* EpicRocking:
** "Jade" is 13 minutes long
** "Implements of Destruction" as well.
** "Everything You Love" and "Lazarus" are 6 and 7 minutes respectively.
** "Six" is 9 minutes long
** "The Heart of It All" is the longest song by far, being 14 minutes
* HeavyMeta: "End it All" was largely about Mark's love-hate relationship with touring.
* IAmTheBand: Mark Hunter
* ImportantHaircut: Immediately after ''Resurrection'' dropped, Mark cut off his dreadlocks.
* {{Instrumentals}}: "Implements of Destruction" and "The Heart Of It All."
* {{Jerkass}}: Kevin Talley was known to be one when he was younger, but became a genuinely nice and engaging person later on. Mark Hunter is apparently a straighter example based on what various former members and bands who have toured with Chimaira have said.
* MisanthropeSupreme: '''ALL''' of the protagonists in their song.
* MetalScream: All three types, with type 3 being the most used.
* NewSoundAlbum:
** ''The Impossibility of Reason'' was a GenreShift to GrooveMetal and {{Metalcore}}
** The SelfTitledAlbum brought some extreme metal traits, resulting in a heavier album than with the debut.
** ''Resurrection'' cranked the [[DeathMetal death]] and [[ThrashMetal thrash]] influences up, being even heavier and faster in favor of longer, more varied songs.
** ''The Infection'' toned them down in favor of a more DoomMetal sound and was probably the closest they came to deathcore.
** ''The Age Of Hell'' was a return to the old sound present in ''Impossibility'', along with some nu-metal elements ("Clockwork" being the most overt).
** ''Crown of Phantoms'' had an industrial tinge to it thanks to some of the members also being from Daath, as well as bringing back the slower grooves
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Listen to their first album and listen to every other one.
* {{Metalcore}}: One of the heaviest bands in the genre.
* NuMetal: Their first album. Elements of it intermittently popped up in their later material.
* RevolvingDoorBand: The HUGE turnover rate was what eventually killed the band.
* SignatureStyle: Hard hitting, fast paced metal music that borrows from the more extreme styles of metal while still having a modern sound.
* SpecialGuest: Stephen Carpenter of Music/{{Deftones}} on "Rizzo", Jason Suecof doing sampling on all of ''Resurrection'', Jason Popson of Music/{{Mushroomhead}} on "Convictions, and Phil Bozeman of Whitechapel on "Born in Blood"
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