| | Full Review | Ratings (174) |
Give your Rating |
| 2.5 average | Robert Garland STAFF | July 27th 13 |
Time for Chimaira to hang up their gear. This is too streamlined, for a band that's always used hooks this is over the top almost to a commercially viable, pop/radio level. It doesn't help when the groove has less edge, less gusto, the aggression is gone for a band who really should have been able to do better than this.
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | Eclecticist | July 27th 13 |
This is surprisingly really good. Why? Pretty much: RIFFS!
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | Jared Floryan | March 21st 15 |
It sure as heck doesn't feature omnipotent songwriting abilities and won't put listeners in a frenzied kind of cybersleep, but Crown of Phantoms is at times groovy as it is harsh. Chimaira didn't exactly go out with a bang, though they managed to offer a safe, yet aggressive release that at least grasps uniformity. The likes of "Plastic Wonderland," "I Despise," and "All That's Left Is Blood" work some wonders in stroking your jerry.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | ReAnimator | January 3rd 14 |
Mark Hunter's average presence used to hold Chimaira back, especially on the self-titled and its follow-up, but he's stepped up in a big way. Replacing the entire band with members of Daath really mitigates the issue of Hunter's performance. "The Machine" is among Chimaira's best openers and the title track features some of the strongest synergy the band has ever seen. "Crown of Phantoms" is one of the most pleasant surprises of 2013 from a band I didn't think had it in them.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | RedHorizon | July 30th 13 |
The line-up changes have really altered Chimaira's sound, mostly in a good way, to be honest. Crown Of Phantoms is not as aggressive or in-your-face as the Cleveland-based band's prior efforts, but it still boasts a good amount of solid riffs, brutal dynamics, and Mark Hunter sounds a lot angrier and gut-wrenched than ever before. Overall, this is a good labum that shows that Hunter and (new) co. still have it in them.
Bump |
| 4.5 superb | meeero | July 30th 13 |
I really like this album. great riffs. Favourite songs are crown of phantoms spineless and plastic wonderland. It is one of their best albums. Now i am looking forward to new devildriver !!!
Bump |
| 3.5 great | BassDemon333 | July 28th 13 |
This album confuses me. Even after a few listens I'm still trying to get a grasp on how I feel about it. The band are clearly giving it their all, and Emil Werstler certainly holds his own replacing Rob Arnold as the bands primary songwriter, but the songs are seriously lacking the hooks and instrumental passages that made their self-titled and Resurrection such great albums. Still though, for having the entire lineup apart from Hunter replaced this is still a solid effort, it just lacks variation and blends together way too often.
Bump |
| 2.0 poor | Emethyst | July 27th 13 |
The only phrase to properly describe Chimaira's latest is musical senescence. Chimaira's near death experience just prior to The Age of Hell seemed to have drained them of everything which made them good. The riffs have become stale, quickly bleeding into one another with little to differentiate them. The instrumental hooks which made tracks such as Six and Salvation great are gone, replaced by a wall of sound offering no bite. Even Hunter's once biting vocals appear tired, offering nothing to make up for what has been stripped away. Although there are some good moments, album highlight Plastic Wonderland cannot salvage what is ultimately a poor and exhausted effort. The only question remaining is how long the death throes will last.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | Nytro | July 27th 13 |
I don't know why I expected more, as Chimaira haven't really had a great album since
Resurrection. The Infection and Age of Hell were good, but never got to the level of
Impossibility of Reason, their Self Titled, or Resurrection. I thought Emil Werstler would
provide some life into the band. Maybe, just maybe, he could be what propels the band from
good to great. Well, the answer is no. Yet again we get Ok riffs, ok drumming, some cool
solos, but Mark Hunter sounds about as unenthusiastic as ever. There are some good
headbanging moments, but they are so few and far between that it looks like the band yet
again walks the tight rope of consistently good, but not great, metal.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | MaSuPe | March 3rd 24 |
| 2.5 average | DocBass | August 26th 21 |
| 1.0 awful | nbats | July 19th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Zaeth | June 5th 17 |
| 2.5 average | hsb | October 27th 16 |
| 3.5 great | boff | July 8th 15 |
| 3.0 good | Majkl | April 28th 15 |
| 2.5 average | Zubes | April 3rd 15 |
| 3.5 great | ZBJE | February 18th 15 |
| 3.5 great | tribszn | February 10th 15 |
| 3.0 good | slaps | December 17th 14 |
| 2.0 poor | Prole | November 10th 14 |
| 2.5 average | Pollux | October 25th 14 |
| 2.5 average | Deviant. STAFF | June 10th 14 |
| 3.5 great | ngk44 | April 18th 14 |
| 3.5 great | iSoton | February 25th 14 |
| 3.0 good | Thibs | January 16th 14 |
| 2.5 average | Ramoy95 | December 31st 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | YUJOS | November 5th 13 |
| 3.5 great | Phate72 | September 23rd 13 |
| 3.5 great | ryan10 | August 28th 13 |
| 2.5 average | Gnome7 | August 10th 13 |
| 2.0 poor | apert | August 1st 13 |
| 3.5 great | N2B3J | July 30th 13 |
| 3.0 good | heck | July 27th 13 |
| 3.0 good | Drawk | July 27th 13 |
| 3.5 great | neikos | July 10th 13 |
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