Cleveland metal outfit Chimaira's fifth release, "The Infection" (Ferret Music), isn't for the faint of heart�or the casual heavy music fan. Produced by longtime producer Ben Schigel and mixed by the mighty Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall), every downstroke feels like a bludgeon to the face, every snare hit a pistol-shot to the chest. Topped off with keyboardist Chris Spicuzza's dark electronics and singer Mark Hunter's this-means-war growl, "The Infection" clearly finds the band at the top of their powers. Given the amount of sonic territory "The Infection" covers, the band's power and vision remains consistent. While the individual members will pledge allegiance to disparate-sounding bands ranging from Carcass, Slayer and Nine Inch Nails, the commonality they share is 100-percent Chimaira.

The band's 2009 is slammed with a relentless touring campaign beginning with a slot supporting Disturbed this spring, followed by trips to Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the band will visit Russia for the first time, and are also looking forward to appearing at the Desert Rock Festival in Dubai. With a decade of service to the metal masses behind them, Chimaira are embracing their future with an unwavering enthusiasm. - http://www.myspace.com/secretshows

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