The Impossibility of Reason marks the difficult second album mark for Chimaira. Having placed themselves at the forefront of American heavy rock with their 2001 debut Pass Out of Existence, they've looked around for new influences and, having spent six weeks on the road with Slayer, they haven't had to look far. The Impossibility of Reason is deeply marked by Slayer's profound misanthropy and relentless riffing. There's nothing hip here, no rapping, no stop-start tactics or big pop choruses, just pure old-school metal. That's not to say the album is simply a barrage of noise--the tasteful piano and strings and harmonising guitars of "Down Again" recall The Scorpions at their lightest, while Crawl's vocal melodies owe much to Alice in Chains. Then there's the closing ten minute instrumental "Implements of Destruction" where Spanish guitars are over-run by huge synths leading into a multi-faceted and often beautiful prog-metal. What's really interesting about Chimaira, though, is the sadistic lyricism of Mark Hunter. Growling lines such as "You're a pig and should die/ I would feel no remorse/ I honestly absolutely fucking hate you", he's bubbling over with an adolescent desire for spiteful retribution against anyone's who's ever crossed him. In this he's the Anti-Dawson, a thoroughly reprehensible icon of American youth. If only there were more like him. --Dominic Wills
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