This collaborative effort was also able to give each song on The Impossibility Of Reason its own distinct identity. Arnold admits that horns-in-the-air guitar solos are something prevalent on the album. "We're going back to the era of ripping out leads and growing out the hair", he exclaims. "The album is so much more guitar driven." Arnold even goes so far to admit that "standing on the side of the stage, watching Kerry King of Slayer play for six weeks, had a lot to do with what came out of me musically."
"Down Again" defines Chimaira's dynamic ability. "Pure Hatred" is the most pulverizing song, which is an easy guess, given the blunt title. "That is the song everyone will relate to. It's the final act of revenge, and the chorus is "I hate everyone," says Hunter. The song is devastating enough to elicit comparisons to Pantera's quintessential "Fuck You" anthem "Walk". The title track, according to Arnold, has fast paced heavy guitars with insane drums, and "a groove... that all familiar groove that we are known for. Then, the chorus hits the listener like a ton of bricks. When the ending comes in, you realize this is a changed band, and that you are hearing something special."
On The Impossibility Of Reason, Chimaira shows its ambitious side. The last song on the record "Implements Of Destruction" is an epic. "We're trying to bring back the epic instrumental," says Hunter. "It hasn't been done for a while. It's beyond epic. It's 12 minutes and we're paying homage to some of our favorite metal songs."
It's Chimaira's metal vision that has won Slayer's Kerry King over to Chimaira's side. King has espoused the virtues of Chimaira in national magazines such as Guitar World. King is notorious for his criticisms of many "newer" metal bands, but he has championed Chimaira. Ultimately, there is no better endorsement for the NWOAHM movement than Kerry Fucking King.
With its old-school stylings and head-banging flair, it easy to understand why metal fans across the globe would be drawn to Chimaira's music. The band's sound is uniquely their own, yet it pays homage to those metal giants that came before them, drawing up the blueprint for the NWOAMHM. The Impossibility of Reason draws from many seemingly opposite points both within and outside of the metal genre to create a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
