Erik, J.J. and Jade set up and the two front men turn their backs to us and check their tuning (I’m guessing), making sure everything is ready for what is about to happen. The main lights dim and the stage is illuminated with a dark blue color. Erik gets the guitar to scream a little and he and J.J. turn around to begin the sudden slaughter. The sheer brutality and immense sound that comes from the band from here on out was absolutely amazing. This was my first time seeing Hate Eternal live and It was far more satisfying that I had hoped for.
The sound was absolutely breathtaking and true to how the albums sound. Jade’s drumming was impeccable and the performance on J.J.’s and Erik’s fretboard was very impressive. J.J.’s work on that bass guitar was mind blowing and he is incredibly over looked when it comes to talented bass guitarists and even vocals. I managed to talk to both Erik and J.J. briefly and it’s awesome how two genuinely nice guys can growl and scream and play such savage music. They play their music with intensity and precision, the band’s sound throughout the entire set was very tight and just massive. Not one note was fucked up (from what I could hear, I was headbanging quite a bit) and these guys play with a fierce fire in their hearts and it truly shows on stage.
October 16th, 2011…Chimaira takes the stage in front of a small crowd at The Beaumont Club. The crowd is the smallest I’ve ever seen at any venue, but that doesn’t stop the band nor does it make the energy in the room feel weaker. The crowd was pumped and ready for the band to take the stage. Once they took the stage, they fucking brought it. Sound, lights, presence…all was as it should be. Anytime I’ve seen Chimaira they have always brought it 100%.
The sound was powerful and loud. Everything was clear and precise. The lighting was phenomenal and was really flashy at times. Sometimes the lights would calm the fuck down and just sit idol. During the guitar solo’s, the spotlight would hit Rob Arnold and it was pretty epic. He is so good at what he does.
The setlist was fucking pro. It was 17 songs long! It’s been years since I’ve seen them perform a headlining set and it was well worth the wait. They played tons of new stuff and it sounded great. Of course with all of the new tunes, they had to throw in some classics like Severed and Power Trip.
Each band member was amazing. Matt never fudged a riff, Rob never missed a note, Mark’s voice sounded better than ever. Stage presence was great as well. The members of Chimaira got into it and were all over the stage. Sean Z did well with the back up vocals and hammering down the electronic ambiance that Chimaira has. Emil was very much into the music and held down the bass guitar duties like a pro. Drumming was done very well by Mr. Austin D’Amond. The stage always had energy and intensity happening, even between songs I never calmed down.
Even with the crowd being incredibly small, they were energetic and moshing. Screaming back the words and enjoying themselves. It was cool to see less than 100 people have such a good time and really get into it.
I was impressed and blown away, again. This was my….5th or 6th time seeing Chimaira. They never let me down! They always put on a good show. They have never left me disappointed and I am always satisfied with their performance. Well done. Through all of the line up changes and everything, they still continue to kick ass.
Turns out, Rob and Matt are leaving Chimaira later this year. I’m thankful to have seen these two with Chimaira one last time. Also, I happened to score a pick, an interview and a photo with Rob so that means so much more now than ever.
