The latest Chimaira album is really a true "resurrection" for the band. Not that they've disappeared from the stage, nor from their fans' attention, but nevertheless the split with Roadrunner Records and the signing to Nuclear Blast in Europe (and Ferret Music in America) marked a new beginning that brings us a brand-new, fully loaded, incredibly powerful album. "Resurrection" is exceptionally varied, vital and rich. This richness of sound comes from the mixture of lots of high-pitched riffs that we're used to, plus many beautiful solos. A nice surprise is also the tinge of progressive rock the musicians have entangled in their music through fine solos, which gets pretty obvious mainly in the nearly 10-minute-long track "Six". As a whole, the album is strikingly melodic for a metalcore/thrash band and, combined with an unimpeachable rhythm, we get a gripping record you'd catch yourself humming to. The feeling you get while listening to how the rhythm gradates - led at times by the lead guitar, at others by the drums - is truly fascinating. The usual hardcore vocals are shaded with clean ones, but always to the accompaniment of strong thrash riffs, and the main path throughout the whole album is drawn by the massive drumming of Andols Herrick who returned to Chimaira right on time. Unlike the music, the topics treated in the lyrics are no surprise - aggressive, direct, sometimes even masochistic ("Pleasure in Pain"), with every line hitting you with full power right in the face. "Worthless" could make anyone feel really insignificant for a moment, and "The Flame" sends chills down your spine with an ugly story that sadly reflects our reality. "Resurrection" is truly a successful album that provides a little bit of something for everyone who's into heavy music. Maybe Chimaira's oldest fans would miss the raw sound and primary energy of the band's first releases, but it's not that the music's changed, not at all. It has just gotten smoother.