Crown of Phantoms
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio , United States |
Key people | Mark Hunter (lead vocals), Austin D'Amond (drums), Sean Zatorsky (keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals), Emil Werstler (lead guitar), Jeremy Creamer (bass), Matt Szlachta (rhythm guitar) |
| Products | Metal music albums |
Crown of Phantoms represents the seventh and concluding studio release by the American metal group Chimaira. Distributed on July 30, 2013, via E1 Music, this album uniquely features members Austin D'Amond, Jeremy Creamer, Sean Zatorsky, Emil Werstler, and Matt Szlachta, who joined the lineup between 2011 and 2012 and exited in September 2014.
Release
On April 18, 2013, Chimaira revealed plans for their seventh studio effort, Crown of Phantoms, scheduled for release on July 30, 2013. To support the production of a Fan Edition CD/DVD containing bonus tracks, a documentary, and exclusive material, the band initiated an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. This initiative reached its funding goal by June 2, 2013. Subsequently, on June 4, the full tracklist alongside the album artwork was made public.
The lead single, "All That's Left Is Blood," debuted on May 14, 2013, accompanied by an official music video. A second track, "No Mercy," was released with its own video on June 18, 2013.
Crown of Phantoms entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 52, with first-week sales around 7,400 copies and an additional 1,800 units sold in the following week—surpassing the prior album's No. 54 entry. The album earned a place in MetalSucks' list titled "Axl Rosenberg's Top Fifteen Metal Albums of 2013."
Recording and production
Ben Schigel handled production and mixing duties at Spider Studios, while mastering was completed by Dan Millice at Engine Room Audio located in New York City.
Personnel
- Chimaira
- Mark Hunter – lead vocals
- Austin D'Amond – drums
- Sean Zatorsky – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals
- Emil Werstler – lead guitar
- Jeremy Creamer – bass
- Matt Szlachta – rhythm guitar
- Additional musicians
- Steve Basil – piano on "King of the Shadow World"
- Production
- Patrick Finegan – artwork and art direction
- Scott Givens – A&R
- Dan Millice – mastering
- Ben Schigel – production, engineering, mixing
- Mark Lewis, Jim Stewart, Tony Gammalo – assistant producers
- Ben Hostetler – assistant engineer
- Recorded and mixed at Spider Studios (Cleveland, Ohio)
- Guitar re-amping performed at Audiohammer Studios (Orlando, Florida)
- Mastering completed at Engine Room Audio (New York City)