The Age of Hell
| Industry | Heavy metal music |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Heavy metal albums |
The Age of Hell marks the sixth full-length release by the American heavy metal group Chimaira, officially launched on August 16, 2011. In its initial week, the album achieved sales exceeding 7,000 units within the United States, entering the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 54. Prior to the album's release, a music video for "Year of the Snake" was unveiled on August 10, 2011. A Hot Topic exclusive edition offered fans a DVD featuring a 50-minute interview with the revamped band lineup; however, it did not include any music videos.
For listeners in the United Kingdom, the album was made available as a complimentary CD included with the September 2011 edition of Metal Hammer magazine.
Critical reception
Dave Donnelly, writing for AllMusic, observed that despite the departure of drummer Andols Herrick, keyboardist Chris Spicuzza, and bassist Jim LaMarca, vocalist Mark Hunter and guitarist Rob Arnold adeptly assumed additional responsibilities. This adjustment resulted in a cohesive sound that closely mirrored the band's 2009 release, The Infection. Similarly, Rick Bakker from Metal Arcade praised the album as "a definitive return to form for Chimaira," underscoring the band's renewed self-assurance and reinforced standing within the metal genre.
Personnel
Chimaira
- Mark Hunter – lead vocals, keyboards, samples
- Rob Arnold – guitar, bass guitar
- Ben Schigel – drums
Additional musicians
- Tony Gammalo – bass guitar on "Beyond the Grave"
- Emil Werstler – guitar solo on "Samsara", keyboards, samples
- Phil Bozeman – guest vocals on "Born in Blood"
- Patrick Finegan, Lauren Dupont, Vincent DiFranco – keyboards and samples
- Kalam Muttalib – saxophone on "Clockwork", keyboards and samples
- Austin D'amond – drums (track 16)
- Emil Werstler – guitar (track 16)
- Sean Z – keyboards (track 16)
Production
- Ben Schigel – production
- Mark Hunter – production
- Tony Gammalo – additional production duties
- Rob Arnold – additional production contributions
- Zeuss – mixing and mastering at Planet Z Studios
- Garrett Zunt – artwork and design
- Todd Bell – supplementary artwork and art direction
Charts
Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart| Chart (2011) | Highest position |
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