BAND: Chimaira
INTERVIEWER: Liz Wise (liz@bandvibe.com)
INTERVIEWEE: Rob Arnold, Lead guitar
DATE OF INTERVIEW: 03.31.07

BAND MEMBERS:
Mark Hunter- Vocals
Matt DeVries- Guitar
Rob Arnold- Guitar
Jim LaMarca- Bass
Chris Spicuzza- Electronics
Andols Herrik- Drums

BV: So how’s it going?
Rob: Sorry, I just ate at a Mexican restaurant and now I feel like I smell like it.
BV: Oh, did you go to Mezcal down the road?
Rob: Yeah, yep that’s the one. Had some great fajitas, it was good.
BV: If you want to get drunk, maybe later on, they’ve got some great margaritas.
Rob: (Laughs) That’s what I heard. I didn’t have one though.

BV: Ok, anyways… I’ve always wondered, why do guys spell Chimaira as you do, instead of as chimera with an ‘E’, like the creature?
Rob: Well it’s a really interesting story- because we saw it in the dictionary and that was it. When we first looked for a name we just flipped through the dictionary, saw Chimaira and thought that was kind of cool. That was the spelling and that was it.
BV: Well I guess when something isn’t actually real, it doesn’t really matter how it’s spelled to an extent.
Rob: Yeah ,I got you. It’s mythology.

BV: Your new record, Resurrection, has been out a little less than a month. How’s it being received?
Rob: Great! We’re totally happy. It debuted at 42 on the Billboard charts, which is incredible for a metal band out of Cleveland. Especially an extremely heavy metal band like ourselves, with no radio play or anything like that. We’re definitely proud of it. It was the highest debut for our record label (Ferret Records) that they’ve ever had and I’m interested to see what’s going to happen in the future.

BV: Who did the artwork on the new album? Do you guys have a say in that?
Rob: I personally don’t have anything to do with the artwork so I don’t even know who did it. And people have been asking me in interviews so I made it a point a couple weeks ago to ask Mark or Chris so I could tell people and they didn’t know. So we don’t know. I just remember we were at the Resurrection video shoot, and it was like the art was supposed to have been turned in the week before, so they brought in a laptop and we had to decide right there. There were a couple choices and everyone liked that one. It just symbolizes a metamorphose, kind of like the resurrection.
BV: So the label just had artists draw something up?
Rob: No, I don’t think it had anything to do with the label. Chris and Mark head up that stuff, so I’m sure they got in touch with somebody and had some submissions. They kind of tell people what we’re looking for and we could get some revisions. But that was the final one for us.

BV: Do you feel now, being on Ferret as opposed to Roadrunner, that you have more say in the graphic aspects of the album, and the photos as well as content?
Rob: Well we’ve always had say in that sort of thing. We’re definitely a DIY band. Mark and Chris have always been in charge of the photos, artwork and things like that. Ferret really respected all our decisions right off the bat because they know that we know what’s going on. We’re not just some brand new band that just got signed; we’ve been around and have good business heads. They put in their two cents but gave us complete control and freedom to do what we wanted to do.

BV: Who came up with the concept for the video for your song “Resurrection”? Or what is the concept?
Rob: Todd Bell who was the director, who was our high school buddy. Right as our band was starting he went to LA to go to film school. So he’s done a bunch of our videos. He’s done both of our DVDs. He does most of our photos. He just an awesome guy that we relate to really well since we’ve known Each other for so long. We were originally going to use a concept that was totally different, like a resurrection where we were rising from the ground after being buried or something. And that’s actually where Ferret told us, no, everyone knows that you guys are coming back from something- like getting off of Roadrunner. So lets show people what the spirit of the band is right now. And that’s just hanging out and having a good time and that’s totally what it’s about. Todd said let’s just make a party atmosphere like drinking and chicks and some UFC fighters. It was just a good time thing.
BV: Now that you’ve told me I get it a lot more but just seeing it before, and Mark is yelling “Determination, perseverance, resurrection”, and all you see is strippers, I was confused. Because those words don’t come to my mind when I think of strippers (laughs).
Rob: That’s a good point. And I’ve never thought of it that way. But we’re determined to have strippers around. (Laughs) No, I’m just kidding. It was that or do the typical video for bands in our genre, which is guys in a warehouse just jamming with some blue lights.

BV: How do you warm up for a show? Do you warm up?
Rob: I usually play guitar for about a half hour. Get my blood flowing and hand warmed up. I’ll usually go over the solos for the songs we’ll play that night. Have a few shots, a couple beers and loosen up. I stretch out a ton. I had a knee injury at a show many years ago and since then I religiously stretch every muscle in my body for a good twenty minutes or so.

BV: Are you guys planning to do any of the large tours this summer?
Rob: In all of June, we’re going to be in Europe doing the summer festivals over there and then when we get back- we’re actually not supposed to say yet.
BV: Ah, come on.
Rob: It just hasn’t been announced yet. That’s the way it goes. It’ll be something in the states though.

BV: Have you been picking up any new guitar techniques from the Dragonforce guys?
Rob: Those guys definitely shred but no, I haven’t jammed with them. They haven’t shown me anything. We haven’t even played together. We’ve definitely hung out, but at this point in our careers everybody just plays when they’re on stage and that’s about it.

BV: So a lot of times in local bands, or younger bands, I’ll find that kids just figure they’ll start a band and don’t continue school and just figure they’ll make it. So what was your original intent in joining a band and playing music? Fame, money, etc.
Rob: Same thing. I gave up school, I gave up a job, everything. But that’s what you’ve got to do. It’s also about having the right chemistry in the band too. You can’t just have one guy who is willing to do that, everybody has to be willing to do that, and to practice five nights a week. You can’t have three of the guys practicing and the other couple guys have to work or whatever. And then it doesn’t matter if you have the best guitarist in the world if your drummer sucks, or vice versa. You have to have a group that has the same determination and the same goals. There’s no money in metal.

BV: What would you be doing if you weren't playing in Chimaira?
Rob: I don’t know. I’ve been doing this for eight years so it’s hard to say. I was a Pizza Hut manager before this so maybe I’d be there. I have no clue.

BV: Anything else you’d like to add?
Rob: Just hope everybody picks up the new record and tells their friends about us. Bring your friends out to a show. Just spread the name of Chimaira.
BV: Did you see the huge line of kids outside already?
Rob: I did. We’re stoked.

For more official information on Chimaira, please log onto:
http://www.chimaira.com
http://www.myspace.com/chimaira

Check out Bandvibe's photo coverage of Chimaira: