| CHIMAIRA - Diehard Metal |
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| Written by Christopher Mygrant | |
| Thursday, 03 April 2008 | |
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Fears Magazine: Rob, in previous interviews you’ve listed some accomplished guitarists as your influences, Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine to name a few. Those musicians have established their sound within the metal industry. So, with that said, how do you or will you go about setting yourself apart from the many up-and-coming, as well as veteran, guitarists?
 Rob: Well, I would disagree and say that there are thousands of chords. Thousands of note combinations. What, 24 frets on a guitar times 7 that’s 168 notes on the fret board and you have four fingers available, maybe a thumb, so if you think about it, the combinations could be in the millions or something like that. So every different style, whether it’s Blues, Jazz, Rock, Reggae, anything like that, use different combinations of chords to produce different sounds, different scales like the pentatonic is an American note scale. It’s got a sound that the Northern American listener hears where it’s the same notes, but use in a different context in Japan create a sound that would be recognized right now. Maybe I delved too much into that, but to make your own sound it’s a combination of your influences and then having skill, ability or experience to create something new and fresh that other people will enjoy and be able to pick you out. Fears: Since the band’s inception, members have left, been replaced and have returned. What does the current lineup possess, collectively, that will help you all to withstand the rigors and demands that will be placed upon the group in order for the band’s future to be propelled forward versus self destructing under pressure and disagreements? WATCH: Fears: Although, as you mentioned, success can have many meanings to many people, but in order to be “successful” in anything, longevity is key. What is that element that will ultimately keep the name Chimaira around for some time to come? Why should the buying public purchase Chimaira’s Resurrection CD over another? Rob: Well that sounds like two different questions. What creates longevity and what separates our band from another band. Fears: Then two questions it is. Rob: Longevity is created by being real. First you need something that people are gonna like in the first place. So a band does their first record and obviously it totally tanks and maybe they can try to continue or they don’t. Not that our first record was a huge success or anything, but there were people that became hardcore fans because of that and so that little glimmer of, “Alright, well maybe we’re doing the right thing. Let’s focus some more on this and get better at it and hone in our craft and certainly become better through experience and everything.” We always stayed real. We were part of a label (Roadrunner) that wanted radio hits and this and that, but we knew we were just a brutal band that isn’t capable of creating something like that. One because we don’t want to and two because we’re all just metal heads. If we really sat down and tried to write radio songs, I think people would see right through it. So being real like that is what creates a lot of longevity. As long as you have a product that people are at least interested in.  Then secondly what separates us from other bands is, completely in the eye of the beholder. But we obviously have something that strikes a nerve in a lot of people cause we have a lot of just diehard fans out there. You know, a lot of one-hit-wonder bands don’t have diehard fans. They have people that know a song or like a song and maybe will go see the band when they come through once or twice, but then move on to the next thing or whatever. But a band like us, not even to put ourselves in the same ranking as like Slayer, Pantera and things like that, but we’re certainly on our way because they have those diehard fans that are gonna be with them forever. So to be part of that niche is something special for us.Fears: An accomplishment for any musician and/or band is to have their product available for purchase and on the shelves for people to see. What gratification does it give you to see the band’s efforts offered to all? Rob: I’m certainly proud to see those things, but I kind of just feel it’s all part of the process because we are not satisfied yet. We haven’t reached our goals yet. What are they exactly we can’t say, but we just can’t sit back and say, “Alright, well that was a great ride. We did it.” We’re still reaching for some higher level of success. Certainly not all monetarily, although that will be a part of it, but more of just being able to look out and know that there’s just an absolutely jammed packed place every single night and you can say all these people are here to see me. I think maybe for me that might be what will really satisfy me I guess and until then happens or if it will ever happen, you just keep going for it. So all these little things like whether we played with Metallica and toured with Slayer and have a bunch of records on the shelves, you know, to have done all this and that I kind of just feel it’s part of the process until we get to a better place.  Fears: Fans, of course, will undoubtedly have their favorite albums and depending on the direction a band takes for its latest release (if not the same formula used as before), the words of, “I like the ‘old’ (plug in the name of a band) better. Their first albums are the best.” For the member’s of Chimaira, is Resurrection your best to date? I ask because a particular singer I spoke with says his band has yet to make their best and they have been around for some time. They are always striving, but never reach the “best” status – for them.Rob: I know what he means I think, but I’ll bet he meant in hindsight. Like I would think that each album you make you think is your best because obviously if you’re a hard working band you want each album to surpass the one before it. In quality, sonically, sales, popularity and everything like that. But then, afterwards, like every album we’ve ever put out, I thought was our best album when it came out. But now in hindsight, I think, I can’t wait to do the next one so I can outdo this one. Each album for me is another chance to really show it off and make it happen. Fears: So instead of making the same album over, I presume resting on your laurels is not part of the equation for the band in terms of using the exact formula as the previous releases? As has certain bands that went on to become rather large in the industry. Rob: I feel maybe a band like that has no motivation. Let’s take a look at Metallica or something. Everybody bitches that St. Anger sucked and this next one or even the Loads and everything like that, but really, where is their motivation to make another Master of Puppets or something like that when that have done it? They’ve done it all. They have all the money they could ever ask for. They have all the fans they can ask for and everything. So it’s hard to like get back together with guys who don’t want to get together because they want to be in their mansions with their kids, you know, and not come to practice and stuff like that. I really don’t blame those guys you know. So maybe that’s the case. Fears: But the fire and drive for you is still there? Rob: Sure Fears: What is the strongest attribute that you, personally, and the band possess? And on the flip side, what weakness still needs to be conquered or at least tweaked?  Rob: Probably (pause) probably my focus and drive. I not only spend a lot of time with my guitar playing and practicing and everything like that, but I’m like the drill sergeant too at practice and everything. I set them up when they’re gonna happen and everything like that. I stop songs and we’ll be like, “This needs to happen here, this needs to happen here. You need to work on that part a little more.” I try to hone everybody in and make this as tight as humanly possible. And as a band what can we improve on? You know, I just wish I new that. I wish I knew what the keys were to get to the next level or have something about us that’s more recognizable or something. I think that a band like us and many bands like us are constantly striving to find that, but because there’s no book on how to do it, you’re kind of creating your destiny as you go. I don’t know. Fears: Hypothetically, Chamira’s road ends. With the experience you have gained, would you consider a career change in terms of helping and managing up-and-coming bands in order for them to prosper and not endure the same obstacles you have? Or have you already gone this route in tandem with your responsibilities with Chamira? Rob: Absolutely. I did manage a band in ’05. I thought that I had a lot of contacts. A lot of the know how. I knew the business in and out and everything like that so I thought I wanted to start doing that. I saw aspirations in a young band and thought these guys needed a helping hand to get to the next level and things like that. But it happened to be right at the same time as we were writing and recording our self-titled record in 2005 and I just bit off more than I could chew. I realized that with trying to make a record and manage a band at the same time and…bands are constantly needing. I didn’t realize how often I call my manager or things like that until I had a band that was calling me non-stop. Not that it was like a problem or I resented it, but I was like, “Whoa, I got work on my own thing here. This is a bad idea to try and take on a band when so much of my love and passion is for my own project.” So that just didn’t work out and I ended up having to tell them I wasn’t able to do it. So if this all ended, would I go into that? I don’t know. There’s too many headaches in management for that sort of thing. I don’t know. I’ll stay involved in music my whole life; I know that. But that route I probably wouldn’t try it again. I want to do something on my own one day where I have no one to answer to and if I fail it’s because of me. Fears: Jettison back in time to when you had your first inkling to become a professional musician, knowing what you know now and taking into consideration the ups and downs the industry hands out, would you choose being a guitarist all over again? Rob: Absolutely. I mean yeah, there’s been some bad things that have happened over the years or whatever, but less than the good things. It’s been an awesome run so far and I have met a lot of great people and done a lot of great things. So I would definitely do it again especially if I knew what I know now or something like that, I could do it way quicker. Fears: With the many greats who have picked up the guitar, who most would you want to perform with or would have liked to perform with or have you already taken the stage with that person or persons? Rob: Ah (pause)…I don’t know, I’d love to meet and jam with Kirk (Hammett). We played with Metallica and I just met them briefly and that sort of thing, but with him being my favorite guitarist ever, I would like to pick his brain or to see if he’s cool - that sort of thing. Dimebag would have been cool. I met him and stuff, but never really got to jam with him.  Fears: Speaking of Dimebag, one can definitely hear the Dimebag /Pantera sound throughout Resurrection.Rob: Oh yeah, I’m definitely influenced by Pantera for sure. Fears: Any others? Rob: Maybe even Jerry Cantrell. I bet it would be cool to jam with him. Fears: I have heard other musicians say that in order to progress, many types of music should be listened to. What music other than metal do you perhaps listen to? Rob: I mostly listen to metal and classic rock. There’s a few hip hop bands I like, but I wouldn’t call myself big into rap or anything. That’s kind of it. I love a lot of 70s and 80s music. Fears: Rob, it has been a pleasure. We appreciate the time taken to sit with us a few minutes. Rob: No problem at all. Thank you. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.chimaira.com/index.php LINK THIS ARTICLE             |
On a recent stop in Florida, the six-piece band known as 
Rob Arnold: Well I think, as anything, whether it’s a musician or whether you’re a cook or anything like that, you take the influences that you like, you know; you put them together and develop your own thing. Of course when I was this guy’s age (Rob pointing to my 11-yr-old), I had pictures of those guys you mentioned on my walls and stuff like that and loved all those records. So when I would try to write music, you know, you obviously hear influences probably from all those things but because there’s different players involved you know it isn’t just a copy off of one person’s sound. Those guys are who they are because they were fortunate enough to be able to develop their own sound through their influences the same way. So every player has a lot of influence, but the fact that I’m able to be recognized for having my own sound or even for someone that hasn’t recognized it or anything that’s a gift to be able to give them the opportunity to play in a band and standout to where people can say, “Alright, that’s his sound.” Just think of how many guitar players there are. Guitar players are a dime a dozen.| < Prev | Next > |
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