Furthering their trademark brand of heavy, Chimaira's latest musical monster, The Age of Hell is a rollercoaster of Cleveland metal and brutal music at its most break neck. The album kicks off with the title track. A building inferno of madness, it gives us great insight to what the rest of the release will provide.

With vocalist Mark Hunter and lead guitarist Rob Arnold forming the core songwriting unit, the Chimaira sound is most definitely at its highest level here. Indeed, Hunter's vocals and Arnolds guitar work serve us up a treat in the second track, the highly melodic, wistful 'Clockwork.' 'Losing My Mind' is next with the Alice In Chains-ish 'Time Is Running Out' following behind.

The speed metal flow of `Year Of The Snake' definitely adds new dimensions to Chimaira's sound, before their sixth studio album continues with the tuneful 'Beyond The Grave' and 'Born in Blood,' featuring Phil Bozeman of Whitechapel on guest vocals come forth.

The industrial, short instrumental 'Stoma' is next, with 'Powerless' getting back to heavy vocal business thereafter. The freefall of 'Finger On The Trigger' has to be my own personal favorite here, and is followed by 'Scapegoat,' before - and much like The Impossibility Of Reason (2003) - the album closes with a grand, guitar solo-heavy instrumental track, 'Samsara.'