UMUR "Pass Out Of Existence" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Ohio based hardcore/groove metal act Chimaira. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in October 2001. It´s the successor to the January 2000 "This Present Darkness" EP and it features the same sextet lineup who recorded the EP.

Stylistically the material on "Pass Out Of Existence" is generally a more metallic version of the hybrid hardcore, NU metal, and groove metal style of the early releases (demos and EPs) from Chimaira. The chugging heavy riffs and grooves are still the core of the band´s sound (and of course the heavy breakdowns) along with the ultra aggressive screaming hardcore vocals from Mark Hunter. There are still some NU metal elements in the way Hunter talk/whisper sings at times and in some of the dynamics of the music, which remind me of Korn, but other than that this is some pretty aggressive hardcore/groove metal. The increased metal orientation and the fast played start/stop riffing sometimes make me think of contemporary alternative/groove metal Fear Factory (hell... the cover artwork even has some of the same colors as Fear Factory´s 2001 "Digimortal" album). Chris Spicuzza who handles electronics adds an industrial element to the band´s sound too, so Chimaira cover quite a few bases.

"Pass Out Of Existence" features a powerful, heavy, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well. Although the previous minor releases were all pretty well produced too, the sound production on this debut album is arguably a step up in quality. Upon conclusion Chimaira have created a good quality debut album. They would soon grow tired of reviewers (like me) comparing them to Korn and calling their music NU metal (mind you I only wrote above it is an element of their sound) and more or less ditched that element on their future releases. So this is the last release of the first era of Chimaira, before they adjusted their sound. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

Kingcrimsonprog Chimaira’s debut album is unfairly dismissed as utter rubbish by a vocal minority of fans and the vast majority of critics because of its more Nu Metal sound and because of how very good the bands subsequent albums have been. The album has a much worse reputation than it actually deserves and you shouldn’t be too put off by the sentiment that it is too Nu Metal or that it doesn’t sound the same as the other Chimira records.

While it is completely justifiable to say that Pass Out of Existence is Chimaira’s worst album, its worth giving this album another listen because it is far from a terrible album. Opener ‘Let Go,’ is a fantastic song and ‘Severed,’ is still played live at Chimaira concerts to this day.

Yes, the album does have its flaws; There are moments when the sound effects are way too loud in the mix, too dated and very different from how they are used on later Chimaira albums. A few of the riffs are quite Nu Metal and don’t suite the rest of the song and Mark’s vocals at times aren’t nearly as good as on the band’s later work.

What people seem to forget however, is that the album does have a lot going for it, a whole lot of fun chugging riffs, Anders’ always excellent drumming, a pretty damn decent production job and a whole lot of very interesting songs. Sure there is a layer or sheen over the top of the music that has to be ignored to get the full enjoyment out of it, but this is a minor flaw.

Album highlights include the previously mentioned ‘Severed,’ which is easily the best song on the album. Other forgotten gems ‘Taste My,’ which boasts some fantastic drumming, a very heavy ending and which wouldn’t be too out of place as the token radio song on The Impossibility of Reason. The final highlight is the catchy title track, which is full of interesting patterns, an almost out of charter trance like mid section and and nice chunky main riff.

I would advise that if you are considering buying your first Chimaira album, you’d be better off choosing one of their later records however, if you are an existing Chimaira fan I highly recommend revisiting this album, you may be very pleasantly surprised.