Chimaira lead guitarist Rob Arnold is stretching his creative muscles with his brand new side projecte, dubbed the Elite. Fans should not worry or get all in a huff, because Arnold remains fully committed to his main band. "Of course, Chimaira is still my love, pride and joy," Arnold told Noisecreep. "But you could say that I'm having an 'affair' with The Elite, and in no way do I want to keep it a secret." While the Elite isn't too different from Arnold's main band, it does stand firmly on its own two feet and fashions a distinct, crunchy sound that certainly isn't a Chimaira redux!

Arnold introduced the lineup of the band, saying, "While naturally I'm handling the guitar duties, Buffalo native T.J. Frost, formerly of Baphomet and Stemm, brutalizes the microphone, So-Cal drummer Austin D'Amond from Bleed the Sky crushes the drums in a way never heard before and fellow Clevelander Mike Drury of Ohio Sky and formerly of Sanctum dumps a load of low end with his bass guitar."

Arnold deemed the songs on the Elite's debut EP, 'World War 3' as "punishing, rhythmic, fresh, exciting, innovative, technical, groove-inducing and downright f---ing heavy." But don't take his word for it, as he's probably a bit biased! You can check out The Elite's chunky, hardcore-tinged and utterly moshable metal. And once you do, you'll realize that Arnold is telling the truth -- with 'Kill the Son' and 'Mask of the Damned' pummeling your brain much like a boxing champ annihilates a punching bag during a workout! The tunes are laced with Swedish metal guitar tones, too.

Arnold's Chimaira mates are showing their support for the Elite, with vocalist Mark Hunter contributing some barks on 'Mask of the Damned,' which Arnold called an "insane guest vocal spot."

In other Chimaira news, Arnold said the band remains booked solid for the next year, as well.

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