Kimaera

Lebanese metal band

Death-doom^[1]atmospheric metal
progressive metal
oriental metal

Years active2000 - presentLabels

Eternal Sound Records
Stygian Crypt Productions

Members

Charbel Abboud
Pierre Najm
Georges Antabi
Joe Nassar
Michel Kammouj

Past members

Jean-Pierre Haddad
Richard Basile
Patrick Estephan
Erce Arslan
Samer Zouein
Milia Fares
Simon Saade
Paul Garabed
Charbel Nacouz
Sabine Linfoot
Pascal Elias
Moe Turk

Websitewww.kimaera.info

Kimaera is a Lebanese death metal band founded by vocalist and guitarist Jean-Pierre Haddad in 2000. The band's music combines oriental metal, doom metal and death metal influences, with gothic undertones resounding through melodic interludes of violins, pianos and occasional female vocals.^[2]

History

In March 2004, the band released God's Wrath, a self-produced single. The release got the attention of Stygian Crypt Productions, which in turn led to the band's release of their debut album Ebony Veiled.^[3] The album was released in February 2006 in Lebanon and on 20 April 2006 the album saw a worldwide release.^[4]

Kimaera is among the first wave of international metal bands originating from the Middle East,^[5] known in their homeland as the "Lebanese Ambassadors of Doom".^[6]

The band released its second full-length album Solitary Impact with Stygian Crypt Productions in July 2010,^[7] along with their first official music video "The Taste of Treason". Soon after, they successfully made their first European appearance at the 2010 Masters of Rock festival in the Czech Republic.

In 2013, Kimaera released their third album The Harbinger of Doom after inking a deal with the German label Eternal Sound Records.^[8] This was followed by a music video for the track "Ancient Serpents" from the album.

In 2017, the band released a single called "The Die Is Cast".

In 2020, prior to the infamous Beirut blast on the 4th of August of that year, the band released a cover song by famous Lebanese singer Majida Al-Roumi "Ya Beirut" which was controversial due to the growling vocals style of the band that was not welcomed by the singer Majida Al-Roumi.

In February 2022, Kimaera's lead singer, Jean Pierre Haddad, was found dead in his apartment in Egypt after a natural gas leak.^[9]

Members

Charbel Abboud - Rhythm Guitars / keyboards / producer
Pierre Najm - Lead Guitars
Georges Antabi - Vocals
Joe Nassar - Drums
Michel Kammouj - Bass Guitar
Jean-Pierre Haddad - guitars & vocals (deceased)

Discography

Studio albums

Ebony Veiled (2006)
Solitary Impact (2010)
The Harbinger of Doom (2013)
Imperivm (2022)

Singles

"December Ends" (2011)
"The Die Is Cast" (2017)
"Leich La'" (2019)
"Force Divine | Vi Divina" (2020)
"Ya Beirut" (2020)

References

^ "Ebony Veiled - Review by GraveWish - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives".
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2017-04-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Metal Waves - Metal Waves". Archived from the original on 2017-04-07. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2017-04-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Raw & Wild - '80 heavy 'zine / Web - radio". www.rawandwild.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25.
^ ":: Metalje.com :: - Lebanese Metal Portal! - Kimaera Interview". www.metalje.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-03.
^ Admin, PSW. "Discography - Kimaera.info". kimaera.info. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
^ "KIMAERA | EternalSoundRecords". www.eternalsound.de. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
^ Saeed, Saeed (2022-02-27). "Lebanese musician Jean-Pierre Haddad dies aged 39: 'My home country lost a monument'". The National. Retrieved 2023-07-15.