One word: Awesomeness. What we have here is the debut album from the up and coming metal group, Chimaira. Chimaira is a personal favorite of mine and I really hope to see them get the recognition that they deserve.

The album opens with the title track 'This Present Darkness'. This song just gives you a hard ass kicking. Heavy guitar. Loud vocals. Great drumming. This is exactly what I like to hear in a song.

Next we have 'Painting The White To Grey' which can be found on there Road Runner debut album 'Pass Out Of Existence. If I had to pick my second favorite track on the album, this would be it. Vocalist Mark Hunter really shines in this song. Great vocals from him.

Now, you must be wondering "What’s keeping it from being a 10?". Well, it’s that meaningless hidden track 'Satan’s Wizard'. It sucks. No point on ruining this great album with that horrible shit. Ah well. Everything can't be perfect.

After listening to this album, it makes me want to pound my head. It is a VERY heavy album and I recommend it to all metal heads that like hard, heavy vocals and fast drumming. This album is VERY hard to find, so your best bet is to download it and/or buy Chimaira's national debut album "Pass Out Of Existence".