MH: They used to open for us when they were first starting out. They’ve come a long way and grown up a lot while on tour. They’ve had a lot of success with their song on “Guitar Hero” and such things, and I guess it's their way of returning the favor to us for when they started out.

MCB: As far as songwriting is concerned, did you go into the Resurrection album with a different mindset than usual?

MH: Not really. I usually go in there with a blank slate and develop lyrics from the music playing. You just listen on the headphones, close your eyes, and create the lyrics based off what you feel and go with the vibe. I kept the same mentality when writing on every record we’ve done, and that hasn’t really changed since I started writing songs at 15 years old.

MCB: What aspects did you feel you had to improve on with Resurrection versus your self-titled record?
MH: The self titled record was a bit of a grey area; we worked really hard and long on the album. It was the first album we worked one without our original drummer, and at times, it was hard. And then the record company at the time (Roadrunner) wasn’t feeling the record. With Resurrection, we were looking to be 6 guys who wanted to have fun writing a record. We got to act like goofs on this record, and I think that is what was missing from the past record.

MCB:Did you feel pressure from Roadrunner Records to be their next great rock radio band? And has Ferret Music allowed you your freedom back?

MH: Actually, it was the farthest thing from the truth. They would let us write the album we wanted to write, but weren’t exactly willing to promote when they weren’t feeling the record. The self-titled record had a lot of longer songs, which the record company had some issues with. It's funny, because since then, Opeth put out a record with long songs, and Roadrunner loved it. And Machine Head’s The Blackening was an album where they went into writing the album with the same mindset as we did with the self titled record, and Roadrunner loved it.

With Ferret, we had already written the album when we signed with them. We’re still doing great with them, and they’re still pumping the album even after coming out last March. We have known the owners for a long time, and almost stalked them down to sign us. We’ve seen that they’re a label that has really cared about our band.

MCB: What were the major differences with the 2005 Sounds of the Underground Tour versus the 2007 version of it? (Chimaira played both years)

MH: I think the 2005 one had better variety, but we had more fun with the 2007 tour. On 2005, I didn’t know if a band like Poison The Well would work on the bill. But after listening to them a few times, I liked them and you respected the variety of the tour. Bands like Clutch and Opeth were bands I was fans of before the tour, but liked even more after. On the 2007 tour beyond the headliners, I hadn’t heard of 95 percent of the bands on the bill. I guess my musical tastes have just shifted a bit.

MCB: You have jumped on stage with a lot of metal bands in the past. Any bands that you would love to jump on stage with that you haven’t yet?

MH: I don’t know. I always feel kinda awkward when I jump on stage because it's their show. But if I had to jump on with anybody, it would have to be In Flames. I’m good friends with the guys in that band and we’ve toured with them a lot. I haven’t been on stage yet, so maybe if I get the change, I can do that.

MCB: Have you guys fleshed out summer plans yet?

MH: We have a few offers going around right now. But either way, we won’t be sitting around and barbecuing this summer, that’s for sure.

Chimaira will be playing with All That Remains at the Majestic Theatre on Friday, February 8^th. Tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional dates can be found at www.chimaira.com.