Chimaira originated in Cleveland, Ohio, composed of vocalist Mark Hunter, guitarists Jason Hager and Rob Arnold, bassist Jim LaMarca, drummer Andols Herrick and programmer Chris Spicuzza.

[1] After signing to Roadrunner Records, the band's debut studio album, Pass Out of Existence, was released in August 2001.

A second studio album, The Impossibility of Reason, followed in 2003, debuting and peaking at number 117 on the Billboard 200.

Chimaira released a self-titled album in August 2005, which peaked at number 74 on the Billboard 200.

[2] After an internal crisis due to pressure from the label for a new release, the band moved on from Roadrunner and signed a new deal with Ferret Music.