Coal Chamber Comeback

I first heard about Coal Chamber around the time of their major label self-titled debut in 1997.  It was really an accident that I discovered them at this time.  I was in high school and I was just starting to expand my musical tastes.  This was a time when I was really into Dave Matthews Band and Hootie & the Blowfish.  About the hardest rock you could hear on the radio was Third Eye Blind (whose debut I also really liked).  I was a member of Columbia House (remember them?) and had been buying up CDs like crazy.  I saw a picture of Coal Chamber in the catalog and decided to take a chance on them.  Their goth look spoke to me for some reason even though I was a nerdy, preppy kind of kid.  The songs Loco, Bradley, and Big Truck turned me on to a new style of music and a new type of emotional connection with music.  I could turn it up loud and scream along to release some pent up rage or I could just bang my head to the rhythmic beats and simple choruses.  They were a little more accessible than the Deftones and not as creepy as early Korn.  I feel that although their songs are far from complicated, that they are underrated as a band that helped bring heavy music into the public during the nu-metal explosion.

I liked them so much I bought Chamber Music in 1999 and although I thought they took a step backward in terms of heaviness and rawness, I still invested in Dark Days when it came out in 2002.  This was their heaviest record and saw the return of simple sing-along choruses on tracks such as Fiend, Watershed, and Something Told Me.  After their breakup at the end of 2002 I basically forgot about them until Dez reemerged in DevilDriver.

I finally got my chance to see the reunited Coal Chamber April 3, 2015.  But first a few notes about the openers.  The Starland Ballroom show began with Saint Ridley.  I had never heard of this band before.  They are a local metal band who did a decent job energizing the crowd.  Their music was nothing too noteworthy except that I thought it was interesting that their drummer was positioned sideways ala Stryper and Nonpoint.  The second band CombiChrist was noteworthy.  They came out guns blazing with strobe lights and a lead singer with a mask full of red LED lights obscuring his face.  Their sound is a hybrid of industrial, electronica, and metal.  They had a keyboard player and DJ along with the traditional rock instruments.  Their drummer also played sideways and he played with a lot of passion.  Reading some Facebook comments afterwards, the crowd was pretty divided about them.  In the moment, the crowd seemed into them and I would know since I moved from my spot by the side bar down to the front middle of the floor to get a closer look and mosh a little.  The song that probably stood out the most was "Can't Control" from their most recent release We Love You.  After American Head Charge unexpectedly dropped off the tour without explanation, Filter rounded out the opening acts.  This was my second time seeing Filter and they were well received by the crowd.  They didn't play their hit "Take My Picture" as Richard Patrick said "we'll play that next time."  They chose to stick to a more rocking set which included newer songs like "Take That Knife Outta My Back" and classics like "Hey Man, Nice Shot."  Before the latter, Patrick talked about the inspiration for the song and added that the band has played it for the troops for many years.  He added "We don't need to be in Iraq.  We don't need to be in Afghanistan...You wouldn't catch Rihanna speaking the truth like this!"  If you think Filter are a one-hit wonder or are washed up, I dare you to pick up their latest album, or better yet, go see them in concert.

5 Above photos: Combichrist @ Starland 4/3/15

Filter @ Starland 4/3/15

At last it was time for Coal Chamber.  The reunited lineup of Mike Cox on drums, "Meegs" Rascon on guitar, and the sexy Nadja Peulen on bass joined lead singer Dez Fafara for their comeback tour before the release of the forthcoming Rivals due out in May.  They opened with "Loco" followed it up with "Big Truck" and it only got crazier from there.  The band sounded great and the energy on stage and in the crowd was insane.  By this time I had retreated back to the side of the room, but I was still surrounded by people pumping their fists, jumping up and down, and flailing around in dance.  They played a good mix of songs from their three releases as well as the heavy title track from their latest effort.  The band chemistry seemed renewed.  They looked locked in and excited to be playing together.  Dez promises that DevilDriver hasn't gone away, but I think he is enjoying the second life of Coal Chamber at the moment.  We'll see how long it lasts.  I for one hope that both bands can continue successfully.

Coal Chamber "Big Truck" @ Starland 4/3/15