CD Reviews

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COAL CHAMBER :
CHAMBER MUSIC

I must say, this CD shreds from start to finish! I keep playing it over and over like a drooling retard... I can't stop! Some say this is not as heavy as the first one, well... its still pretty fuckin' heavy, and this time around we have much catchier hooks and groves. The strange thing is that the first single is "Shock the Monkey" with special guest Ozzy, and it's the weakest cut on the disc. Songs like "Feed My Dreams", "Untrue" & "El Cu Cuq" are pure neo-metal monster hits! These tunes are just so infectious, you'll be humming them all day like an idiot, and pissin' off your friends. Dez's vocals are harsh, sharp and in your face. Rayna's bass just comes thumpin' out of the sub-woofer like a shot gun. This CD will make you drink, party, pierce your genitals, tattoo your body, rob a liquor store, worship Satan, and break all your shit... hell it will make your grandmother put on a spiked collar and mosh in your living room. If you dig the "new sound" like Kittie and Slipknot, pick this up.
RATING = 9 Nu-Metal (Released 1999)

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COAL CHAMBER :
DARK DAYS

I'll warn you right now, a lot of this review is also a rambling editorial on the state of Nu-Metal, so this might go off on a few tangents. As I write this (June 17 2002) the inevitable backlash against Nu-Metal, or Rap-Metal, whatever you like to call it, is in full swing. This is always going to happen when a style of heavy music makes its way as far into the mainstream as Nu-Metal has. This will be the biggest such backlash since the early '90s, when Glam-Metal was beaten out of the mainstream, and for a short time, even out of the underground. The mid-90s Grunge backlash was nothing compared to that, and what is to come for Nu-Metal. Now, there are two different camps in Nu-Metal, there are those bands that align themselves more with the Hip-Pop movement, and those that claim that their roots are more Metal in nature. The first group, are the ones that have forged their way the farthest into mainstream, MTV, culture, and they will suffer the most. When we look back today, at old Glam videos from 15 years ago, they're just laughable, yet 15 years ago they somehow seemed cool. Well, the same shit is going to happen here. I was watching Limp Bizkit's video for "Rollin" the other day (oh, like you've never watched a shitty video while channel surfing), and there was Fred Durst, grabbin' his nuts as he rapped, and throwing out gang gestures in front of a bunch of scantily clad, dancing "video hos". I just shook my head, and imagined all the 14 year olds out there watching, thinking it's the coolest thing they've ever seen, then, they'll see this again in 10 years, on the oldies video show, and just fuckin' cringe. The backlash historically has 3 stages. Stage one; Music insiders, and press (reviewers etc.) who get exposed to more crap than the general public, start to voice a negative reaction to the bloated amount of "artists" that have appeared in the genre. Stage two; The "Cool" kids, or "active" music fans start to get sick and tired with all the bandwagon jumping clones, and the fact that their Mom can name every member of their once favorite band. Stage two also often sees the start of shit-talking between bands. This is because the bands know the downfall is not far away, they get nervous, and want to position themselves at the top, so they can hopefully be one of the few (if any) survivors. Stage three; this is when even the "passive" music fans, like the high school preps, and the university jocks, won't even play the CD any more. The more rap-influenced bands are now in last phase of stage two. Limp Bizkit, can still fill a stadium, and Project Wyse can still sell CDs, but only the fickle casual fans are buying it now, the rest have moved on. The more metal of these bands are now entering stage two. Critics and some fans are raggin' on Slipknot, and Coal Chamber etc., but there are hard-core fans that still think there is some meat on these bones to be picked off. So, who will survive? Will anyone? Probably. After the fall of Glam, almost none were left, and those that were had to change. But, Bon Jovi still sells more CDs, and fills more stadiums, than half the nut-grabbing bands, out there. Pearl Jam kept their head afloat, but they sure don't sound like they used to. Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer all survived the fall of thrash. Cannibal Corpse has managed to weather the decay of Death-Metal. Will Limp Bizkit survive? I doubt it, they are going to be the "Winger" of Nu-Metal. If they do mange to keep something going, you can bet your ass that the Limp Bizkit of 2010 will not sound anything like they do today. Will Slipknot, Coal Chamber, and the slew of like bands survive? Yes, some, if they chose to, many have enough balls, and enough edge, that they will be able to feed of their fallen comrades, and survive in some form as the next "big thing" rolls in. So, let's get back to what we were supposed to be talkin' about, Coal Chamber's new CD. A lot of other reviewers have really panned this disc, more to appear cool, or musically evolved, rather than because of the quality of the disc. They know stage two is here, and no "big" music reviewer is going to praise anything that even hints of Nu-Metal, even though last year they were swingin' from Fred Durst's nuts. That makes them even worse than the trend following kids who only buy what MTV tells them to. Fucking hypocrites… you'll never see me try to pull a stunt like that. If I tell you today some band is fuckin' great, I'll never come back and say, "oh I always thought they sucked, I've only ever been into (insert current cool genre here)". I might say I don't like a new CD they put out, but I'll still recommend the one I recommended in the past. All that being said, I think the disc is getting a bum rap. The band has not softened up one iota; in fact, if anything, this is heavier than previous outings, so no hint sell out. It does take a few more listens than "Chamber Music" or their self-title debut, to get into, but once you do, there are dark grooves and good crunchy riffs aplenty to lose yourself in. Dez's vocals are super harsh, no "singing" like last time out, but you can (for the most part) understand what he's screaming. The only down side I see on this disc vs. their previous two, is that there are no runaway singles, or "instant live favorites". There is no "Loco", or "Notion" this time around. But it sure as hell doesn't deserve the bashing its been getting. So, go get it, its not their best ever, but its good, and if ya ask me in ten years, when Nu-Metal, and bands like Coal Chamber are the bands "Parents" listen to, I'll tell ya the same damn thing, go get it, its not their best ever, but its good. As a side note, fans will want to hunt down the limited edition, 3 bonus tracks, "Anxiety", "Save Yourself" & "One Step" (Scott Humphries Mix), will be the reward for your efforts.
RATING = 7.5 Nu-Metal (Released 2002)

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