Coal Chamber Biography
Coal Chamber broke out of the Los Angeles alternative metal scene in 1997 with a sound often compared to Korn, although both bands formed around the same time and are quality representations of the scene's overall sound -- the heavy, detuned guitars of the murkiest Black Sabbath, grungy, noisy textures reminiscent of White Zombie or Tool, the white-knuckle intensity of Pantera and hardcore punk, and perhaps a few hip-hop-influenced beats á la Biohazard. Coal Chamber was formed in 1994 by vocalist/lyricist B. Dez Fafara and guitarist Miguel "Meegs" Rascon, who met through a classified ad; the two added drummer Mike "Mikee" Cox and bassist Rayna Foss, the latter of whom heard about auditions through her roommate, Fafara's future wife. A huge local buzz following gigs at the Roxy and the Whisky A-Go-Go, along with a demo tape championed by Fear Factory's Dino Cazares, got the band an opportunity to sign with Roadrunner Records late in 1994, but Fafara suddenly quit due to disagreements with his wife over the band. By the spring of 1995, Fafara changed his mind and returned, a decision that ultimately cost him his marriage, but a renewed sense of energy helped Coal Chamber regain their Roadrunner deal by the end of the year. Their self-titled debut was released in 1997; Chamber Music followed two years later. The album was a minor success but its mixture of goth rock imagery and nu metal thuggery made for an uneven album. They toured heavily behind it but by the time it came time to record the next album, bassist Rayna Foss-Rose was gone to raise her daughter, leaving the band with Nadja Peulen. Nadja took Foss-Rose's place during her pregnancy between the first two albums, but she accepted the invitation to come back as a full time member during the recording of the next record. The resulting album, Dark Days, was released in the spring of 2002. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Halou Biography: Unlike many of the colder-sounding tunes that are prevalent in electronica music, Halou's sound is infused with plenty of emotion thanks to Rebecca Coseboom's vocals. She is a perfect foil for the...
Angtoria Biography: Angtoria is a heavy metal band that was originally conceived as a purely orchestral project by Swedish multi-instrumentalist and composer Chris Rehn and English vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva (aka Sarah...
Beenie man Biography: One of Jamaica's most crucial DJs, Beenie Man's recording career stretches back to 1981, although it was in the sound systems where he later made his mark. The witty toaster began his true ascent to...
Skankin pickle Biography: San Francisco-based ska-punk sextet Skankin' Pickle was formed in the spring of 1989 by vocalist/saxophonist Mike "Bruce Lee" Park, guitarist Lynette Knackstedt, bassist Ian Miller, trombonists Lars...
An albatross Biography: The eccentric noise rock outfit An Albatross features Edward B. Gieda III (vocals/percussion), Jason Hudak (bass), Kat Paffett (organ/synth), Phillip Reynolds Price (organ), Jake Lisowski (guitar),...
Dub syndicate Biography: Drummer Style Scott joined Adrian Sherwood's influential On-U Sound dub label in the late '70s and played on Sherwood's influential releases as the New Age Steppers (with vocalist Bim Sherman, horn...
Crest of darkness Biography: While simultaneously making a name for himself in Norwegian progressive metal band Conception, bassist/guitarist/vocalist Ingar Amlien started a black metal side project called Crest of Darkness with...
Ganymede Biography: The synth-pop duo Ganymede may have released their first album in 2000, but their sound reaches fondly into the past, namely the early '80s. Named after Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede consists of...