Tag Archives: 90’s metal

Dark Days Behind – Mikey “Bug” Cox of Coal Chamber

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coal chamber band 2015

Coal Chamber is still a band. That seems a bit odd to me. Truth be told, if you had told me a few years back that Coal Chamber would still be a touring act with new music on the way, I’d kindly remind you to stop sniffing glue. Front man Dez Fafara, guitarist Miguel “Meegs” Rascon, bassist Nadja Peulen and drummer Mikey “Bug” Cox onstage again?

But hey, its 2015 and Coal Chamber are playing packed venues across the country. And somebody who is very pleased with their current trek is Cox.

“The tour is good, man” shares Cox. “Personally this is my first 100% sober tour. I quit drinking and everything so for me it’s incredible. And it translates to the whole band. I mean, offstage we’re all like best friends which is crazy because we never used to be. Lots of drama that everyone knows about.”

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

The reason to clean up his act came from Cox’s longtime exposure to the touring life and how it would have an impact on the people around him. Maintaining sobriety while being on the road may seem daunting, but “It’s been easier than [being] at home” for Cox. “Going into this tour I was like ‘Oh, this might be hard.’ But I just had a kid, you know, and for me I had my run from 20 until not too long ago. Just being out of my mind all the time. I went from the drug phase to the drinking phase. I’m getting sick of watching friends dying and dying on the road. I think we’ve all had our run for sure. To me it translates to how the band is with each other and we’re tighter onstage.”

One friend such friend lost to substance abuse was former Static-X frontman, Wayne Static. “We gave him some of his first show. In fact my other band [We Are the Riot], the side project with Meegs were opening for Wayne on his last tour. So me and Meegs – I’ve known Wayne since I was 19 years old – we actually sat and talked to him weeks before it happened. So it was definitely a shock you know. The music industry has a crazy lifestyle to it, but nobody should be dying that young. Especially over something stupid and unnecessary, but you get stuck in it out here on the road. It’s a lonely place.”

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

So how does Coal Chamber, they of the very tumultuous 2003 break up come back together after several years of no communication? Cox’s longtime friendship with Rascon has certainly helped him get through the rougher days, back into music and ultimately playing with Coal Chamber again. “Me and Meegs we’re best friends,” Cox says. “I quit music for like seven years. Didn’t play once. Like randomly, never played. I was done with the business. And then me and Meegs started talking like ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we tried to do this.’ So Meegs contacted Dez and went onstage with Devildriver and played ‘Loco’ in California and that was kind of like an apology through all parties.”

But even after reconnecting with Fafara nothing was set in stone. “Then we took more years off and it was just a slow process. If we forced it before it happened now we wouldn’t have lasted. So it took a long time to enjoy each other’s company.”

Coal Chamber, by Meg Loyal Photography

Coal Chamber, by Meg Loyal Photography

What helped cement Coal Chamber’s return was the crowd’s reception at early comeback gigs. “The plans were to do Australia, which was our first show back and that was it,” says Cox. “Let’s see if it’s going to work, we’ve never been there and the kids asked for it. We’re gonna go do that and be done. Then in South America same thing happened. The shows in Australia were insane, crazy shows. So we were like ‘Maybe we have something still.’”

After that came campaigns across North America and Europe that were met with equal praise and enthusiasm. With that enthusiasm in mind the labels came calling again. Coal Chamber envisioned the tour in Europe as a way to “put the exclamation point on the band and then all of a sudden we started getting label interest to make a record. Once that happened it just snowballed into us sitting here right now.”

coal chamber rivals album cover

The new album Rivals is due May 19 through Austria’s Napalm Records. With the release date just around the corner, Coal Chamber are ready to ride that wave of momentum. “This tour finishes On April 12 in Dallas. We have one week off and we go to South America. We’re doing the Monsters of Rock festival with Ozzy Osbourne. Which is going to be insane. We’re doing a show with Black Veil Brides in Chile. We’re headlining Mexico City, which down there the shows are crazy. The kids are insane. Then we have three weeks off then we off to the UK for three and a half weeks and that’s when the record comes out. That’s when the work really begins. Right now we’re just getting started.”

INTERVIEW BY HANSEL LOPEZ

LIVE PHOTOS BY MEG LOYAL PHOTOGRAPHY


Coal Chamber – Filter – Combichrist- American Head Charge: Live At The Worcester Palladium

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coal chamber tour

It was a time when we talked about getting piercings and tribal tattoos. That time was the 90s, and that decade was very much in vogue last Saturday at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

A reactivated and re-energized Coal Chamber sat on top of the bill with direct support from fellow 90s stalwarts Filter and guest appearances from Combichrist and American Head Charge.

Yes, Coal Chamber and Filter sharing a tour in 2015. Not too bad for a couple of bands that were regularly appearing on Dimension Films’ soundtracks 15 years ago.

For attendees like myself the night was an odd nostalgia trip to the Family Values Tour days, but to most in attendance who haven’t learned to part with their Tripp pants it was a reaffirmation. In a crowd fully donned in leather, spikes, smeared makeup, top hats, goggles (I kid you not) I felt oddly exposed and slightly out of place in my blue jeans and Shai Hulud hoodie. But this is not a knock on those who prefer their pants extra baggy and wallet chain excessively long. If anything, I salute you. Your fashion choices show that you have stronger convictions than I could ever have.

American Head Charge, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

American Head Charge, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

I am glad to report that American Head Charge still show a lot of the promise that surrounded them during releases like The War of Art and The Feeding. The rampant personnel changes and hiatus gave me worry, but see them tear into tracks like ‘Ridicule’ and ‘All Wrapped Up’ put all my woes to rest. It could be their inability to find a supporting label, but I wonder why they aren’t more successful? Their combination of heavy, catchy songs with strong clean vocals suggests that they should be sharing the stage with Five Finger Death Punch at the least. If the new material they premiered live was any indication, they can still live up to those expectations.

Combichrist, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Combichrist, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Not so promising for me were Combichrist. Their brand of industrial metal was lost on me. People have informed me that the particular genre is known as “aggrotech”. Their excessively black attire and makeup seemed bordering on every metal cliché in the book. While some may say the same about the night’s headliners, I feel like Coal Chamber have a tongue in cheek quality to them. Combichrist plays their electronic/metal mashup a little too seriously. So much so that songs like ‘Never Surrender’ and ‘What the Fuck is Wrong with You?’ just come across as juvenile. Next time just smile a little more, guys. And let some more live drums and guitars into the mix.

Filter, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Filter, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

On the opposite end of the musical and visual spectrum, Richard Patrick led a fresh lineup of Filter though a nine song set that touched upon their entire discography. I’m serious about that entire discography bit. They even busted out ‘(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do’ from the Spawn soundtrack. Good song from a not very good movie. The new lineup had the material down pat and Patrick was spry even though his voice has gotten raspier over the years. He was also quite vocal about his respect for the troops and his disdain for Beyonce and her pop contemporaries. He’s really not happy about her. Like he’ll bring her up on three separate occasions before starting the next song. While it was quite nice to cap off the set with staples ‘Hey Man, Nice Shot’ and ‘Welcome to the Fold’, I would’ve loved to hear that rock radio mainstay ‘Take a Picture.’ I’m sentimental about the 90s like that.

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Years of regular gigging since their 2012 reformation has paid dividends for Coal Chamber’s morale and live performance. Aside from vocalist Dez Fafara’s quickly graying hair, the energy on display by the band rivaled any of their younger counterparts. Wasting no time or momentum they started things off with mainstay ‘Loco’ and ‘Big Truck’ setting the stage for a set list heavy with numbers from their 1997 self-titled debut. While it was great fun to indulge in nu-metal jams like ‘Oddity’ and ‘Sway’, Coal Chamber made sure to showcase its new tunes. Fret not Coal Chamber faithful, ‘I.O.U. Nothing’ and ‘Rivals’ groove just as good as anything else in their catalogue live. But for this writer’s money the best bits of the night came in the form of Dark Days songs like ‘Rowboat,’ ‘Something Told Me’ and that album’s title track.

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

Coal Chamber, Photo by Meg Loyal Photography

The real ace in the hole for Coal Chamber is their live production. They are aware that they aren’t bringing Rush levels of songwriting. Let’s face it, Coal Chamber songs aren’t the most dynamic in metal. And that’s fine because with this Fafara venture it’s about having fun. Apparently borrowing Rob Zombie’s DVD collection, every song is backed by macabre/entreating horror film footage from yesteryear. To add even more visual flare they also bring one of the most elaborate light shows I’ve seen for a Palladium show.

The dream of the 90s was very much alive in Worcester last Saturday night. Cheers.

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WORDS BY HANSEL LOPEZ

PHOTOS BY MEG LOYAL PHOTOGRAPHY


I.N.C. – Black Hearse Serenade

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ArtiosCAD Plot

 

New York thrashers I.N.C. (formerly Indestructible Noise Command) are back with fourth album, Black Hearse Serenade (Ferocious Records). Their second record since reforming in 2010, the band have decided to take the often risky route of the concept album. Based around religious zealotry, Black Hearse Serenade “tells a story set in Southern California about a broken man, his congregation of runaways, junkies and lost souls and a murderous path to finality. A childhood filled with embarrassment and shame, born of religious zealotry and an overbearing mother, that broken child has now become a man.”

Despite the possibly overblown premise, the album is actually just a solid, groove-laden thrash album. The band – Dave Campo (Bass), Kyle Shepard (Drums), Dennis Gergely (Vocals), Tony Fabrizi and Erik Barath (both Guitar) – clearly like a bit of Pantera and Alice in Chains, but manage to avoid simply rehashing 90s sounds. Opener ‘Stirring the Flock’ is a lesson in pure speed metal; lightning fast riffs and vocal melodies Anthrax would be proud of. It’s a great standout track, but hardly fits in with the rest of what’s on offer. The likes of ‘Sainted Sinner,’ ‘Organ Grinder’ and are all packed with a slower, muscular groove, occasionally brining to mind Damageplan or a less cringey Hellyeah.

Every song is packed with host of big, chugging riffs and a healthy dose of pinch harmonics, while the vocals sway from throaty Anselmo-eque screams to almost Alice in Chains styles crooning. The middle trio of the album’s title track, the furious ‘The Lies We Devour’ and crushing ‘Lucky #7’ are the highpoint, but there’s very little fat here. In fact the only real drawback is when ‘Love Like Napalm’ drags the album to a close. More of a slow stadium rocker, it doesn’t really fit, but offers another side of the band. It’s a small nit-pick on an otherwise enjoyable experience.

Black Hearse Serenade manages to avoid falling into the self-importance trap most concept albums succumb to. INC has created a solid album that owes plenty to 90s groove and grunge, but retains enough energy and song writing chops to ensure it stays interesting over the 45-odd minute runtime.

7.0/10

I.N.C. on Facebook

 

DAN SWINHOE