Coal Chamber was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nu metalNu metal is a genre of heavy metal that blends hip-hop, grunge, alternative metal, funk metal and various other heavy metal influences such as industrial, groove and thrash.-Origins:...
band from
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
. The band formed in 1994 and disbanded in 2003. Former vocalist Dez Fafara and guitarist Meegs Rascon started She's In Pain in 1992. The two decided to create Coal Chamber in 1994. Their first drummer John Thor was eventually replaced by Mike Cox (who beat out his older brother for the spot). After bassist
Rayna FossRayna Foss Rayna Foss Rayna Foss (born August 26 1970 was the first bassist for the California based nu metal band Coal Chamber.- Biography :Rayna Foss was born in August 26 1970 in Atlanta, Georgia. She first started playing bass at a friend's party. His roommate had recently moved out and left...
joined, the Coal Chamber lineup was complete.
In late 1994,
Dino CazaresDino Cazares, born in Mexicali, Baja California, is a American musician of Mexican descent and the guitarist for Los Angeles-based metal/industrial group Fear Factory...
of
Fear FactoryFear Factory is an American metal band. The band formed in 1989 and have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
championed a demo tape by Coal Chamber, causing a huge local stir with gigs at
The Roxy TheatreThe Roxy Theatre is a famous nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California.It was opened on September 23, 1973 by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler along with original partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher. They took over building previously occupied by a strip club owned...
and
Whisky A Go GoThe Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip....
, eventually leading Coal Chamber to an offer to sign with
Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records is a record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
.
Fafara dropped out of the band quite suddenly due to disagreements with his wife about the band.
Coal Chamber was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nu metalNu metal is a genre of heavy metal that blends hip-hop, grunge, alternative metal, funk metal and various other heavy metal influences such as industrial, groove and thrash.-Origins:...
band from
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
. The band formed in 1994 and disbanded in 2003. Former vocalist Dez Fafara and guitarist Meegs Rascon started She's In Pain in 1992. The two decided to create Coal Chamber in 1994. Their first drummer John Thor was eventually replaced by Mike Cox (who beat out his older brother for the spot). After bassist
Rayna FossRayna Foss Rayna Foss Rayna Foss (born August 26 1970 was the first bassist for the California based nu metal band Coal Chamber.- Biography :Rayna Foss was born in August 26 1970 in Atlanta, Georgia. She first started playing bass at a friend's party. His roommate had recently moved out and left...
joined, the Coal Chamber lineup was complete.
In late 1994,
Dino CazaresDino Cazares, born in Mexicali, Baja California, is a American musician of Mexican descent and the guitarist for Los Angeles-based metal/industrial group Fear Factory...
of
Fear FactoryFear Factory is an American metal band. The band formed in 1989 and have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
championed a demo tape by Coal Chamber, causing a huge local stir with gigs at
The Roxy TheatreThe Roxy Theatre is a famous nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California.It was opened on September 23, 1973 by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler along with original partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher. They took over building previously occupied by a strip club owned...
and
Whisky A Go GoThe Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip....
, eventually leading Coal Chamber to an offer to sign with
Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records is a record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
.
Fafara dropped out of the band quite suddenly due to disagreements with his wife about the band. In the spring of 1995, Dez reunited with Coal Chamber, which ended his marriage but revitalized the band. With a renewed sense of energy, Coal Chamber was able to regain their deal with
RoadrunnerRoadrunner Records is a record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
by the end of 1995.
In 1997 their debut self-titled album
Coal ChamberCoal Chamber is the debut album by the band of the same name. It was released on February 11, 1997 by Roadrunner Records and contains the single "Loco".The rhythms throughout this album were inspired by Pantera and White Zombie, while guitar sound was inspired by Korn.The Special Edition of the...
was released. They toured very heavily supporting this album. The album spawned one single and video, "Loco." The video was also added as an extra after the ending credits of Dee Snider's film,
StrangelandStrangeland is an American horror film released in 1998. The movie was directed by John Pieplow and written by Dee Snider.The film focuses on the body modification underground culture's rituals.-Plot:...
. The band also did an exclusive song for the soundtrack, titled "Not Living."
Chamber Music followed two years later. Between the two releases and after the band's tour with metal act
SevendustSevendust is an American metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. They were originally signed to TVT Records, but then released their fifth album with Winedark Records in the US, and Roadrunner Records overseas. Currently, they are signed to their own label 7 Bros...
, bassist
Rayna FossRayna Foss Rayna Foss Rayna Foss (born August 26 1970 was the first bassist for the California based nu metal band Coal Chamber.- Biography :Rayna Foss was born in August 26 1970 in Atlanta, Georgia. She first started playing bass at a friend's party. His roommate had recently moved out and left...
married to
SevendustSevendust is an American metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. They were originally signed to TVT Records, but then released their fifth album with Winedark Records in the US, and Roadrunner Records overseas. Currently, they are signed to their own label 7 Bros...
's drummer Morgan Rose and became pregnant, necessitating another bass player on tour, a role filled by
Nadja PeulenNadja Peulen is a recording artist from Germany who replaced Coal Chamber's Rayna Foss-Rose for live performances. She did not record in the studio with Coal Chamber, simply replacing Rayna on tour due to her marriage to, and child with, Sevendust's drummer Morgan Rose.Peulen replaced Rayna Foss...
.
Foss came back for the recording of Coal Chamber's third album, but left after the studio sessions to raise Kayla Moray Rose.
Dark DaysDark Days is the third studio album by Coal Chamber. It was recorded in 2001 and released on May 7, 2002. Bassist Rayna Foss-Rose left the band after this album was recorded; she was replaced by Nadja Peulen, who had already previously replaced her for Coal Chamber's tours in 1999 during Rayna's...
was released in the spring of 2002. Their only single and video was for the track 'Fiend'.
Formation (1992-1994)
Originally called Seal Chamber, the band gained a large following early in their career, arguably because they were the first "darker" themed
nu metalNu metal is a genre of heavy metal that blends hip-hop, grunge, alternative metal, funk metal and various other heavy metal influences such as industrial, groove and thrash.-Origins:...
band, having an image that had more in common with the
goth subcultureThe goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
than hip hop culture. Prior to Coal Chamber,
Dez FafaraBradley James 'Dez' Fafara is the current vocalist for DevilDriver and the ex-vocalist of Coal Chamber.-Personal life:Dez is of Italian descent...
and Meegs Rascón formed the band She's In Pain in 1992.
Coal Chamber (1997–1998)
Coal Chamber played in the first Ozzfest, signed to Roadrunner Records, acquired Mike "Bug" Cox, and recorded their first album (all in 1996) for their self-titled debut Coal Chamber in 1997. They got Nathan "Karma" Cox to direct their first video, Loco.
In 1997 Coal Chamber toured Europe with Machine Head, Napalm Death and Skinlab, including a show at the legendary Dynamo Festival in the Netherlands.
Chamber Music (1999–2001)
Chamber Music was released in late 1999 and took a step away from the
nu metalNu metal is a genre of heavy metal that blends hip-hop, grunge, alternative metal, funk metal and various other heavy metal influences such as industrial, groove and thrash.-Origins:...
image egendered in their prior release having instead a more
Gothic metalGothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music. Sometimes gothic metal combines the aggression of heavy metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The genre originated during the early 1990s in Europe as an outgrowth of death/doom, a fusion of death metal and doom metal...
inspired feel. With the bit of commercial success Coal Chamber received after
Chamber Music, the band toured on headlining and festival tours. The band managed to catch the attention of
Ozzy Osbourne'sJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English singer-songwriter, whose career has now spanned four decades. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead vocalist of pioneering British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and eventually achieved a multi-platinum solo career which revolutionized the heavy metal genre...
wife
Sharon OsbourneSharon Rachel Osbourne is an English music manager and promoter, television personality and presenter. She is the wife of singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
who became their manager. Coal Chamber later parted ways with Sharon over personal and creative differences, a theme which continued within the band causing them to take a break from touring and resulting in their non-participation in the
Tattoo the EarthTattoo the Earth was a concert tour from 2000 to 2002 in the United States. The tour, with part of it taking place during the summer, posed a challenge to Slipknot in particular. The band performed onstage in masks, and even under the best circumstances, they found them uncomfortable. The band's...
tour in 2000.
Dark Days/Disbandment (2002–2003)
The band followed up with their third album
Dark DaysDark Days is the third studio album by Coal Chamber. It was recorded in 2001 and released on May 7, 2002. Bassist Rayna Foss-Rose left the band after this album was recorded; she was replaced by Nadja Peulen, who had already previously replaced her for Coal Chamber's tours in 1999 during Rayna's...
in early 2002 to mixed reviews. Bassist Rayna Foss had left the band to raise her daughter shortly after the album was recorded; she was replaced by
Nadja PeulenNadja Peulen is a recording artist from Germany who replaced Coal Chamber's Rayna Foss-Rose for live performances. She did not record in the studio with Coal Chamber, simply replacing Rayna on tour due to her marriage to, and child with, Sevendust's drummer Morgan Rose.Peulen replaced Rayna Foss...
who had taken Foss-Rose's place during her pregnancy between the first two albums. Rayna had a falling out with frontman Dez Fafara saying that she and her husband had "found Christ" and would be leaving Coal Chamber for good.
In May 2002, it was announced that Coal Chamber had broken up after an on-stage altercation between Dez and Meegs during a show in Lubbock, Texas. They had been fighting verbally before the show and continued to fight on-stage with Meegs hitting Dez in the head with the headstock of his guitar. Dez announced "This is the last Coal Chamber show ever!" and stormed offstage. The band attempted to continue the show with Meegs singing vocals but soon stopped the show altogether. Mikey demolished his drumkit before storming offstage. The band managed to patch things up long enough for an appearance on "Last Call With Carson Daly" and a summer tour with American Head Charge, Lollipop Lust Kill, and Medication. These would be the last shows the band would ever play.
In October 2002, Mikey "Bug" Cox was fired after several personal disputes with both Fafara and guitarist Meegs Rascón. The official release on the Coal Chamber website stated that the band was looking for a new drummer, although all band activities had come to a standstill.
Late summer 2003 saw the release of a compilation album titled
Giving the Devil His DueGiving the Devil His Due is a 2003 compilation album of remixes and previously released songs by the nu metal band Coal Chamber. "Blisters" and "Wishes" had been on soundtrack albums prior to this album.-Track listing:# "Headstones and the Walking Dead"...
which included several demo tracks submitted by the band prior to their signing with
Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records is a record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
in 1997 along with several alternate studio recordings and remixes of various tracks from their previous releases. Coal Chamber officially called it a day in 2003 shortly after lead vocalist Dez Fafara continued with his new band
DevilDriverDevildriver is an American groove metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002. Coal Chamber vocalist Dez Fafara was not happy with the direction Coal Chamber was going in musically, and met musicians who had a similar music interest at a barbecue and bar. Fafara, guitarists Evan Pitts...
(formerly known as Deathride).
Post-breakup
In 2004
The Best Of Coal Chamber-Track listing:# "Loco" # "Oddity" # "Big Truck" # "Sway" # "Clock" # "Not Living" # "El Cu Cuy"...
was released.
In June 2005 Fafara stated that Coal Chamber's hiatus is permanent and will not be reforming at any time in the future. He has also described a reformation as "like repeating the 4th grade again."
In September 2007, Rascon stated that "you never know what the future brings."
Dez and Meegs settled their differences on October 24, 2008, with Meegs joining
DevilDriverDevildriver is an American groove metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002. Coal Chamber vocalist Dez Fafara was not happy with the direction Coal Chamber was going in musically, and met musicians who had a similar music interest at a barbecue and bar. Fafara, guitarists Evan Pitts...
on stage at the Glasshouse in Pomona, CA to play "Loco." Dez said that they had settled their disputes.
On September 9, 2009, it was announced via Blabbermouth.net that former Coal Chamber members Nadja Peulen and Mike Cox have joined forces to form a currently unnamed band . They are seeking a vocalist and guitarist to complete the lineup.
In September 2009, Rayna showcased her new band 'Titwolf' at The Babylon Gentlemans Club in Long Island, New York.
Final Line-up
- B. Dez Fafara
Bradley James 'Dez' Fafara is the current vocalist for DevilDriver and the ex-vocalist of Coal Chamber.-Personal life:Dez is of Italian descent...
- vocals (1994-2003)
- Miguel Rascon
Miguel Rascón better known by the stage name Meegs, is a rock guitarist of Chinese and Mexican descent...
- guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker. The signal that comes from the guitar is sometimes electronically altered with guitar effects such as...
(1994-2003)
- Nadja Peulen
Nadja Peulen is a recording artist from Germany who replaced Coal Chamber's Rayna Foss-Rose for live performances. She did not record in the studio with Coal Chamber, simply replacing Rayna on tour due to her marriage to, and child with, Sevendust's drummer Morgan Rose.Peulen replaced Rayna Foss...
- bassThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
(2002-2003)
- Mike Cox
Mikey "Bug" Cox is an American musician, formerly the drummer of Coal Chamber, and the youngest member of the original line-up.-Biography:...
- drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
(1994-2003)
Studio Albums
- Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber is the debut album by the band of the same name. It was released on February 11, 1997 by Roadrunner Records and contains the single "Loco".The rhythms throughout this album were inspired by Pantera and White Zombie, while guitar sound was inspired by Korn.The Special Edition of the...
(February 11, 1997)
- Chamber Music (September 7, 1999)
- Dark Days
Dark Days is the third studio album by Coal Chamber. It was recorded in 2001 and released on May 7, 2002. Bassist Rayna Foss-Rose left the band after this album was recorded; she was replaced by Nadja Peulen, who had already previously replaced her for Coal Chamber's tours in 1999 during Rayna's...
(May 7, 2002)
Compilations
- Giving the Devil His Due
Giving the Devil His Due is a 2003 compilation album of remixes and previously released songs by the nu metal band Coal Chamber. "Blisters" and "Wishes" had been on soundtrack albums prior to this album.-Track listing:# "Headstones and the Walking Dead"...
(August 19, 2003)
- The Best of Coal Chamber
-Track listing:# "Loco" # "Oddity" # "Big Truck" # "Sway" # "Clock" # "Not Living" # "El Cu Cuy"...
(August 9, 2004)
After Coal Chamber
After the disbandment of Coal Chamber Fafara continued as vocalist of metal band
DevilDriverDevildriver is an American groove metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002. Coal Chamber vocalist Dez Fafara was not happy with the direction Coal Chamber was going in musically, and met musicians who had a similar music interest at a barbecue and bar. Fafara, guitarists Evan Pitts...
, recording four albums:
DevilDriverDevilDriver is the self-titled debut album by California based heavy metal band DevilDriver, the new band of former Coal Chamber singer Dez Fafara...
,
The Fury of Our Maker's HandThe Fury of Our Maker's Hand is the second studio album by DevilDriver, released on June 28, 2005. The album entered the Billboard charts at number 117, with sales of 10,402. A special edition of the album was released on October 31, 2006...
,
The Last Kind WordsThe Last Kind Words is the third studio album by DevilDriver, released in the United States on July 31, 2007. It was released in the United Kingdom on June 19....
and
Pray for VillainsPray for Villains is the fourth studio album by DevilDriver, released on July 14th, 2009. On April 24th Roadrunner unveiled the cover artwork for both the regular and special editions of Pray for Villains. It was also announced that the special edition will be a CD/DVD package with 4 bonus tracks,...
Guitarist Meegs Rascon went on to form rock band "Glass Piñata", previously known as “
PinataA piñata is a brightly-colored papier-mâché covering either a clay container or cardboard shape. It originates in Mexico and has been a significant tradition of joy in that country for hundreds of years to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, Easter and sometimes an ordinary...
”. The group has so far only released demos via their website.
Bassist Nadja Puelen created t-shirt company Cruel Tees sold online and through stores such as Hot Topic. She is currently selling her bass from the Chamber Music tour.
After taking two years off to recover from a car accident drummer Mikey "Bug" Cox joined forces with long time friend, producer of Coal Chamber's self titled début, and
OrgyOrgy is a synth rock band from Bakersfield, California. Orgy describes their music as "death pop".-History:Orgy was formed in 1996 by vocalist Jay Gordon and guitarist Ryan Shuck, once of Jonathan Davis' original band Sexart, assisting in their eventual signing to Korn's label Elementree...
mastermind Jay Gordon. The band is called "Machine Gun Orchestra" and is currently in the studio working on their début album to be released in 2008.
External links