COAL CHAMBER play The Observatory Aug. 22
After a 13-year hiatus, Coal Chamber has come into their own, still capturing the essence of original 90’s Coal Chamber while creating the funk-filled, nu metal sound of their new album “Rivals.” Revamping the band with a new album and tour dates across the world, Coal Chamber will be rocking the Observatory on Aug. 22.
“I think the core is still Coal Chamber,” Nadja Peulen said. “I think obviously we’ve grown individually and collectively, so there’s definitely a new spin to it, but the basics are still the core Coal Chamber roots.”
Although the band captures the heavy sound of metal, Coal Chamber recognizes influences from multiple genres of funk, hip-hop, goth metal and others to create the unique sound throughout their new songs. Songs, such as the first on the album I.O.U. Nothing follows the dark sounds that Coal Chamber was built on while adding the new, upbeat attitude of the band as a whole.
“Now you would call it nu metal, but that term came out when we were already playing music,” Peulen said. “We definitely have dark, kind of gothy, new wave influences. I think we’re just a heavy band that has a lot of dark elements to it and lots of groove.”
Even after years away from Coal Chamber, members Dez Fafara (vocals), Meegs Rascon (guitar), Mike Cox (drums) and Peulen (bass) have not failed to draw in crowds throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia and more.
“We played together obviously before in the 90’s and early 2000’s and I think once you connect as players you kind of know how everybody plays,” Peulen said. “Getting back into it was very natural, it’s like we never stopped.”
Coal Chamber signed with Napalm Records in 2014 and released their album Rivals on May 19, 2015. The album reached No. 80 on The Billboard 200 chart and matched the lost years of the band with an appropriate 13 songs. The album follows the need to rid inner demons and negativities in life (the “rivals”), which seems the perfect topic for the rekindling foursome.
“Obviously after having a break for 13 years, it’s nice to play together again — that’s enough of an inspiration,” Peulen said. “We like each other as people, as musicians we gel together and it just kind of went into the natural progression of releasing an album.”
Coal Chamber is diving headfirst back into the music industry with not only their headlining tour, but with appearances on Gwar-B-Q Presents B4BQ, Dirt Fest and more.
“I think our perspective on things and our attitude on things have changed a little bit. I think we’re much more team players now and it just kind of flows easier – I think that just comes with time and experience.”