Soft Chamber rocks hard

Heavy music bands have always been characterized by imagery that complements their music. Bands like Nine Inch Nails, Tool and Marilyn Manson are always portrayed with images of destruction, hurt and misery.

Then there's one of this year's main draws for Ozzfest - Coal Chamber. This is a band that wears all black clothes and black make-up and has multiple facial piercings, but they go on tour with a stage full of cute and cuddly soft toys.

Just what is going on here? The music of Coal Chamber is pure 100 percent heavy and disturbing, yet the band has an ice cream truck on its album cover and a cute scribble face for its logo.

"I love Alice Cooper," said lead singer Dez. "But I don't want to be like the Alice Cooper syndrome where I'll always have to be wearing lipstick and this and that. You can't be stuck into one thing. Image for us is just as important as music and hopefully with the growth of our music will be the growth of our image as well."

Courtesy of Roadrunner Records The members of Coal Chamber gather for a meeting on the importance of traditional family values. OK, not really, but they sure can rock, and you can catch them at Ozzfest this summer.

The band consists of Dez on vocals, Meegs on guitar, Rayna on bass and Mike on drums. As individuals and off-stage, they're all friendly, soft-spoken and courteous.

Onstage, however, the Coal Chamber touring machine appears energetic, manic and driven to push the crowd into a lunatic frenzy. Just last year the band ended up playing an excess of 400 shows (having played two sets a day at Ozzfest '97).

Not surprisingly, the band has been growing in popularity. Its debut album was released in February of 1997. Since then, the band has found critical fame and popularity in Europe, playing many festivals there.

Coal Chamber has also extensively toured the States, appearing on the second stage at last year's Ozzfest and convincing Sharon Osbourne (Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager) to become its manager.

The band considered being part of such a successful tour a great experience.

"Ozzfest '97 ticket sales killed Lollapalooza last year 10 to 1," Dez said.

Coal Chamber is excited to be returning to Ozzfest this summer, where they will perform on the main stage.

"It's an honor first of all," Dez said. "Now we're main stage, and not only do we have to impress fans and people like that, but our manager is Sharon Osbourne so we really have to make her look good."

The band is very appreciative of support from its fans, who are still Coal Chamber's main priority.

"Our whole philosophy is that we don't have fans, we have friends," Dez said. "We hang out after the show and we're extremely down to earth. For a band of our image and music and everything like that, we just try to stay as close to the fans as we can.

"We have a lot of things we say and one of them is, 'One hand washes the other.' We believe in karma."

Despite its endless touring schedule, Coal Chamber expects to release a new album as early as the beginning of next year.

"We're going to try to do the Madonna thing. That's put an album out every two years, which a lot of bands don't hold claim to do," Dez said. "After the Ozzfest we're only going to take two weeks off, then we'll go on to a month of pre-production, a month of recording, two weeks of press or whatever, and then we'll be back on the road again in January, maybe early December. The album is going to be released February 11, two years to the day."

Three unrecorded songs, "Anxiety," "Not Living" and "Blisters" have already found their way on Coal Chamber's current live set.

Although Coal Chamber's popularity in Europe still ourshines its popularity here, the crowd in the States is beginning to catch on.

The single "Loco" has begun to receive extensive airplay on modern rock and hard rock stations here. The public acceptance of heavy music may be taking a back seat at the moment to other musical genres, but Dez is optimistic about the state of heavy music in America.

"I say it's getting ready to spring back up," Dez said.

With the Ozzfest outselling many other large tours this summer, Dez's prediction may be accurate. When Coal Chamber comes through with the Ozzfest, be prepared for a terrific show ... and bring your teddy bear.

07-06-98