Coal Chamber - Chamber Music

Far more diverse and dynamic than the band's unspectacular self-titled debut, Chamber Music exhibits Coal Chamber at its most eclectic and accessible. Rooting songs such as "Tragedy" and "Tyler's Song" in a foundation of de-tuned guitar bluster, syncopated beats, and growled vocals, Coal Chamber capture the primal urgency of Korn and Limp Bizkit, while tossing in enough gothic keyboard lines and minor-key melodies to appeal to Marilyn Manson fans. At times, however, Coal Chamber's sepulchral clatter seems a wee bit contrived--as in "What's in Your Mind," which features staccato vocals too similar to Korn's "Freak on a Leash," and a horrendous fragment of Peter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey," with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. But shortcomings notwithstanding, Chamber Music marks a major musical step forward for Coal Chamber. --Jon Wiederhorn