Bradley "Dez" Fafara - Vocals
Miguel "Meegs" Rascon - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rayna Foss Rose - Bass
Mike "Bug" Cox - Drums

Coal Chamber, are proof that you can snatch success
from the jaws of defeat. The band's explosion on the
hard-rock scene proves, hard work, determination,
innovation, and confidence can overcome any obstacle
even the ones artists put before themselves. Whereas
less than two years ago, the very existence of the
band was in doubt, Coal Chamber is now taking their
unique brand of music and road-tested performance to
new heights. 

Here are the up-to-the-minute, hard numbers on Coal
Chamber's self-titled debut album, released in
February of1997: over 100,000 copies shipped, with
sales climbing to approximately 3,000 a week.
Spectacular figures for a band that is, just now,
breaking through at rock radio for the first time. The
single, "Loco," is getting airplay on influential
stations like WRCX (Chicago, IL), 93X KXXR
(Minneapolis,MN), WAZU (Columbus,OH), WBUZ
(Toledo,OH), WKLQ (Grand Rapids, MI) and a host of
others, including a rousing appearance on the
nationally syndicated MANCOW morning show. The
nightmarish video for "Loco," directed by longtime
band friend Nathan Cox in October, is now set to send
shockwaves through MTV, M2, and every regional outlet
it can invade. 

It was relentless touring that got Coal Chamber to
this point in their careers. "We don't like being at
home," admits frontman Dez "If we're home for an
extended period of time, we feel like we're not doing
our job" Well, the band has been doing their job, and
doing it damn well: following their triumphant
European debut last spring and their high-profile slot
on last summer's already legendary Ozzfest, the band
jumped into the opening slot of the Pantera/Machine
Head tour at the personal request of Pantera drummer
Vinnie Paul. Next up came another cross-country jaunt
as openers for Type O Negative. All along, this
nonstop touring machine has received rave reviews for
their manic and dramatic performances, which have
called "the musical equivalent of an exorcism" for
their intensity and emotional output. 

It's that intensity-fueled by personal and musical turbulence-that has earmarked Coal Chamber for success
from the beginning. The group came together in the
spring of 1994 and produced a self-financed demo which
caught the ears of Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares
and producer Ross Robinson. The two brought the demo
to the attention of Roadrunner Records, who promptly
offered the band a deal in the fall of 1995. 

Personal trauma ripped Dez from Coal Chamber for a
short period of time. His life experience played a big
part in the music that came out of the recording
sessions for their first Roadrunner album. Dez and his
bandmates are taking full advantage of the newbeginning that his return afforded them. 

The band continues to rack up acclaim in the press,
with coverage in Alternative Press, Request, Thrasher,
Metal Maniacs, Live Wire, Bass Player, Hit Parader,
Metal Edge, and especially Kerrang! (which voted the
band Best International Act at their 1997 Kerrang
Awards ceremony). The group has also been featured in
over 30,000 classrooms as part of a CNN cable program
called "Cable In The Classroom." Finally, Coal
Chamber's career got a huge boost last August when
Sharon Osbourne, wife and manager of Ozzy Osbourne,
decided to manage the band--the first new act she has
taken on in a decade. 

This is just the beginning. Most importantly, don't
look for Coal Chamber to tone down their approach or
get off the road until sometime after you can ice
skate on the lakes of Hell. Despite the band's rapidly
blossoming success, they're still driven by the same
demons that first ignited the band's music. "We thrive
on that," remarks Dez. "That's what drives us and
gives us our edge. That's what keeps it real." 

That's Coal Chamber. Right now.


back