Out of all the nu-metal bands to form during the genre’s commercial peak, Coal Chamber did fairly well for themselves, in retrospect. Their self-titled debut album, which was released on this day in 1997, incorporated pummeling groove into their nu-metal for a familiar sound that definitely echoed bands like Korn, who were of course extremely popular at the time. They certainly weren’t the first band of their genre to arrive onto the scene, but they did arrive as it started to get popular.
The band and album that introduced vocalist Dez Fafara to the scene (he’d eventually form DevilDriver), the band’s self-titled debut eventually went Gold due to Ozzfest performances and touring with the likes of Soilent Green and ICP. While having a fairly simplistic sound compared to their peers, the band’s groove-oriented nature lent itself well to being part of the first big wave of nu-metal bands that scored major commercial success.
Probably the most memorable aspects of the record are the “roof is on fire” refrain on hit single “Sway”, a moshpit-ready anthem that helped the band gain attention. There’s also album opener “Loco”, which you’re still moshing to this day. It’s honestly not a bad album at all, even if many would say it sounds dated compared to their peers. At the very least, a slice of history.
