Chamber Music
Far more diverse and dynamic than the band's unspectacular self-titled debut,Chamber Musicexhibits 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 ofKornandLimp Bizkit, while tossing in enough gothic keyboard lines and minor-key melodies to appeal toMarilyn Mansonfans. 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 ofPeter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey," withOzzy Osbourneon vocals. But shortcomings notwithstanding,Chamber Musicmarks a major musical step forward for Coal Chamber.--Jon Wiederhorn