Coal Chamber was founded in Los Angeles in 1994 and released its self-titled debut the same year. The then new style of alternative metal was made big by Korn and formed the basis for the nu-metal that was popular at the beginning of the 21st century. In 2002, little has been heard of Korn for a while and Coal Chamber only released the reasonably good yet flopped album Chamber Music (1999). With
… the huge nu-metal hype in mind it is clearly a case of peaking too early. Dark Days should ensure the necessary success. In any case, the band has not done much with its style because it is still heavy, dark, but still quite jumpy. The heavy guitar riffs and fierce drums form a common thread that remains taut for fifteen songs. Dark Days is tight, very heavy but one hundred percent convincing. Should the album nevertheless fail, it is certainly not due to Coal Chamber, which is much easier to enjoy than most bands that call themselves nu-metal. (RWK)more
