Coal Chamber

Nu metal veterans party like it’s 1999

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It feels like we’re in Hot Tub Time Machine: Nu-Metal as three of the scene’s second-wavers share the stage with The Defiled.

Unbelievably this is Dope’s [8] first London show and the setlist is near-perfect. The industrial metal grind of Violence sits perfectly alongside Die Motherfucker Die as well as covers of Rebel Yell and Fuck Tha Police.

THE DEFILED [6] are uncharacteristically tame. Even the AvD’s keyboard-hurling antics don’t feel as wild as usual and things don’t really start picking up until the punchy new song Running In Circles. SOIL [8] offer a classic set with heavy emphasis on their debut Scars, and, yes, they polish up their Halo at the end. It’s been 13 years since COAL CHAMBER [7] last hit the UK and not only are they tighter, but Dez Fafara has strengthened as a frontman too. The first half of the set is pumped with explosive classics like Loco and Big Truck, complete with gothic visuals. Coal Chamber throw in a couple of new tunes from Rivals but the band run out of steam partway through and people actually start leaving early. But wait! A smouldering Sway kicks off a giant pit full of flying beer and bodies and that sagging middle doesn’t seem to matter anymore.

Natasha Scharf
Natasha Scharf
Deputy Editor, Prog

Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.