Coal Chamber's Gnarly Origins: Dez Fafara Looks Back on Early Days

[@revolver]

GNARLY ORIGINS OF COAL CHAMBER: CONTENT GUIDE: 00:00 The story of Coal Chamber classic, “Loco” 03:04 The sex, drugs and rock and roll early Nineties in LA 03:20 Who were you when you started Coal Chamber? 04:39 The intensity of Coal Chamber & the only show they ever cancelled 05:53 The dawn of the nu-metal era and Korn’s strategy for filling shows 07:02 Dez’s take on the genre, where they fit in, why it was special and where it went wrong 08:06 Mexican gangs in attendance at Coal Chamber shows, paying tribute to the culture 08:42 How did who flew a flag for the band affected the performance? 10:08 The gaps between the Korn, Deftones and Coal Chamber audiences & the shared attitude 10:36 Where are the original members now? 10:50 Why he broke up the band 11:10 Fear and making it through 12:12 Rayna’s situation, now & then 13:17 Maintaining band relationships 14:35 The artists that pushed him forward & those who didn’t believe 16:46 Coal Chamber’s legacy

[@crypticplayzzz271]

I still have my Coal Chamber ticket from 99 with Dez autograph! Grand Rapids Michigan

[@Chickenmaster0-x6l]

Sell it to me

[@heavengiven1111]

Such a powerful band. Loved this interview and the sincerity of Dez.

[@Anthonybchannel]

​@Repo-Manone hit wonder? My guy they INVENTED nu metal. And no dont give me that Korn did. They didnt. They will even say that themselves. CC are the KINGS

[@cloudbloom]

I remember hearing Big Truck for the first time, back in the 90's it was quite fresh. The vocals in particular had such a great sound

[@joerosadini951]

Big Truck was awesome .

[@seanambrose8782]

BIG TRUCK!!!

[@nickcharles6530]

I’ve always loved Coal Chamber. I wish those guys never stopped doing their thing. The real deal!!!

[@brettkihlmire573]

Dark Days was one of my favorite albums back in high school.

[@seanambrose8782]

That is absolutely heartbreaking about Rayna, she was my favorite when i was a kid😢

[@jrobbin24]

Like Darcy Wretsky all over again

[@robwalsh9843]

@@jrobbin24 probably a worse situation than Darcy.

[@jonrobbin170]

​@@robwalsh9843seems so. Sad either way though.

[@Chameleon8600]

Nu Metal,Metal,Thrash and Groove Metal are the first genres of music i got into when i was a teenager. Great interview.

[@jimthar17]

Nothing wrong with Nu Metal. I'm a metalhead from back in the 80's and I dig Nu Metal to this day. Not EVERY band but the majority of it was good. I can still remember driving around Orlando jamming the Chamber Music CD endlessly. "GO SON!"

[@TheKingofTheSwing]

What heavy bands did you fancy in the 80es ??

[@robertmills2058]

I love and miss Orlando

[@stealthfinger]

Loco was THE song that opened the doors of metal for me. 👍

[@oxrjbizzle1984y]

its so freaking heavy, the chorus is one of the heaviest things in metal history.....yeah coal chamber felt heavier and darker than the other nu-metal bands to me for sure.....

[@kornfreak78]

I was sooo heavily into Coal Chamber back in the late 90's. (STILL love them to this day) They'll always be cool as far as I'm concerned.

[@RobertLandrum13]

Same. I was born in 83 so late 90s was the fucking best. I loved Meegs' Chelsea haircut and had to have one myself so I had a Chelsea for a long time because of him. They embodied 90s metal style with how they looked. Coal Chamber will always hold a special place in my life in shaping me as I grew up.

[@philwalker494]

hell yea, 1st band i ever seen back in 98 seen em 8 times since love em :)

[@JnRskaters]

Original mudvayne

[@larryzeno7133]

I interviewed Dez, he is the man.

[@Yournewneighbors]

I saw them at the Whiskey Sept 94 and they were amazing ✨ the crowd was insane, Dez came out dressed in Orange County jumpsuit , he was flailing his arms around all night and I found his wedding ring on the dance floor that night and handed it back to him , he’s a super cool dude 👍

[@corporalpunishment924]

Coal Chamber is always gonna have a specially reserved spot in the musical juke box that resides in my head. Love the story behind it all and definitely wanna pick up the autobiography when it drops. Also I feel bad about Rayna, and hope she gets better so she can live her life like the rest of the band.

[@MedusaWithoutTheBaggage]

Just caught them for the first time live and they were the best band out of all five that night. Huge respect and admiration for them.

[@DeanThomson]

More than anything I love how transparent he is. You don't see that too often.

[@chasing_dragons]

Thank you for this. I adore that band.🏁⭐️💯

[@Gojira_Sama]

Saw them yesterday with mudvayne, they absolutely crushed it..

[@cloudbloom]

Great interview, solid questions! He's a class act

[@johnsanchez2975]

OM Fucking G!!!!!! I so sad but at the same time i am Glad to Hear news of Rayna after years whit out some little info about her Finally Dez break the silence, I dont know if he talked before this interview, but in Many years it is the first time that i hear it. We love Coal chamber we love Rayna Over here in México 🇲🇽

[@Dogfathergrooming]

Yeah it was also an ugly departure Rayna married Morgan fro. Seven dust and those bands hated each other, maybe she is schizophrenic, I'm also hearing she is a Christian and is raising horses on a farm, who knows. The devil lies, and Dez is very much into witchcraft. I will take Raynes word until I know she is lying

[@SaKOTR]

Fan of theirs from late 90's till departure. Still love jamming out to them because of how raw their music was. It's funny as a couple years back I bought a F250 and CC's Big Truck was the first song I christened it with. 😆

[@viet-tandoan9780]

Awesome interview from such a boiling era. People tend to hate what's Nu Metal has become but in the beginning, it was just an explosion of creativity where you can mix about everything with heavy riff. I think that when people speak about the early days of West Coast Nu Metal, they should mention ( Hed) PE, Snot, Incubus and maybe Far ( even tho they were more post-hardcore/emo). All those bands were bringing their own vibes into the scene

[@imoutofideasfornames]

Damn, I forgot about Far.

[@countbiscuit3274]

Snot was awesome 🤘🤘 So sad what happened to Lynn Strait 😢

[@viet-tandoan9780]

@@imoutofideasfornames They were so great; Got the chance to make Jonah matranga shows and become friend with him. He got such a powerfull voices

[@viet-tandoan9780]

@@countbiscuit3274 Yes, i can only guess the face of the scene would be a little different with them still around

[@jkbear29]

I remember being a kid I was like 11-12 and seen coal chamber for the first time and was hooked … went to every show after that when they were close and then devil driver and every time they are close to Philly I’m going to a show … will be seeing them in October 2023 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼devil driver and dez helped me through a lot of bad times especially after losing my son in a car accident

[@zodivamp]

growing up in the 90s i had great bands like pantera, danzig, manson, zombie and many others, but the first time i heard loco on a kmart music player, i was enthralled. saw them all 3 tours in norfolk and loved every second of it and happy to see them on tour for rivals aa few years ago with combichrist and filter. man. i really wish this band would do one final album before hanging it up. i miss them prolly more then i should but damn its coal chamber for life here.

[@xTrustno1x]

I remember when I bought their first album on cassette on September 20, 1998... unforgettable.

[@NikkiZollmanMUA]

Met them a looooong time ago. Hung out with Mike and his pup on the square in Springfield Missouri around 1998. If I remember correctly, his pup was a pug. Super cute dog and these guys were good energy to chill with. Glad to hear their names again and seeing their faces popping up on my feed. :)

[@kennethmilam2894]

Great interview and interviewer

[@mediaapexproduction5245]

Coal Chamber stood out to me way more then the other scene that was happening. I loved Korn with all my heart but man. When the first album came out, my mom had this big Pioneer sound system with 15s and when she would leave, the second i seen her car out of sight. I would bring the system to about 80% any higher it would distort a little lol I wanted it crispy. The hair would stand up on my body as the first track hit, I felt possessed and so alive. I would go through the whole album. I think I was about 10. A memory and feeling I will never forget. I had a fucked up childhood and it definitely made me strong to fight all the demons. I am late 30s now and loving life. Long live Coal Chamber!!

[@complexanimal033]

🔥Fire 🔥... I will keep you in my prayers "Rayna" your soul is not lost!... Long live "Coal Chamber" the pioneers of Metal and more... Great interview! Dios los bendiga! 🤘❤‍🔥

[@warmoth68]

Straight talk with no bs! Well grounded. Love it! 👍🎸

[@SpacePirate313]

Straight up this band changed me way back in 98. Much love to coal chamber.

[@PonyDaze757]

Can't wait for blue ridge!!! Going to be epic seeing y'all again after so many years!!

[@churroinyomouf]

South Gate!! Got into metal early in the 2000s. Never really got into Coal Chamber, but at the same time never disliked them.Also, really cool to see how he reps South Gate and the Mexican culture there. Will be listening heavily today because of this cool South Gate City fact.

[@crazydave951]

Just seen them in Camden, show was awesome, so much energy!

[@tmamone83]

A lot of people hate on Coal Chamber, but I fucking loved them.

[@oscarrokez3880]

I heard about y’all at sick new world and blew me tf away I was soo lost in my youth with underground punk and thrash but y’all were amazing!!!

[@Ryo7_7]

Meegs guitar riffs are still awesome. Dez is still rockin. 🤘🏽

[@biohazard911]

I’m from a little town called Lynwood which is neighboring South Gate and I can confirm , back yard shows where Lynwood kids met with South Gate kids it was always fighting . Pits were fun as heck .

[@soundhealer6043]

"It was about 3pm in the afternoon", I'm glad he clarified lest anyone mistakenly think it was 3pm in the morning.

[@timvargason6686]

Coal Chamber, Devil Driver...Evil Ernie! One of best memories was seeing Coal Chamber and in 2009 opening for Devil Driver in Philly.

[@liamsweeney972]

They were awesome live last weekend. Couldn't believe it had been a decade since the last time I saw them. Hope they keep it together to do a headlining club tour after the Mudvayne tour. The stuff with Rayna is really sad.

[@ASHsor]

I was so excited to see them for the rivals reunion. Fan since chamber music. CC had an awesome mix of styles.

[@johnnyjohnson5571]

Saw them last weekend. The show was amazing great band line up !! Played all the bangers too!!

[@te9591]

12:40 woah, that is wild, of Dez saying he could hear someone elses hallucinations. Especially with a 1700s property.

[@GREG_Khar-NÜ-Metalhead2000]

Let's be real,ghost's real

[@dpclerks09]

@@GREG_Khar-NÜ-Metalhead2000 nobody believes until they experience it for themselves.

[@pavelstoikov3780]

ty so much for this video !

[@anthonyfonzi2144]

Dez seems like such a dope dude.

[@kezcaisorf]

Really good inteview, mostly thx to the interviewer's questions. thank you!

[@deathstar830]

Shout out to @revolver for this great great interview

[@f1hotrod527]

Coal Chamber has made some sweet music. They were the first metal band I ever saw live. I think it was late 90's and they played at a bar that used an indoor volleyball court as the venue. Even though it was a small venue with a few hundred people, they all dressed up for the part (meegs had his cool makeup on etc). Dez sounded great. Meegs was really cool. Rayna was awesome. I am pretty sure Mikey drummed so hard that he hurt his spine or his neck during the show. Love the early numetal bands, they were so unique and had such great songs. I always chuckle at the metal gatekeepers that look down on numetal. Megadeth is my favorite band, and I love the glory of thrash. But many bands started regurgitating the same stuff, or new bands that sound the same as existing bands. My brain does not care about your music if I have heard it from another band already. Numetal was a break and an infusion of life into heavy metal.

[@anthonywheeler2082]

It's sad what happened to Rayna.

[@DoubtingThomas333]

You only get like that by doing drugs and wrecking your mind. Some people get away with it and some people don't.

[@pinkimietz3243]

@@DoubtingThomas333 You can say it about life in general.

[@yeeaahBUDDY]

@@DoubtingThomas333 Not true. It's called paranoid schizophrenia, which starts showing symptoms when people are in their mid to late twenties, and people who have never touched a drug in their life get it too.

[@te9591]

​​@yeeaahBUDDY usually early 20s, interesting enough. I think the "Call of Cthulhu" was inspired by the folk awareness of Schizophrenia before it was recognized as a condition by clinicians. In the short story a lot of creative people, intelligent people, are targeted in their youth by Cthulhu beyond the veil of reality. Secondly, it can occur with out drugs, but drugs, especially psychadelic drugs can aggravate genetic issues and unlock it in some people.

[@diablodiablodiablo3827]

​​@@yeeaahBUDDYtrue, but yeah, drugs do help you get there if you have some predisposition to such illness. Many people don't realize how even pot can help some people get an all inclusive into a psychiatric ward.

[@whateverwhatever5715]

Top 3 band in my book ...I've loved this band for over 2 decades ..so glad they are back together and they sound dope too ..

[@TheKingofTheSwing]

Chill 🤣

[@revivedfears]

Coal Chamber were one of my favourite bands back in the day, especially the heavier stuff. They really found their sound of Dark Days in my opinion. It's quite a simplistic, limited sound in general, but Coal Chamber did it so well. They also had an excellent image and mystique too, especially before the internet.

[@scottreynolds5455]

I saw Coal Chamber in Las Vegas at the Joint. The female bass player had a strong effect on me. she played badass and was soooo georgeous.

[@jasonharris5977]

I brought loco back when it first came out it made now my kids rock out to it. Can’t wait to read Dezs autobiography.

[@blakepeacock6568]

Dez was really trying to plug his autobiography but ol girl never asked him. I mean damn he mentioned it at least five times!! She just blew right over it every time!! LoL

[@spiritlevelstudios]

Heheh

[@douchymcdouche169]

12:10 Lol the interviewer should've done her research about Rayna. When Dez started talking about Rayna being insane and hearing ghosts she was so dumbstruck all she could say is "yeah".

[@BlakeBlackstone]

Coal Chamber has been one of my favorite bands since the early 2000's. I really don't like going to concerts but I was happy to finally see Coal Chamber live like 2 weeks ago. I had seen Devil Driver live like 3 times just from going to see other bands and I don't really like Devil Driver. I can sleep well at night now.

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

I have seen CC live twice and I will be seeing them again this week. I don't make it to shows all the time either this is my first concert since last summer when I saw Helmet, Evanescence, and KoRn in concert! Can you elaborate on why you don't like going to concerts? I like going to concerts, but the traveling and traffic jams can be stressful. This is my 3rd year in a row going to my local amphitheater for concerts, I stopped going to shows for quite a few years but now I'm back into it!

[@BlakeBlackstone]

@leadme2thebliss21 Concerts can become overpriced. I don't really think it's worth it to spend that type of money to be hurdled around like cattle in lines and being overheated while everyone breathes down your neck with 0 elbow room. I already hate people as it is.

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

@@BlakeBlackstone Well, it all depends on how you want to experience the concert too...Personally, I don't like mosh pits or being in a crowd that is bumping into each other so I will buy lawn tickets and generally stay in a spot towards the back or off to the side. I can't really afford pavilion anyways it's like $140 after fees for the pavilion seats in the back, that's crazy.

[@ryanlust1350]

These guys are going hard right now❤

[@sultosky7528]

12:11 omg, its insane what hapenned to Rayna, didn't know about all the stuff she was going trough... That shit is crazy man, i hope she putted her stuff together and moved on...

[@bullyinspace]

I got it on with Rayna backstage at Ozzfest 1998. Milton Keynes England. She was high as hell but hey rock n roll

[@danielguest7841]

What was she high on?

[@bullyinspace]

@@danielguest7841 ecstasy

[@JmLethal963]

"... homogenized milk toast version..." lol. For some reason, I think he meant 'pasteurized milk...', but it's all love! Great interview, and Dez will always be the man!

[@dboone7670]

"Homogenized" and "milquetoast" are both ways to say something or someone is boring, weak, uninspiring, etc. It has nothing to do with pasteurized milk.

[@ptonewood]

My first show. They opened for Anthrax and Pantera in Worcester MA

[@davidg9165]

Dez looks great! Very well spoken. Very sad deal about Rayna, I really hate to hear that about her. I had a bad crush on her back in those days.

[@RIKSAPL]

Their first album is amazing! 🤍

[@cyricnosferat227]

Always a good interview. Saw them open for Megadeth in Redding, CA back in the day. Been a fan ever sense.

[@nickspencer9018]

Same

[@MrWestonGrounds]

Bad ass box set, and first vinyl pressings for most albums. Get ‘em while ya can!!!!

[@paulluna8099]

I remember back in the day when Nadja took over for Rayna on Coal Chamber's website they wrote the band refuses to answer any questions about Rayna. At the time I thought it was pure hatred.

[@GH51505150]

I met Dez and Devil Driver in Philly. I'm gonna say 2010-2012. Something like that. A guy I knew was friends with Dez. We went on their tour bus. Dez and the band were definitely cool.

[@Shinji451]

I WANNA HEAR MORE ABOUT RAYNA

[@leftfield5914]

Please give us another album Dez Coal chamber will be huge again, kitties new album was very successful the time is now for more coal chamber there's never been a better time 90s are back here in Australia especially fashion

[@adamkahn8645]

there is no other band that could ever replace CC from when i was growing up. Its no secret that Meegs was an all-feel player and not really strong on guitar... but when I was young and saw him it encouraged me. I dont have to be a virtuoso to be able to write tunes thats make my head bob. don't get me wrong, im not dissing Meegs, hes a huge influence on me. he just showed me that I could write music without having to spend decades mastering the guitar.

[@Landminenj]

i was actually at that Troc show in 1996. it was definitely strange seeing coal chamber with downset. but i had a feeling coal chamber would blow up

[@lyrianxrofficial]

Yes! Dez is right! This was REAL numetal. It was the later bands that got "purified". Numetal was originally full beastmode and in your face.

[@IconicPortal]

I always called the first coal chamber album "true stoner metal" Genuinely that album was major in the metal world

[@leftfield5914]

The whole discovery as stoner / industrial elements

[@ConcertFootageNate]

That show was at Annie’s in cincy Ohio…They played with sevendust and meegs fell off the stage an we caught him..the rest of the band was playin loco but meegs wasn’t…His road crew stood him back up plugged his guitar back in an he feel over on the stage an Dez said we took some shrooms an we r fucked up,,sorry..it was disappointing but I knew this was gonna be part of History and I was part of it, I been telling my son who now is 16 and loves coal chamber and all 90s stuff that story but I have never seen anything on KZbin about it…Loved to see dez say this my son will now know that his 49 yr old dad wasn’t lying..me and my group Of friends went behind the venue and hungout wirh them an sevendust till later that nite, smoked weed with almost al of em, I have a poster that the whole band signed that nite was epic so glad he talked about this show!!!

[@amazona_finschi]

CC's music was fairly straightforward nu metal, but Dez's aggressive, snarling vocals made me want to listen to heavier and heavier metal. A "gateway drug" of the best kind.

[@LeadMe2TheBliss]

a gateway to worse bands in other words...I got you! 🤣Honestly, I never really evolved as a fan into "heavier" music than rock, alternative, and alt metal/Nu Metal. I never got into much metal heavier than bands like KoRn, Coal Chamber, Killswitch Engage, and Pantera. I do like some hardcore bands though like Pro-Pain, Life Of Agony, and Biohazard. That's about as heavy as my music taste goes though.

[@Retro-2-now]

I remember being 20 in 1998 and we drove from Jacksonville Fl to Clinton Iowa for a show called Pigstock. It was my best friends’ band and we went on a 30 day tour. This particular show was an off day of Ozfest. We were there at like 9am hanging out and doing whatever. A few key moments stick out and are suck clear memories. The first was, I was a fan of Coal Chamber and me and Dez were talking and all the sudden he asked if I wanted to go grab some coffee with him. So we walked across the street to the gas station to get coffee. Second was I got to play one of those “crack machines” bar top games with Lemmy. Third, I told Whitfield Crane I would beat his ass. Last, I got to hang with Coal Chamber all night

[@GalacticCenterOG]

I am a huge nu-metal fan, that said, I never listened to any CC. Idk why, I guess being in high school, there wasn’t like, KZbin or anything back then so whatever I didn’t hear playing on the radio or MTV, I didn’t really know about. Also I was the biggest pothead in my town, drove around in a green Dodge Caravan and everyone in Springfield, Va. knew it was me, all my friends, blasting Korn, Limp Bizkit, SOAD, Slipknot, and smoke billowing out the back haha. Yeah, greatest era of my life by far. The late 90’s were so fun and it’s the last great decade America ever had. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤘🏼☕️

[@peaner083]

Last great decade everywhere I think

[@wallaceshawn-zk8iw]

​@@peaner083Entertainment was Cooking back then! Music, Video Games, TV, Pro Wrestling, you name it

[@peaner083]

@@wallaceshawn-zk8iw Oh absolutely yeah. Definitely miss it but definitely still glad to have experienced it🤘🇳🇿👍

[@wavybaby999]

Me and my best friend's from high school did a tribute show back in 2001 we played all the hits from all 3 albums.. the good ol days .. this interview brought so many memories . Like the tike we went to go seem them play in Hollywood cali at the trubadour . We saw Dez in the parking lot and he autographed my friends hipbone, i think and the next day she ended up getting his signature tatted on her..

[@benjibanks7894]

Seen em for the first time at Ozzfest "98" Such a great year for metal music.

[@ItsToXxy]

I'm trying to picture Dez and Meegs running after the ice cream guy 😂 I'm glad I got to see them in concert recently. They do an awesome live show.

[@beeksunreal]

i seen chamber in 2001 at x fest and the crowd left but us nu fans flocked in it was amazing.. real music vs radio. also guitar was out and still sick.still loco!

[@brianburns77]

I saw them on the Downset tour he mentioned at the end of the interview. It was amazing and they blew Downset away even though they were an opener. Small club was about to collapse when they came on.

[@markarmenta5259]

Did anyone count how many times he said “sex drugs and rocknroll” or mentioned his autobiography

[@seamuschesterbergsonfordsh9752]

Something something, Volatile, Visceral

[@phutureproof]

I Do remember this band, back in the 90 they would play a few of their songs at a local rock club, the singer sounding like he taking a shit, the banging riffs, was a good time

[@Jeudaos]

Keep It Simple Stupid is literally the BEST musical writing advice. ALL the bands that keep it simple, make it big and usually are able to keep going longterm.

[@WarriorEsoteric]

Seeing them with mudvayne In August

[@larryzeno7133]

H ey Dez! Thanks for the DEN interview back in the day. I am good now, let’s catch up. Lol, like he remembers me. Limozeno!

[@greatbigmouth3359]

Fucking love this band !

[@Integritydefins]

Such a shame about Rayna. Such a beautiful woman and beautiful soul. I understand her visions wholheartedly. They can be very scary. Its a choice to overcome them and cut out certain things in life and step out of the darkness into the light.

[@Integritydefins]

@@squaredcircle1111 They all did. She also probably didnt know how to cope with a mental illness. Her and Morgan had a kid together and we all know that it can be tough raising children on the road.

[@josephbearup4787]

Loco and BigTruck are Fkn Classics

[@pjwright77]

Cheers for the tunes Dez !! just a Top metal human, first Coal chamber then Devil Driver , Loco & Then many years Later Sin & Sacrifice , Grin fucked & Big Truck, tracks that will be on my playlist to listen and influence my Axe wielding style for life, I even went out and bought a Jackson PS-2 in like 1998 for like $900 because it had that Miguel “Meegs” Rascón sound mixed with Sach & just a hint of Steph Carpenter :) and yeah i've still got it veteran war horse i'll be buried with it, lol thanks for sharing Dez.

[@austin4330]

Love this!

[@shannond1511]

This shows just how original they really were

[@inthesky410]

Loved them back in the days. Seen them with pantara and white zombie and a few other bands a few times at starwood Amphitheater just south of Nashville, miss those days

[@inthesky410]

O man the people chatting from the 1700s was too much. Bs

[@AndrewWarrenPatriotsfan]

Glad I got to see them with Nonpoint, Butcher Babies, GWAR, and Mudvayne with Mudvayne'sThe Psychotherapy Sessions at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA.

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

I loved that first record when i found it in high school!

[@petesenior6542]

Great research Revolver! DERP!!!

[@SBD0420]

Coal chamber takes me back . " Living la vida loco ".

[@plukart777]

Acá un fan Colombiano reportándose!! Saludos de un artista visual muy influenciado por el numetal !