The few certainties in life? Death, taxes and a Mudvayne / Coal Chamber show ripping your face off.
Look, it’s not as if they haven’t aged a day. We’ll always have the image of Dez Fafara with those two iridescent dreadlocks (not to mention Chad Gray’s high-top fade) etched into our memories, so to see them up close and personal at Festival Hall does come with a double-take. Although, let’s be thankful they can’t see how we’ve aged as well.
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But the music still hits just as hard as it always did. Before taking in this gig, we were diving into Coal Chamber live videos on YouTube and they’ve always been an impressively intense experience. From the moment Dez emerged on stage and told the pit they’d be leaving in stretchers, we realised that hasn’t faded. All the makeup and theatrics still play a significant role in both these bands – after all, that’s a big part of their live attraction – but they also still rock just as hard. Nu-metal in general demands a vocal prowess that time can be cruel to, but neither frontman missed a beat and reminded us that the genre is really all about the live energy it creates.
Coal Chamber clearly still really believe in themselves, crucial to a band sustaining for this time despite notable lineup changes. Kicking off with arguably their biggest track, Loco, and having the guts to leave out a hit like Shock The Monkey (a wise move given the inimitable Ozzy vocals) are both decisions that took courage and paid off handsomely.
It will come as little surprise that the crowd lifted to another level when Mudvayne played and that energy was remarkably consistent throughout, despite the group also leaving off a spattering of their biggest hits. There is so much to appreciate in a Mudvayne gig: the intricate instrumentals, complex time signatures, and a fusion of aggressive, guttural vocals with melodic undertones. Gray’s versatile vocal delivery, ranging from harsh growls to soaring cleans, adds a total other layer to Mudvayne’s sonic palette. Do the inspirational monologue asides get a little tiresome? Sure, but we’re being hyper-critical now, go grab a beer. Their ability to balance intensity with melody and their willingness to challenge traditional metal norms – a trait Coal Chamber share – make this double-header tour a must-experience for metal fans.
Finally, the one-two punch of Happy? and Dig properly knocked us out cold at the end. What a climax, where did the last 23 years go?
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