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The Jagermiester Music Tour-Drowning Pool & Coal Chamber Words & Visions by -Alex Distefano
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The Jagermeister music tour, featuring Coal Chamber and Drowning Pool made its LA stop Thursday night, April 11, at the Palace in Hollywood. Playing to a sold out crowd, this show was a booze filled headbanger's ball Opening band, Hemlock, out of Las Vegas took the stage promptly at 6pm, and had the crowd pumped for their half-hour set. With their straight up hardcore, in your face metal in the likes of Hatebreed, Sepultura, and Slayer, Hemlock brought their original songs and emotional stage presence to the crowd. With their fast paced set, these guys should have played later; the crowd response was enormous. 40 Below Summer had the next slot at the show, and got a good response from the crowd. Sounding like a mix between Staind and Slipknot, 40 Below Summer lacked in originality, but still managed to get the crowd moving with their faster, darker edged songs. With their chaotic stage presence and drunken sense of humor, after 40 minutes they left the stage to make way for Ill Nino. Ill Nino came out and the crowd erupted into a fury of a pit. They remind me of a younger version of Soulfly, with the tribal like atmosphere on stage when they play live. For this reason it did not shock me that more than half way through their heavy, yet groovy set, they brought out a guest guitar player, none other than Dino Cazares, from the recently defunct Fear Factory. Together, they covered 'Eye For an Eye,' by Soulfly, and the entire floor turned into one giant monsoon of a pit. Everyone was impressed, and the band finished with more songs off their debut album. After their last song, the band left the stage and, everyone was just pumped up enough for coal chamber. After a brief intermission, the lights went out, and the place went into frenzy. First lead singer Dez appeared onstage, and then the rest of the band followed. Guitarist Meegs, drummer Buggs, and bassist Nadjia, who recently replaced former bassist Rayna who sadly, left the band permanently to care for her child. With their new album, 'Dark Days' due out May 7, Coal Chamber put the fans eager anticipation to hear the new songs to rest.
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Playing mostly new songs, from their new disc, the fans were driven into frenzy after frenzy from the heavy, dark, fast yet gloomy songs. Aside from their new songs, Coal Chamber played a few classics including such songs as 'Loco,' 'Big Truck,' and 'Unspoiled.' The band has been on nearly a two-year hiatus, but proved to the crowd that they still have what it takes to rock the house. The exotic, talented and beautiful Nadjia did a more than perfect job on the bass, filling in for the much missed Rayna. Meegs perfectly tuned distorted guitar went well with Dez's raspy, yet angry demonic voice, and Bugs perfect cadence and speed the band as a whole unit worked amazing live. The two-year wait was well worth it and without a doubt; Coal Chamber could have and should have headlined this show. After another short intermission, Drowning Pool came out to another frenzy the crowd broke into. But there was a substantial amount of people who left after Coal Chamber played. Lead signer Dave Williams has a good voice, and a great coal range, but still live, Drowning Pool failed to deliver the goods. Not to say that they were a bad band, but live they just don't cut it. They seem bland, and they lack originality of other bands in their genre. Their album, 'Sinners' has went double platinum due to the one hit song they had with the mosh anthem 'Bodies.' Speaking of which there were too many 'Bodies flying everywhere, which was expected, but at a certain point, three songs to be exact, I had to leave the front area, since I felt more like I was at a WWF show than a metal show. Mosh Pits are fun, fine and dandy, but this over did it, it was too many big buff jock types, just there for the sole reason to beat the shit out of people, and that's not fun. So overall, I can't say I hated Drowning Pool, but I can say I was annoyed with the crowd, but that isn't the bands' fault. Mainly they played an ok live show but I was just too distracted, and the assholes in the pit took away from the music. Coal Chamber should've headlined and I can't wait to see THOSE guys live again. AS for Drowning Pool, If I want to experience that again I might as well go to a WWF match, NO THANKS! I'll take my heavy metal over wrestling any day. -Alex Distefano
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©
2002 TheSceneLA.com
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