COAL CHAMBER

SLO-BURN

FLAMBOOKEY

96 DECIBEL FREAKS

at The Troubadour

By Lexie

We don't get much live COAL CHAMBER any more. Gone are the days when L.A. was Coal Chamber's home and we could look forward to a show every month. Now Coal Chamber resides in a big ol' bus, and L.A. is just one more stop (albeit a very good one) on their endless trek to bring great music to every corner of the world. A packed and overwhelmingly enthusiastic Troubadour audience will certainly agree, however, that whatever we lack in Coal Chamber quantity is more than made up for in Coal Chamber quality.

Rattlesnake Venom artists 96 DECIBEL FREAKS opened the night to an already-capacity crowd with a truly scorching set, obviously delighting their large core of fans and winning over a whole bunch more. Freaks' alleged "KISS cover," "Mama Said Knock You Out" simmered the crowd to a maximum frenzy, which boiled over into a full-bore pit for Freak anthem "Freak." That's how we like it now!

Noise artists FLAMBOOKEY delivered a high-energy, funk-influenced rock-meets-rap sound. The low end, driven by a unique and talented bass player, slammed home Flambookey's groove while tasty guitar tones underlined the vocalist's provocative lyrics. ("Froggy-Style," no less!) Final song "Let Us Prey" meshed these diverse elements into a well-focused blend and left a very favorable impression.

Malicious Vinyl/Red Ant artists SLO-BURN brought a substantial supply of supporters themselves. With ex-Kyuss frontman John Garcia now at the helm of Slo-Burn, comparisons to Kyuss are inevitable and appropriate. Slo-Burn serves a Kyuss-esque sound, to be sure, but one free of lengthy meandering jams. Slo-Burn cuts right to the chase with a pared down and concisely-crafted style, taking only the best of Kyuss and adding new twists of their own. Set standout "July" is but one grinding opus to be found on Slo-Burn's now-available Malicious debut.

Enjoyable as all these performances were, the audience still held their collective breath for the climatic moment - and that climax was, of course, COAL CHAMBER. Coal Chamber performed with peak intensity, consummate professionalism, and immense self-confidence. "Oddity, "Loco," and "Big Truck," always little Coal Chamber masterpieces, have been chiseled and polished my months of touring into gigantic Coal Chamber masterpieces. What the Troubadour audience saw as a pinnacle experience, an example of astonishing excellence, is just the way Coal Chamber is now. All the time. In every city.

Sometimes even writers cross their fingers in hope. This Troubadour performance dispelled even the tiniest shadow of doubt that Coal Chamber is succeeding, well worthy of worldwide esteem. It's hard to express how thrilled I am to witness it.

Look for Coal Chamber's return to town with the Oz-Fest. Their Roadrunner debut CD will keep you company, and nice and warm, until Coal Chamber comes home.