What The F*ck Happened to Coal Chamber?

We've been focused on Trans Siberian Orchestra this week, but now we're going to take a timewarp back to a band that headlined my first concert in 1999, Coal Chamber.

Coal Chamber actually formed in '94 as vocalist Dez Fafara, guitarist Meegs Rascon, Bassist Rayna Foss and drummer Mike Cox in Los Angeles. After Fear Factory's Dino Cazares passed off a Coal Chamber demo, the band was signed to Roadrunner in 95 and began touring in support of their self-titled album in '97.

The band enjoyed some mild success, although when I saw them in '99 Slipknot was the opening act and completely obliterated them. In late '99, Coal Chamber released their second album Chamber Music. By this time, Rayna Foss had married and gotten pregnant with Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose's child, and took a break from touring, her spot was eventually filled permantly by Nadja Peulen.

Coal Chambers final release came in 2002 with Dark Days, but the band split due to crative differences in 2003.

Currently, Dez Fafara is fronting the band DevilDriver, Nadja Peulen has a clothing line called crueltees which she sells online and through hot topic, and Meegs is working with Orgy's Jay Gordon on a project called Machine Gun Orchestra, whose first album was originally due out this year, but as of yet, there has been no word on the disc except for a clip on the bands myspace.