In 1996, the band played the very first Ozzfest. In 1997, their first album Coal Chamber was released; it produced one single and a video, "Loco" (the video was also added after the end credits of Dee Snider's horror film Strangeland, the soundtrack for which the band also recorded an exclusive song).
Their second album Chamber Music followed in 1999. Between the releases, Foss married Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose and became pregnant, necessitating another bass player on tour, a role filled by Nadja Peulen. Foss came back for the recording of Coal Chamber's third album, Dark Days (2002), but left after the studio sessions to raise her daughter. The band's only single and video was the song "Fiend."
Their 4th album Rivals released on May 19th, 2015. The singles on it were I.O.U Nothing and Rivals. It stepped away from the gothic elements from the last 2 albums and was described as groove/nu metal. They disbanded a year after the album was released.
They reunited in 2022, and so far no hints of new music will be released.
Friend
Coal Chamber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you like me, or we are friends
We can call it for the few that are listening tonight
We'll divide the dream, cut the loss
Feel no pain - You can f*** the fame
You can f*** the fame!
For the ones that are listening...
(chorus)
I won't be there for you again
All this time that I called you FRIEND!
I won't be there for you again
You're future's bleak, you better save your skin
It's that flesh you smell - It's that skin you're in
You're soul is rotting as well as your inners -
Your mind and teeth, they're getting thinner
Selfish, Self-sustaining
Regrets, Unmistaking
F*** the fame, you can f*** the fame
For the ones who are listening...
All this time that I called you FRIEND!
I won't be there for you again
All this time that I called you FRIEND!
I won't be there for you again
SLEEP WELL, SLEEP TIGHT
You know this song is about you, don't you?
All this time that I called you FRIEND!
I won't be there for you again
All this time that I called you FRIEND!
I won't be there for you again
The lyrics to Coal Chamber's song "Friend" depict a disillusioned relationship between two people who pretended to be friends, but in reality, didn't like each other. The song opens with the lead singer confronting the other person about living a lie and not truly liking him. The chorus emphasizes that the singer will not be there for the other person again, despite previously calling them a friend. The second verse describes the other person's bleak future and how they are selfish and self-sustaining, resulting in regret and a decaying soul, mind, and body.
The song portrays a bitter, resentful tone towards an individual who pretended to be a friend. The lyrics suggest that the lead singer has had enough of the facade and can no longer tolerate the false relationship. "Friend" is a reflection of the power dynamics in friendships, where one person may not be as invested in the relationship as the other, leading to resentment and disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
Liveing a lie, let's not pretend
I know you don't really like me, so let's not pretend to be friends.
That you like me or we are friends
Acknowledging that the relationship is based on a lie, with no genuine friendship.
We can call it for the few
Breaking the friendship off, and acknowledging that only a few people truly care about the outcome.
That are listening tonight
The ones who are observing this falling-out as it happens.
We'll devide the dream cut the loss
We'll divide up our shared aspirations, and sever the relationship to stop any further losses.
Feel no pain, you can fuck the fame
There is no need to feel any emotional pain over a friendship that was not genuine - the idea of fame is a substitute for real connection.
For the ones that are listening
The focus is on those present, as they hear about the end of a friendship that wasn't what it seemed.
Your future's bleak, you better save your skin
Your future doesn't look good, so you better focus on saving yourself first and foremost.
It's that flesh you smell, it's tat skin you're in
We are made of nothing but flesh and bone - this is a reminder of our mortality.
Your soul is rotting as well as your inners
Not only do you physically decay, but spiritually and emotionally as well.
Your mind and teeth they're getting thinner
The singer is noting that the other person is not doing well physically or mentally.
Selfish, selfsustaining
Selfishness is taking over, self-preservation is becoming the primary goal.
Regrets, unmistaking
There may be some regret involved, but the singer is nonetheless resolute in their decision to end the friendship.
Sleep well, sleep tight
The singer is dismissing the other person and wishing them a good night's sleep.
You know this song is about you don't you?
The song's message is pointedly directed at the person in question.
All this time that I called you friend
The artist is bemoaning the fact that they were led to believe there was a true friendship here.
I won't be there for you again
The artist has made the decision to cut off the relationship completely.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRADLEY JAMES FAFARA, MIGUEL RASCON, MIKE COX, RAYNA FOSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TrevorLentz
I still don't understand why there was so much hate for "nu metal" it was an interesting stepping stone from classic to modern metal and should be appreciated as such. Call it "simple", call it "dumbed down", but at its core it was still heavy rocking fun. ♪♫♪♪♫
@Pauldjreadman
+Trevor Lentz At the end of the day, who cares. If you can remember, Coal Chamber after a few years after they released material, they are doing something right
@savajevtic8040
+Trevor Lentz I don't get it why people think that if something is new, it has to be bad.
@revivedfears
+jingwumaster Nu Metal is a really diverse genre when Coal Chamber can be lumped together with bands like Deftones, korn and limp bizkit. I think the only thing that ties these bands together is that they use drop tuning. It's all subjective at the end of the day. I probably give Coal Chamber more credit than they deserve because they are nostalgic to me but I always thought they were really cool, nice and heavy, big grooves and catchy songs. Static X are musically similar i'd say.
@TrevorLentz
I've always defined nu-metal as bands that focus way more on rhythm guitar and bass than modern metal. Coal Chamber and Korn are no exception. Usually nu-metal bands keep their "lead guitar" work to a minimum or at least very simple. Drums, bass, and guitar are usually glued together rhythmically in this case. By contrast, more modern metal bands like, Chimaira, Slipknot, or Devil Driver (same singer as cole chamber) focus more on vocal or lead guitar independence, melody, and progression.
@savajevtic8040
revivedfears Nu metal is a diverse term but the bands still have a lot in common. As Trevor said, they focus more on rhythm than melody. Most nu metal bands incorporate other genres such as rap, hard rock and electronic music, and usually nu metal sounds angsty and pissed off. That's my interpretation of nu metal.
@merrymay3758
Coal Chamber will always be in my playlist. Born in 85 and still listening in 2020!
@saracollin7607
1984 for me
@joepalladino9257
1982 for me
@kev-bhoy-6748
1976 for me 🤘 seen them support machine head at Glasgow barrowlands around mid 90s and liked them from then