by Steve Huey
While Coal Chamber's self-titled debut album doesn't sound all that original (White Zombie and Korn are obvious touchstones), they are certainly one of the better bands in the so-called alternative metal genre. Their sound is noisy and powerful, they seem to approach the music with strong emotional commitment, and B. Dez Fafara's vocals are appealingly left-of-center. It's not always consistent -- the riffs aren't always memorable (often due to the use of only two notes), &Amir of the Desert& is an annoying throwaway, and &Sway& earns debit points for recycling the &the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire& chant yet again. For the most part, though, Coal Chamber marks this band as one to watch, and fans of the genre will almost certainly enjoy the record.