Coal Chamber - Dark Days
Label: Roadrunner Records
Rating: 
 

Nu Metal/Ozzfest stalwarts Coal Chamber released their latest oeuvre, Dark Days, after three years out of the studio and with bass player Rayna Foss returning from maternity leave. And while their return may delight the band's fans and the genre's aficionados, �Chamber don't really do much to draw in new fans on the new album. The band's previous collection, 1999's Chamber Music, featured a duet with metal godfather and Jack and Kelly's father Ozzy Osbourne on a cover of Peter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey;" however, the new album does not bare any new noteworthy sonic treats that venture past the band's mudhole-stomping rhythm metal.

Songs like the title track and "One Step" stand out, but only in the way that a lighter shade of black stands out against other blacks. "Rowboat" attempts to be the most twisted track on the album, with lead singer Dez Fafara repeating "Butterflies in the jar" and whisper-screaming "Get out of my rowboat" among other nonsense lyrics that prove, if only for three minutes and forty seconds or so, that the band was trying too hard. Other than that, much of this album feels like the four-piece outfit is going through the motions.
VERDICT: These songs have the energy that they would probably sound good live; however, they don't do much coming out of the stereo. Just because the album is called Dark Days doesn't mean there can't be any bright spots. Or maybe that was the plan; in which case Dark Days is also a weak concept album.