Coal Chamber + SOIL + The Defiled + DOPE @ Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, 29th May 2015
It’s not often you get value for money these days but tonight for a mere £20 we have four, yes four bands, almost a mini-festival.
This does of course mean it’s an early start, and for some the opening act, DOPE are missed. Formed in Illinois in 1997, they have released five albums to date, the last being some six years ago and I believe this is the first time they’ve played the United Kingdom. With such a back catalogue it is a surprise that their set includes a cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”.
Having said that, they warm things up nicely and play a very powerful opening thirty minutes, before mixing with punters at the merchandise stand afterwards. The good news is a new album is due later this year.
The roadies are on full speed tonight and within twenty minutes the stage has been prepared for the next band, The Defiled.
Formed in London in 2005 they are a four-piece band which feature a keyboard player taking his place at the front of stage. This sound is completely lost live, and I’m not sure if it’s the acoustics in the venue or the sound mix but the pummelling songs mean the keyboards can’t be heard at all. Personally, they didn’t have as much variety as DOPE, and each song sounded the same.
SOIL are the main support and there’s a large number of fans here to see them judging by the T-shirts. Taking to the stage and appearing at complete ease from the start the boys from Illinois produce a tremendous sound, thundering drums, and riff heavy songs. Vocals are crisp and harmonies work brilliantly. Vocalist Ryan McCombs loves his audience, so much so during “Halo” he joins the crowd for the full song, and then back on stage to complete their (all too short) set with a brilliant cover of Ram Jam’s “Black Betty”. Immense and I can’t wait for them to return to tour in their own right.
For the final time the stage is prepared for the headliners Coal Chamber. Opening as usual with “Loco” Dez Fafara says “I’ve been waiting for this night the whole fucking tour”, (the last time he was here with his other project Devildriver the Wulfrun witnessed the biggest pit within its walls).
The crowd suitably go mad, and it’s hard to know who to look at, Meegs Rascon churning out power-riffs, in a sharp outfit that would befit the casino. Dez paces the stage, commanding, I’m sure he’s a lovely guy but his stage presence scares seven shades of pooh out of me and he goes from a look of someone about to rip your head off to a cheeky smile in milliseconds. Their T-shirts have a back logo of ‘Don’t Fuck With Me’. Then of course stage right we have the very easy on the eye Nadja Peulen pounding bass chords, and shaking her crimson mane.
After a period of inactivity (due to a falling out between Dez and Meegs) they have now reformed and “after a glass of whiskey and a kiss we realised we still got music to make” and indeed so as the current “Rivals” album is their first for thirteen years. It delivers on every point and shows a true return to form.
Standout songs are the radio-friendly “Fiend” and of course set closer “Sway”. As is their style, no encore, simply a set of great songs, houselights up, a wave to the crowd and off they go.
Coal Chamber are a great band and live it’s hard to think of a band who put more energy into a show. They are here to entertain, and that’s what they do. The hiatus was unfortunate (but we did get some fantastic Devildriver songs) but Coal Chamber are back. Sadly by the time you read this they will have completed the UK leg of their tour, but do not despair. Buy the album, play it loud and with fingers crossed they should be back very soon.
For twenty pounds this was a superb night and better value for money is hard to find.
Setlist
Loco
Big Truck
I O U Nothing
Fiend
Rowboat
Something Told Me
Clock
Drove
Not Living
Dark Days
I
Rivals
No Home
Oddity
Sway
Reviewer – Glenn Raybone
Photographer – Katja Ogrin