The Hordern is bursting at the seams tonight, with Coal Chamber and Mudvayne fans buzzing like bees around a honey pot. The crowd’s dressed to impress in their finest heavy metal get-ups, sporting T-shirts with upside-down crosses and band names like ‘Crawling Death’ aplenty. Meanwhile, a pint-sized metalhead, no older than 7, is doing his best impression of a speed demon, zooming around the stairs to the seats like he’s got a backstage pass to burn.
First up is Coal Chamber, an American nu metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1993, known for their heavy, dark sound and gothic image. The band’s lineup consists of vocalist Dez Fafara, guitarist Miguel Rascón, raven-haired bassist Nadja Peulen, and drummer Mike Cox. Fafara tells the crowd, that when Coal Chamber first formed they were banned from playing many venues because of the mayhem that ensued as a result of their performances. As if to prove a point, Coal Chamber unleash a metal onslaught on the crowd, including a brief but fiery cover of ‘Fire Water Burn’ by the Bloodhound Gang that catapults the audience into a state of delirium.
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band formed in Peoria, Illinois, in 1996, known for their complex musical structures and innovative use of makeup and stage personas. After a hiatus starting in 2010, Mudvayne announced their reunion in 2021. The band is made up of guitarist Greg Tribbett, drummer Matthew McDonough, lead vocalist Chad Gray, and bassist Ryan Martinie. The tension in the Hordern is palpable as we wait for Mudvayne to take the stage, one of the photographers jokingly says to me “I’m scared!”. Mudvayne explode onto the stage, captivating the audience with their eccentric stage personas. Martinie, in particular, is mesmerising his demeanour is menacing as he prowls the stage and kicks a mic stand over sending it flying into the photography pit. The band is on fire, delivering a relentless sonic assault that leaves the adoring crowd exhausted and in awe.
