DEZ FAFARA Says COAL CHAMBER Reunion Happened After His Near-Death COVID Experience

Dez Fafara, the lead singer of COAL CHAMBER, had a conversation with Radioactive MikeZ, who hosts the program “Wired In The Empire” on 96.7 KCAL-FM. During their talk, they discussed the band’s upcoming reunion performances at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia from September 7-10, and at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Nevada for the Sick New World festival on May 13.

As for how COAL CHAMBER reunion came to be, Fafara said: “Unbelievable turn of events. That actually happened… I was on my way out from COVID. And my wife called [the other members of COAL CHAMBER] and said, ‘Hey, you guys may wanna text Dez or call Dez ’cause I don’t know if he’s gonna make it through the night. He’s telling me where he wants to be buried and not to sell his ’78 Cadillac.’

“So they started to call me, they started to text me, and over a period of six, seven, eight months, we didn’t talk any business at all. And we realized that, you know, why are we not playing shows? Those guys are totally different people than when we broke up. I have always been the same — I’ve just been solid as a rock; and I told them, ‘I’m solid as a rock. If I come out of this, I would love to do at least one show with you guys.’ And that’s how this all started — very organically.”

“COAL CHAMBER is a very unpredictable thing, all the way from its beginning, playing with PANTERA and BLACK SABBATH, to where we were when we put out Rivals to where we are now,” he continued. “I’m very excited for the Sick New World fest and to see what we’re gonna do. There’s a lot of tours that have been offered. But we’re gonna take it slow and we’re gonna do what’s appropriate for the brand and for the band and especially the fans that have been with us for so long.”

MikeZ also asked Dez about the possibility of a new COAL CHAMBER album and whether the band is proceeding cautiously. Fafara responded: “I’ve had e-mail after e-mail after e-mail with offer after offer after offer, and it’s really just up to the camp to what we’re gonna do. As of right now, we have these few festivals. There’s an amphitheater tour that’s offered to us in June or July. We’re not sure what’s gonna be happening. We will see. And only the future time will tell. But we’re gonna do what’s best for us and for the fans.”