COAL CHAMBER Started Talking Again When DEZ FAFARA Nearly Died From COVID

Coal Chamber was originally around between 1993 and 2003. The band reunited again in 2011 until 2016, and finally got back together a third time in late 2022. Though the reason the started talking again isn't a heartwarming, feel-good story at its start.

In an interview with Radioactive MikeZ, Coal Chamber frontman Dez Fafara said the band was originally texting him to say their goodbyes. Fafara's wife reached out to the members of Coal Chamber to let them know that Fafara might not make it as he battled COVID, which then turned into regular conversations as Fafara got better.

"Unbelievable turn of events. That actually happened… I was on my way out from COVID. And my wife called [everyone in 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."

Fafara also touched on Coal Chamber's upcoming reunion show at Sick New World, saying the band is just gonna take things slow and see what happens.

"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.

"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."