Ah, the total pointlessness of it all. That this album was brought out at all defies logic. I can’t believe Coal Chamber, known for their general Korn likeness and series of spates between singer and guitarist have the audacity to try something like this. To think I was a big fan at one stage.

Here’s my stance on “best of” albums. Firstly, you gotta be a well respected band who split up fucking years ago after a seven album stint selling approximately 30 million records worldwide. I would accept a best of Metallica (it’s probably on the cards anyway!) or the recent Megadeth best of is acceptable, but this??? The first thing I thought when I saw the album up for reviewing I thought I’d give it a spin because there’s bound to be loads of extras and what not.

How foolish of me. We’re given a selection of fourteen tracks; five tracks from the excellent self titled debut album, four from the less appreciated Chamber Music and two from the completely forgettable Dark Days.

The only “bonus” is that two of the songs are from Giving The Devil His Due, which are just half arsed remixes of songs that shouldn’t be remixed in the first place, that’s it! No behind the scenes interviews, no accompanying booklet documenting their musical “history” (if you can call it this, what with the band being together for all of ten minutes). I just don’t get it, surely if anyone has anything of Coal Chamber it’s going to be their debut album, so you’ve already got half of the “best of” before you even walk to the shop.

Instead of calling it “best of”, a more appropriate name would have been “milking the metal cow for all we’re worth”. So please, pretty please, the next band who releases a best of please make sure there’s something in there that makes the purchase worthwhile. Any wonder the music industry is in tatters, get me the man who authorised this!