Coal Chamber - Shock The Monkey

What this video is

Released in 1999 at the commercial peak of the nu-metal movement, Coal Chamber's cover of Peter Gabriel's 1982 art-rock classic 'Shock the Monkey' exemplifies the era's cross-generational reclamation strategy — repackaging post-punk and new wave songwriting through down-tuned guitars and aggressive vocal performance. The collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne, a founding figure of heavy metal, further legitimizes the…

Why it matters

This video is a primary artifact of the late-90s nu-metal commercial moment, documenting how the genre leveraged high-profile collaborations and cross-generational cover songs to gain mainstream traction. Dean Karr's direction — characterized by rapid cutting, theatrical staging, and dark gothic…

The director

Dean Karr (b. 22 February 1965, Seattle, WA) is an American photographer, music video director, and commercial filmmaker. He holds a BFA from Washington State University and attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He rose to prominence…