In the wake of the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” tour, spooky-core band Coal Chamber, is continuing across America with the “Nothing Tour,” (Powerman 5000, Slipknot, Amen, Dope) in support of their new album, “Chamber Music.”

With all the necessary provisions for touring on hand — a plentiful supply of pot and a beautiful woman — lead singer Dez Fafara speaks of what Coal Chamber is really about.

What was the band’s reaction to having “Chamber Music” named one of the most anticipated albums of the year by Alternative Press?

That was a big honor, Alternative Press doing that. We respect that magazine a lot, and it was just a big honor for them to do that.

On the new album, you distance yourself from the current trend of hip-hop/hard-core bands. How conscious was this decision, and why was it made?

Total conscious move, just to jump away, to do something original, to bring it back to rock ‘n’ roll roots, to use all of our influences when we were younger and bring them out. It was an extremely conscious move to do that.

The decision to release a cover song as a single has catapulted many hardcore bands, notably Limp Bizkit, Orgy and Fear Factory, to fame. Why was “Shock the Monkey” chosen as your first music video?

We wanted to do that song for about five years. And we figured in the midst of all the pop music that was going on, it was a really anti-pop kind of song. We kind of had trepidation about doing a cover, because a lot of people were jumping on the cover thing. But since we’d been saying in the press that we wanted to do it for the last five years, we just did it. We just think it’s a really dark song. We lent ourselves to it extremely, downtuned it and really made it a Coal Chamber thing.

How did working with Ozzy Osbourne come about, and what was it like?

We were listening to the track and Ozzy sounded a lot like Peter, and Peter sounded a lot like Ozzy. We called Sharon and asked her if Ozzy wouldn’t mind doing it and found out Ozzy is a big Peter Gabriel fan and listens to Peter in his dressing room. Then Ozzy said, ‘Send me your version and let me see it,’ and he liked it.

What is it like having Ozzy’s wife as your manager?

Wonderful. I have a great deal of respect for her. She’s helping our career out immensely.

Ozzy has his own action figure. Do you think that someday little kids will be playing with Coal Chamber action figures?

Coal Chamber action figures. I don’t know. If they made my drummer’s action figure, they’d have to add extra appendages. I would hope that they would make one of my tour manager, Wookie. Actually, his name is Rocky now, Balboa, if you will.

How have the tours been going for you?

Tour’s great, man, I love touring. We’ll play anywhere there’s a stage and people. Everybody we’re touring with is great, so it’s wonderful.

How does it compare to Ozzfest?

Nothing compares to Ozzfest, my friend. It’s the biggest rock ‘n’ roll summer camp that ever existed.

Who would you love to tour with?

I would love to tour with Alice in Chains. I would love to tour with Manson, still. I would love to do another tour with Pantera. I’d love to go out with Nine Inch Nails. There’s a lot of bands that we haven’t toured with. I love to tour with Zombie.

Any chance of you touring with Peter Gabriel?

With Peter Gabriel? No. (Laughs) I don’t think there’s any chance of a Peter Gabriel/Coal Chamber tour.

In many interviews, you have stressed longevity as a realistic goal for Coal Chamber. Why is this, and how does the band plan to remain a viable member of the continuously evolving music community?

I think the way to do it is to come up like we are, just being a live band and not being this huge radio and MTV thing. I think just to keep playing live shows. I think that’s where it’s at. You take radio and you take MTV in stride.

If that stuff comes, it’s all a blessing. Because we’d do nothing but hail it and praise it if it did come, but we just keep playing live shows. I think that’s how the growth is coming, and I think that’s going to stimulate longevity. It’s that we’re a live act, and no one show is the same, ever.

Does the band have an agenda or perhaps some quest for world domination?

No. We’re just a rock ‘n’ roll band, man. We want to go and play every single night, six nights a week, just make our mark and hopefully leave something.

What do you think of labelmates and Iowa natives Slipknot?

I love Slipknot. Great guys. Great live band.

How do you feel about coming to play in Iowa and what are your expectations?

My expectations are to get on the stage and do exorcism as a show. We can’t wait to play in their hometown too, you know.

What are your conceptions of Iowa?

Conceptions of Iowa? See, the United States, to me, is one big blur.

You could be talking about anywhere. Wherever there’s a stage and people, we play. There’s no conceptions of one city to another. Just go, show up and do your thing.