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The fact that Corrosion of Conformity’s new album is self-titled makes perfect sense. Thirty years into an expansive and rollercoaster career, Corrosion of Conformity is less a sneer at missing link Pepper Keenan and more a statement about what the band has become. They’ve done the major label song-and-dance and survived, and markedly changed musical directions more than once, but fans have embraced them throughout it all. Reaction to news of the original trio recording an album was varied, from “It’s gonna be Animosity part two!” to “No Pepper? Fuck that.” Everyone got it wrong.
Vocalist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman and drummer Reed Mullin are no longer the teen punks who started this band. It would be disappointing to see them attempt the “angry youth” routine with everyone well into their 40s. “Leeches” will satisfy those jonesing for some Eye for an Eye/Animosity-type hardcore raging; feedback, punk rock riffs and gang vocals all accounted for. Mike Dean’s voice hasn’t mellowed so much as aged in a bourbon barrel. “Psychic Vampire” and “The Doom” find him exploring Eric Wagner and Zeeb Parkes’ collective territory: a higher register than most metal singers attempt, but it’s a natural fit.
With COC playing sludgy, stoner-y rock for the last 20 years, nobody should be surprised that most of the songs here are rooted in The Riff. Weatherman, my eternal nominee for Most Underrated Guitarist of Forever, leaves his mark on every minute of this album. “The Moneychangers” comes charging out of the gate, slows down to a sleepy reverb-soaked interlude, then stomps all over you till the end. Weatherman’s solos are utilitarian in the best way; they progress the song instead of distracting from it and never overstay their welcome. “Come Not Here”, ironically enough, wouldn’t be out of place on a Down record.
Reed Mullin, back for the first time since 2000’s America’s Volume Dealer, is hands down the best drummer in this whole scene. His playing is like a Kubrick film, in that you can go back and find things you didn’t even notice the first (or second, or tenth) time. Check out the fills in “Time of Trials”, or the changes in “River of Stone”. In a genre known for being on the sloppier side, his timing is impeccable. Corrosion of Conformity isn’t a comeback album or an example of diminishing returns. It’s a testament to immense talent and the elusive endowment of staying power.
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HEAR CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
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CoC – “The Doom” and “Time of Trials”
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BUY CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
Corrosion of Conformity will be released by Candlelight Records on February 28.
Preorder from Indie Merch.
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No Pepper? Fuck that.
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Well, that’s been my reaction up until now, anyway.
Legends!
Really looking forward to getting this album.
What did they do to their logo? Is that the Eye Of Horus in the middle? Wtf?
Meanwhile, amen to the Reed Mullin compliments. He’s as underrated a drummer, maybe more, as Weatherman is a guitarist.
I like the new logo. Seldon Hunt’s treatment breathed new life into it.
Looks like Bioskull grew a ‘tache too !
I like the new logo as much as these new songs…
Mike Dean’s playing has aged like a good wine, by the way.
Saw COC a few nights ago, and was struck with how unique Woody’s playing style is. He’s kind of like a sludge metal Bob Vigna in that he does a lot of unorthodox things with his picking hand, such as strumming with his middle finger or pulling the strings with his other fingers. It’s fascinating to watch.
And don’t forget his wide-ass vibrato. That dude just swings his notes all over the map to great effect. Kind of like a punk-stoner version of Allan Holdsworth.
I like this a shit ton. Saw them live with this line up a year ago and they were really good! I am stoked on getting this album.
A Pepper Kennan less COC is a real COC. Too bad they couldn’t leave their iconography alone. Hunt, as usual, makes everything look like an Affliction shirt.
Agreed, Seldon Hunt is the worst/cheesiest artist in the extreme music realm…he’s so bad he makes Josh Graham look like DaVinci by comparison!
It was over-the-top enough with the spiked skull and the nuclear sign, but to add the Eye of Horus, the snake, the cadeuces (sp?), etc., it’s a bit much. But maybe not necessarily in a bad way.
Affliction shirt might be too much of a stretch, but the lines remind me of the artwork for Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures.
JD’s UNKNOWN PLEASURES art is the graph of a dying star. Not very Seldon “ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR” Hunt.
I agree that the horus eye in the middle makes little to no sense. Samples don’t sound too shabby.
I’m curious. When both the terms “reverb-soaked” and “reverb-drenched” were available to convey that there was a lot of reverb in the interlude, what made you go with the former when exactly one half of the reviewer community would’ve chosen the latter?
“Drenched” didn’t sound definitive enough.
Honestly, it doesn’t do much for me…as much as I appreciate(d) their musicianship, and have always enjoyed Reed’s drumming, I think Pepper’s missed terribly. It’s too bad. I always dug his voice, his guitar fills out the sound, he’s a great musician, and this…just isn’t the same. I had the pleasure of meeting him and he was as gracious as you expect, and fucking real. I’m happy for them, but I’ll take the old shit thank you very much. I mean, c’mon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIKS27NWzhk
Damn, this is good. Saw ‘em when they came through SF on that Southern Lord tour, and they killed. I’m a partisan of the pre-Pepper era–the first two lps were big parts of my 1980s skate punk years–so I’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time.
This sounds fucking wicked !!!
The new logo? A little busy, and too clean.
The music? Ohhhhhh yeeaaahhhhhhhhhhh. It’s like everything I liked about “Blind”, with none of what I didn’t like.