Corrosion Of Conformity – Corrosion Of Conformity

January 25, 2012

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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.

— Chris Rowella

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