History & Biography Reed Mullin formed the act in June 1982. This Carolina band has at times used the full name or the COC abbreviation. Similarly, the band has been hardcore, metal, grunge and rock at different times. The band was involved in different scenes (like Metallica's or Louisiana's) but major success has always eluded the band.
C.O.C's April 2000 tour was cancelled following lacklustre sales and the withdrawal of tour support from the band by its label. Woody Weatherman on guitar, Mike Dean on bass and vocals and Merritt Partridge on drums announced a new side-band called Let 'Lones and live dates for it in the summer of 2003.
In late 2004 the band announced a new studio album for 2005. Tentatively titled En Los Brazos Del Dios (In The Arms Of God), it was to feature Galactic drummer Stanton Moore. The band toured with Motörhead at the beginning of 2005.
Karl Agell and drummer Reed Mullin were back playing the entire 1991 album Blind with help from three other musicians. Corrosion Of Conformity – Blind was also touring. Bassist Mike Dean and drummer Reed Mullin of COC had a new band called Righteous Fool. Corrosion Of Conformity/COC's original Animosity album line-up of Mike Dean (vocals and bass), Woody Weatherman (guitar) and Reed Mullin (drums) reformed in the spring of 2010 and was working on a new album. The band would also tour that year. Candlelight Records announced February 28th, 2012 as the release date for the self-titled new album from Corrosion Of Conformity. Recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles, the album was produced by the band in cooperation with long-time collaborator John Custer.
Corrosion Of Conformity announced a U.S. headlining tour for March of 2012. Set to commence on March 1st at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City, the trek was to hit 15 cities including two performances at SXSW Music Conference in Austin. The band would be joined by Torche, Valient Thorr and A Storm Of Light. Corrosion Of Conformity announced another round of live dates for June, 2012 which would take them to the West Coast of USA and Canada. Candlelight Records announced November 6th, 2012 as the North American release date for Corrosion Of Conformity’s Eye For An Eye. This reissue had been remastered, packaged and included the EP Six Songs With Mike Singing. In 2013, the band was touring the USA with Danzig. Following its 2013 performance at the Fifth Annual Scion Fest in Memphis, Corrosion Of Conformity announced live shows for August. In addition to its already planned participation at Gwar’s annual BBQ, the trio would perform a headlining show in Wilmington, Delaware before heading to South America for a string of dates. The August shows marked a break from continued work in the recording studio on the band’s new album, expected for release in early 2014. Candlelight Records announced June 24th as the North American release date of IX, the new album from Corrosion Of Conformity. The band and long-time collaborator John Custer produced it. A single for the album was called On Your Way. Due to a torn rotator cuff, drummer Reed Mullin was forced to sit out the band's upcoming live dates in North America in July of 2014. Eric Hernandez formerly of Kylesa was filling in. The 1991 album Blind and 1994’s Deliverance albums would be reissued in November of 2014 by Prosthetic Records on vinyl. In late summer of 2014, drummer Reed Mullin underwent surgery to address a tear of the tendon to the glenoid. The band would reunite with guitarist and singer Pepper Keenan in 2015 to record a new album and embark on a tour. Vocalist Karl Agell, who sang on 1991’s Blind full-length, and founding drummer Reed Mullin performed the LP in its entirety on Sunday, November 9th of 2014 at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina. The concert was a benefit show for Katherine Ludwig, former editor of heavy metal magazine, Metal Maniacs, who was battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Sourvein was at SSP Studio in Raleigh, North Carolina with bassist/vocalist Mike Dean at the recording helm tracking a forthcoming new full-length, Aquatic Occult. It was slated for release later that year through Metal Blade Records. In late 2015, Nuclear Blast Entertainment signed Corrosion Of Conformity — featuring Pepper Keenan on guitar and vocals — to a worldwide deal. The band was to enter the studio next spring with producer John Custer. A purported First Annual Florida Metal Fest organized by Obituary's John And Donald Tardy would take place on January 30th 2016. The concert featured Corrosion Of Conformity, Trouble, Atheist, Deicide and more. Clutch announced 2016 North American tour dates as a guest to Lamb Of God. The tour started May 3rd in New Orleans at the Orpheum and featured Corrosion Of Conformity on all dates. Early singer Eric Eycke died in September of 2017. The gang released a new album, called No Cross No Crown, on January 12th 2018 through Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The band would tour the U.K. with Orange Goblin in October and November of 2018. Corrosion Of Conformity would tour North America in July 2019 using the A Quest To Believe, A Call To The Void II monicker. Crowbar was opening. Reed Mullin died at the beginning of 2020. He was 53 years old. Corrosion Of Conformity was conducting a U.S. tour in November 2022. Opening the shows were Spirit Adrift and The Native Howl. John Green was on drums.
The band was touring Europe in May 2023. The band was to also appear at Desertfest London and Desertfest Berlin. Lamb Of God announced its next Headbangers Boat for October 28th 2024. Bands included C.O.C., Soulfy, Napalm Death, Carcass, After Burial and Exodus. Corrosion Of Conformity's previously announced its summer tour of Europe for 2024 was cancelled. Elsewhere, the band was working on a new record.
Reviews CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - LIVE VOLUME - SANCTUARY/EMI
Never a fan of COC (apparently it's back to Corrosion Of Conformity this year), I have always recognized the band's appeal to some Americans. You see, the band's brand of sludgy and southern, bottom-heavy rock is just irrelevant up here or anywhere else outside the USA . The band has always existed on the verge of stardom but seemed to fatally shoot themselves in the foot by conforming to Metallica last year. As many Canadian bands discover annually, one never makes it by following market trends. It's just too bad that band managers can never grasp this simple axiom. Still, COC is rocking and has maintained this regimen for the last 20 years. There aren't too many new fans to be gained, but the band's fan base probably would rather pick up the video version of this first and the audio album second. The sound is good and the band features all its better-known foliage. - Ali "The Metallian"
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - IN THE ARMS OF GOD - SANCTUARY
Corrosion Of Conformity was often described as having a sound mixing Black Sabbath and hardcore punk when the band first hit the scene around 1985. In the mid '90s the band gravitated towards a grunge sound and on its more recent album, America's Volume Dealer, the Carolina group transformed itself into a Metallica clone.
In The Arms Of God is not exactly a return to the band's original sound, but is decidedly a '70s inspired album full of quality and surprisingly authentic-sounding heavy rock. Shades of hardcore and The Sabs rear their heads, but the album sounds as if it could have been played by The Amboy Dukes were they still functioning. Names like Monster Magnet and Grand Funk Railroad come to mind as one listens to songs like Stone Breaker or Is It That Way. The production and instrumentation are honest and organic and the riffs and the drumming of Stanton Moore stimulating. The guitar solo closing the song World On Fire might not be original, but is sure a welcome addition and something the band should incorporate more of. On occasion it is as if the soloing belongs to The Eagles.
In The Arms Of God and its creators might not be delivering my personal favourite style of music, but have crafted a compelling release for fans of the sub-genre. - Ali "The Metallian"
Interviews
|
