Corrosion of Conformity

I saw this band a few weeks ago, playing at the 9:30 Club in DC.   I’d known about them for some time but never had a chance to see them live before – they opened for Metallica back in 1997, but due to rush hour traffic we didn’t reach the USAir Arena (formerly Cap Center) in time to see them play.  Moreover, guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan left the band to join Down (with Phil Anselmo of Pantera) for several years, during which time COC dropped to a three piece and put out two albums.  But now he’s back.

Pre-Pepper.  I actually ignored them before he showed up, as my impression was they were another hardcore punk band, of which I had no interest.  This lineup had two albums, Eye For An Eye and Animosity, and an EP, Technocracy.   They’re OK, a punk band that thrashes.  However, given how poorly most punk guitarists play, I’d have to say it’s 70% thrash, 30% punk.  The punk comes from short, brutal, intense songs with some quasi-political lyrics I can’t decipher thanks to the usual thrash vocals. 

Pepper.  Pepper Keenan joined the band for the album Blind.  This album, with its “hit single”, “Vote With A Bullet”, signaling a change to a more thrashmetal style, got my attention and kept it.  I bought Blind on cassette and enjoyed it immensely.  From then on, I was a COC fan.

Shortly after Blind, vocalist Karl Angell left the band, and Pepper Keenan took over on lead vocals, establishing a 4 man lineup which could be considered the “classic”:  Woody Weatherman (rhythm guitar), Mike Dean (bass), and Reed Mulllin (drums).  This version put out Deliverance (featuring “Albatross”), Wiseblood, America’s Volume Dealer, and In The Arms of God, before Pepper left to join Down. 

Post-Pepper.  With Pepper gone, the band reverted to a three piece, and put out two albums, Corrosion of Conformity and IX, both of which are OK in quality, about 70% as good as the Pepper material.  Your de facto “Must Have”, CORE CoC is definitely the Pepper material. 

  

Down.  This is a joint project of Pepper Keenan & Phil Anselmo (Pantera).  They have three full albums, NOLA, Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow, and Down III: Over the Under, two EPs, Down IV Part I and II, and a live album, Diary of a Mad Band.  I like the combination of the two.  If you liked COC, you’ll probably like Down, and vice versa.

Return.  Pepper is back – though Down is still going on.  I suppose he’s switching back and forth.  With Dimebag RIP, and Vinnie Paul hates Phil Anselmo, no luck with a Pantera reunion even if someone like Zakk Wylde was inclined to sub in for Dimebag, a scenario likely vetoed by Vinnie Paul and any Pantera fan who hates Wylde.  For his part, Anselmo also seems to be keeping Superjoint (Ritual) going, plus another project.  Be that as it may, stay tuned for more COC and possibly more Down. 

On second thought, Anselmo’s recent National Socialist indiscretion may negatively impact his marketability.  Half the posts on Facebook say, “I don’t care about his politics,” and the other half say “that’s it, I’m never patronizing PA or any band he’s in, anymore.”  So that might well doom Down as a band, but at least Pepper could keep COC going.  Anyhow.