Corrosion of Conformity

C.O.C. emerged from hibernation as a trio and released 2012’s self-titled album and 2014’s IX to wide acclaim, but many hardcore fans have been eagerly and patiently awaiting the return of Pepper Keenan. The band were originally an influential hardcore punk/heavy metal crossover act before reaching critical success with a then new lineup on 1991’s Blind album. That trajectory continued with wider appeal as Keenan took over as the group’s primary vocalist on Deliverance (1994) and Wiseblood (1996). These two recordings in particular fused the raw energy of their previous albums, with some great strides forward in classic rock inspired songwriting and more spacious production and execution. Since then the band has often been copied but rarely equaled. This juggernaut gained mass and momentum with relentless touring alongside such greats Metallica, Clutch, Eyehategod and many more. Eventually, following the release of In the Arms of God in 2005, Keenan decided to focus all his energy on his hometown band DOWN… until now.