Corrosion of Conformity – IX

corrosion_of_conformity-ix

Former thrash band Corrosion of Conformity will release their latest album on June 24th via Candlelight Records.

Entitled IX (it would appear the band scrapped the earlier title, Corinthians) the album sees COC continuing their recent pattern of mixing rock with a non-threatening and reduced version of their punk trajectory. Hook-driven riffs array to complement the sing-along nature of the vocal tracks. When vocals cease, guitar riffs pick up the sugar-candy melodic impulse and continue it onwards, with easy post-Sabbath riffing and bland solos which quickly fade from memory into the formless void. Simplistic in its catchiness, this album bears some semblance to Cathedral’s final album in that it represents a band stripped of impetus, creating entertainment as opposed to art. Although the talent and skill of the members involved still leaks through, thus lending the album more credence than many of its contemporaries, and probably earning them well-deserved financial success and recognition, nothing can save the lack of purpose to this album.

Corrosion of Conformity, along with DRI and Cryptic Slaughter, helped construct the genre known as thrash, which brought the epic quality of metal together with the topical focus of punk in a high-energy cocktail that inspired a strong reaction from an alienated generation. Although it was not simple protest music, the heroic looking-forward present in thrash stands in contrast to its anger and regret in an organic circle of experience, which is particularly stark when returning from the obscene vapidity present on album IX.

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10 thoughts on “Corrosion of Conformity – IX

  1. Billy Bob Mc Hickups says:

    why does Anus continues to use the term thrash for crossover hardcore is beyond me ,,,? u guys realize the entire planet now uses thrash to describe metallica, exodus etc, right,,,????
    not saying that is historically correct but you guys are going against the tide and guess what ,,,? you ain’t gunna win

    1. Craig says:

      The pulse is faint. It’s just being temporarily magnified in an armchair echo chamber.

    2. discodjango says:

      So you think they should bow to the majority? I don’t think DMU ever will. And that’s a good thing.

  2. trystero says:

    It took me ages to get into this band because I heard their country-metal phase first and right when I was seriously getting into metal. In retrospect that was very damaging, I deserve money for listening to Albatross CoC… Come to think of it that record blazed the trail for a lot of boozed out trailer trash hard rock and probably also the third rate Sabbath worship of a lot of hipster bands.

    Also how are you going to have a name like CORROSION OF CONFORMITY and sell out?

    1. trystero says:

      To catch this band’s desire for more instrumentally capable music (and a desire to ape their influences) at a time when they weren’t out of ideas check out Animosity. Unique album.

    1. Nito says:

      Former crossover band tries to spin the truth as a joke to sway moronic fan base into buying their hipster pandering nonsense. See also: Metallica and Clutch.

      Then again, it’s real hard to take a band called “Corrosion of Conformity” seriously when they’re using their namesake to sell Toyotas to rednecks (see Scion fest). Disgusting. Obscene vapidity is right.

    2. Phalangite says:

      “Looks like it came from a dumbed-down version of anus.com”

      I chuckled at that comment.
      Oh well, it’s still publicity for deathmetal.org. I see Brett didn’t pass up the opportunity to promote the site while staying classy as always.

  3. Cortez says:

    It would be more accurate if Corrosion of Conformity (COC) re-branded themselves as Rebuilding of Conformity (ROC).

  4. Phalangite says:

    This is just music to drink beers to. I can tolerate some stoner rock in the heat of the summer.

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