Corrosion of Conformity
Encyclopedia
Corrosion of Conformity (also known as C.O.C.) is an American
heavy metal
band from Raleigh
, North Carolina
formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman
, bassist Mike Dean
(who left in 1987 but rejoined six years later), drummer Reed Mullin
(who left in 2001 but rejoined nine years later) and vocalist and rhythm guitarist Pepper Keenan
(who joined the band in 1989). After a hiatus in 2006, Corrosion of Conformity returned in 2010, without Keenan who is currently in Down
(although it has been disputed whether Keenan has left the band).
To date, Corrosion of Conformity has released seven studio albums, two EPs, one compilation, and one live album. Three independent albums, Eye for an Eye
(1984), Animosity
(1985) and Blind
(1991), attracted the attention of Columbia Records
, who signed the band in 1993. They released Deliverance
, their most successful album to date, in 1994. Their next three albums, Wiseblood (1996), America's Volume Dealer
(2000) and In the Arms of God
(2005) were also critically acclaimed. Corrosion of Conformity is currently working on an eighth studio album, which is due for release in February 2012.
, North Carolina
by bassist and vocalist Mike Dean
, guitarist Woody Weatherman
and drummer Reed Mullin
in the early '80s. Their hardcore punk
-oriented 20-track debut Eye for an Eye
—the only album featuring the vocalist Eric Eycke—was released in 1984 (later re-released by Caroline Records
during 1989). Soon after, Eycke left the band and C.O.C. continued as a three-piece with Dean and Mullin sharing the vocal duties on the 1985's follow-up Animosity
. In 1987, COC recruited Simon Bob Sinister
away from their fellow Carolina band and Death Records labelmates Ugly Americans. The band's 1987 release, Technocracy
, featured the hectic thrash musicianship of COC with a cleaner vocal style than they had in the past.
or Ozzy Osbourne
" to go with their new metal sound. Caroline Records released some old tracks with Mike singing during this time with the aptly named Six Songs with Mike Singing EP.
Mike Dean also participated in Snake Nation
.
After much searching, Karl Agell was recruited on vocals, Phil Swisher
on bass and Pepper Keenan
as a second guitarist. COC gravitated towards a more straightforward heavy metal
sound. By 1991's Blind
they had become a heavy metal band. Blind was the first COC album to receive mainstream attention. The video for "Vote with a Bullet" received airplay on MTV and the album cracked the Billboard Heatseekers chart in early 1992. The album has sold around 250,000 copies in the US to date.
, and the release of Deliverance
saw the band move toward Southern metal, a sound that they also carried onto the Wiseblood and America's Volume Dealer
albums. In 1994, their song Big Problems
was featured on the Clerks soundtrack
. The song Clean My Wounds was also featured in the anime movie Tekken: The Motion Picture
.
Deliverance was the band's biggest selling album. This was mainly due to the singles "Albatross" and "Clean My Wounds" becoming Top 20 hits on rock radio and the album managed to spend almost four months on the Billboard 200
, peaking at No. 155. On the Heatseekers
chart, it peaked at No. 5 and lasted almost a year on that particular chart. US sales for the album were just over 440,000 by the end of 2005 and this album should be eligible for Gold status within the next few years.
Wiseblood was released in October 1996. Despite producing a Top 30 radio hit with "Drowning in a Daydream" and a worldwide tour with Metallica
, the album failed to match the sales set by the previous album. Total US sales to date are just over 150,000. "Drowning in a Daydream" was nominated at the Grammy Awards in 1998 for "Best Metal Performance
".
Soon after the release of Wiseblood, Columbia dropped COC, who then moved to Sanctuary Records
. The band released its first album for its new label, America's Volume Dealer, in November 2000. The album was even more of a commercial failure than Wiseblood not even managing to make the Billboard 200. However, the single, "Congratulations Song", did give the band another Top 30 hit. No videos were made from the album. Mullin left the band in 2001. Over the next few years, the band worked with a series of drummers: Jimmy Bower
of Eyehategod
, local Raleigh percussion professor Merritt Partridge, Stanton Moore
of Galactic
and Reed's former drum technician Jason Patterson, who previously played drums in the Raleigh-based rock band Cry of Love
.
In April 2005, COC released In the Arms of God
to much critical acclaim. The album performed much better than their previous effort, debuting at No. 108 on the Billboard 200 and even topping the Heatseekers chart. This was achieved without even one radio hit from the album. A video was made for the song "Stonebreaker" which saw airplay on MTV2's recently revived Headbanger's Ball. The band spent the rest of the year touring the US and Canada. They were the opening acts for Motörhead and Disturbed and also went on headlining tours with Crowbar, Fu Manchu
, Alabama Thunderpussy
and Danko Jones
all providing support. A European tour was scheduled for September/October 2005 but was later cancelled, after Hurricane Katrina ravaged Keenan's hometown of New Orleans. A co-headlining UK tour with Clutch
commenced in January 2006.
. From March 2009 to June 2010, Karl Agell and Reed Mullin occasionally performed with Jerry Barrett, Scott Little, and Jason Browning (Browning eventually replaced by TR Gwynne) as "COC-Blind", playing the Blind album. Reed Mullin and Mike Dean along with Jason Browning are also touring in a new band called "Righteous Fool", and have released a self-titled EP on Southern Lord Records.
reported that the Animosity
lineup of Corrosion of Conformity was reuniting and working on a new album. They are planning some early-August shows lined up for the West Coast, although they have not yet been officially announced.
The band is still open to recording again as a four piece with Pepper when the time is right, according to a message on the official C.O.C. website on May 15, 2010. Pepper currently, has not left the band.
Pepper joined his band mates on stage on June 19 2011 in Bilbao Spain and played songs from "his" era of the band. Pepper stated that he looks forward to working on some Deliverance type material in the near future with the band. The band has finished recording and mixing their new album as a 3-piece and plan a release in early spring 2012 via Candlelight Records.
of Metallica
contributed vocals to the song "Man or Ash" on Wiseblood; Warren Haynes
of the Allman Brothers' Band and Gov't Mule
played slide guitar on "Stare Too Long" on America's Volume Dealer; and Stanton Moore of Galactic
played drums on In the Arms of God.
Members of COC have also participated in collaborations: Keenan plays guitar with the metal supergroup Down
, and Dean contributed vocals to a track titled "Access Babylon" on Dave Grohl's
Probot
project. Also Pepper is on Metallica's Garage Inc CD playing guitar and singing the second verse of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Tuesday's Gone", he is also in the documentary "Some Kind of Monster" auditioning to be Metallica's replacement for Jason Newsted.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman
Woody Weatherman
Woodroe "Woody" Weatherman is lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity.Woody was born on July 29, 1965 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and now lives in Virginia....
, bassist Mike Dean
Mike Dean (musician)
Mike Dean is the bassist for American metal band Corrosion of Conformity. He sang on the band's early recordings from their crossover thrash era before leaving the band in 1987. In 1989 Dean, along with C.O.C. guitarist Woody Weatherman and artist Brian Walsby on drums, released the Snake Nation...
(who left in 1987 but rejoined six years later), drummer Reed Mullin
Reed Mullin
Reed Douglas Mullin is the drummer for punk/metal band Corrosion of Conformity . He was the founding member with Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman. Mullin, along with Weatherman, also played in the Raleigh NC harcore band, No Labels. No Labels disbanded in 1984, while Corrosion of Conformity...
(who left in 2001 but rejoined nine years later) and vocalist and rhythm guitarist Pepper Keenan
Pepper Keenan
Pepper J. Keenan , is an American vocalist and guitarist, best known for his work with heavy metal bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down. He joined Corrosion of Conformity in 1989, but did not become the lead singer until the recording of Deliverance in 1994...
(who joined the band in 1989). After a hiatus in 2006, Corrosion of Conformity returned in 2010, without Keenan who is currently in Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
(although it has been disputed whether Keenan has left the band).
To date, Corrosion of Conformity has released seven studio albums, two EPs, one compilation, and one live album. Three independent albums, Eye for an Eye
Eye for an Eye (album)
Eye for an Eye is the first studio album by American hardcore band Corrosion of Conformity released in 1984.-Track listing:#Tell Me - 3:27#Minds Are Controlled - 1:35#Indifferent - 1:18#Broken Will - 1:34#Rabid Dogs - 0:40#L.S...
(1984), Animosity
Animosity (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Animosity is the second studio album by the American band Corrosion of Conformity. Album cover art was done by the artist Pushead.- Track listing :# "Loss for Words" - 4:06# "Mad World" - 1:54# "Consumed" - 2:52# "Holier" - 2:27...
(1985) and Blind
Blind (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Blind is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity. It was released in 1991 on Relativity Records. This was the only COC album with Karl Agell and Phil Swisher....
(1991), attracted the attention of Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, who signed the band in 1993. They released Deliverance
Deliverance (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Deliverance is the fourth album by Corrosion of Conformity, and the first on which Pepper Keenan was lead singer. By this album, the band had completely shed their punk and thrash influences, instead opting for Black Sabbath-inspired heavy metal style. "Clean My Wounds" was a radio hit. The UK's...
, their most successful album to date, in 1994. Their next three albums, Wiseblood (1996), America's Volume Dealer
America's Volume Dealer
America's Volume Dealer is the sixth album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released Sep 26, 2000. This was the last album to feature longtime drummer Reed Mullin for 9 years until his return in 2010.-Track listing:...
(2000) and In the Arms of God
In the Arms of God
In the Arms of God is the seventh studio album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released April 5, 2005. So far, it is the only Corrosion of Conformity album to not feature drummer Reed Mullin...
(2005) were also critically acclaimed. Corrosion of Conformity is currently working on an eighth studio album, which is due for release in February 2012.
Early years (1982–1987)
Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.) was formed in RaleighRaleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
by bassist and vocalist Mike Dean
Mike Dean (musician)
Mike Dean is the bassist for American metal band Corrosion of Conformity. He sang on the band's early recordings from their crossover thrash era before leaving the band in 1987. In 1989 Dean, along with C.O.C. guitarist Woody Weatherman and artist Brian Walsby on drums, released the Snake Nation...
, guitarist Woody Weatherman
Woody Weatherman
Woodroe "Woody" Weatherman is lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity.Woody was born on July 29, 1965 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and now lives in Virginia....
and drummer Reed Mullin
Reed Mullin
Reed Douglas Mullin is the drummer for punk/metal band Corrosion of Conformity . He was the founding member with Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman. Mullin, along with Weatherman, also played in the Raleigh NC harcore band, No Labels. No Labels disbanded in 1984, while Corrosion of Conformity...
in the early '80s. Their hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
-oriented 20-track debut Eye for an Eye
Eye for an Eye (album)
Eye for an Eye is the first studio album by American hardcore band Corrosion of Conformity released in 1984.-Track listing:#Tell Me - 3:27#Minds Are Controlled - 1:35#Indifferent - 1:18#Broken Will - 1:34#Rabid Dogs - 0:40#L.S...
—the only album featuring the vocalist Eric Eycke—was released in 1984 (later re-released by Caroline Records
Caroline Records
Caroline Records started out as a subsidiary of Richard Branson's Virgin Records label during the early to mid 1970s. The label originally specialized in putting out budget price LPs by mainly progressive rock and jazz artists generally not considered to have a great deal of 'mainstream' or...
during 1989). Soon after, Eycke left the band and C.O.C. continued as a three-piece with Dean and Mullin sharing the vocal duties on the 1985's follow-up Animosity
Animosity (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Animosity is the second studio album by the American band Corrosion of Conformity. Album cover art was done by the artist Pushead.- Track listing :# "Loss for Words" - 4:06# "Mad World" - 1:54# "Consumed" - 2:52# "Holier" - 2:27...
. In 1987, COC recruited Simon Bob Sinister
Simon Bob Sinister
In 1983, Simon Bob Sinister founded the Ugly Americans in Durham, North Carolina, along with Danny Hooligan, Chris Eubank and Dan Adams. Adams soon left and was replaced by Jon McClain. This punk band's musical influences were diverse. After releasing, The Dream Turns Sour, Who's Been Sleeping...
away from their fellow Carolina band and Death Records labelmates Ugly Americans. The band's 1987 release, Technocracy
Technocracy (EP)
Technocracy is an EP by Corrosion of Conformity. It was released in 1987 on Metal Blade Records, and re-released in 1992 on Relativity Records with four additional songs, including three demo versions of songs from the EP with bassist Mike Dean singing....
, featured the hectic thrash musicianship of COC with a cleaner vocal style than they had in the past.
Departure of Mike Dean, hiatus and Blind (1987-1992)
Mike Dean departed in 1987 and Simon Bob soon followed, leaving COC in a state of flux for a couple of years. The remaining members re-tuned the line up and searched for a new vocalist, even posting a classified in Flipside Fanzine for a singer similar in sound to "James HetfieldJames Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
or Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
" to go with their new metal sound. Caroline Records released some old tracks with Mike singing during this time with the aptly named Six Songs with Mike Singing EP.
Mike Dean also participated in Snake Nation
Snake Nation
Snake Nation was a band consisting of Corrosion of Conformity members Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman, along with comic artist Brian Walsby on drums. While C.O.C. was on hiatus in 1989, Snake Nation released one album on Caroline Records. The music was a blend of the aggressive hardcore of...
.
After much searching, Karl Agell was recruited on vocals, Phil Swisher
Phil Swisher
Philip "Phil" Swisher is a former American bassist for hardcore punk/sludge metal band Corrosion of Conformity, and stoner rock band Leadfoot. He also played lead guitar for hardcore punk bands Unicef and Blood Bath.-Joining Corrosion of Conformity :In 1989, Swisher joined Corrosion of Conformity,...
on bass and Pepper Keenan
Pepper Keenan
Pepper J. Keenan , is an American vocalist and guitarist, best known for his work with heavy metal bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down. He joined Corrosion of Conformity in 1989, but did not become the lead singer until the recording of Deliverance in 1994...
as a second guitarist. COC gravitated towards a more straightforward heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
sound. By 1991's Blind
Blind (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Blind is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity. It was released in 1991 on Relativity Records. This was the only COC album with Karl Agell and Phil Swisher....
they had become a heavy metal band. Blind was the first COC album to receive mainstream attention. The video for "Vote with a Bullet" received airplay on MTV and the album cracked the Billboard Heatseekers chart in early 1992. The album has sold around 250,000 copies in the US to date.
Deliverance and Wiseblood (1993-1998)
In 1993, Agell and Swisher left the band and formed the band Leadfoot, Dean returned and Keenan took over lead vocals. The following year COC signed to Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and the release of Deliverance
Deliverance (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Deliverance is the fourth album by Corrosion of Conformity, and the first on which Pepper Keenan was lead singer. By this album, the band had completely shed their punk and thrash influences, instead opting for Black Sabbath-inspired heavy metal style. "Clean My Wounds" was a radio hit. The UK's...
saw the band move toward Southern metal, a sound that they also carried onto the Wiseblood and America's Volume Dealer
America's Volume Dealer
America's Volume Dealer is the sixth album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released Sep 26, 2000. This was the last album to feature longtime drummer Reed Mullin for 9 years until his return in 2010.-Track listing:...
albums. In 1994, their song Big Problems
was featured on the Clerks soundtrack
Clerks (soundtrack)
Clerks is the 1994 soundtrack album to the film of the same name. The soundtrack features alternative rock songs performed by various artists, as well as audio clips from the film. Famously, the cost of licensing the songs on the soundtrack cost more than the film cost to make.-Track listing:...
. The song Clean My Wounds was also featured in the anime movie Tekken: The Motion Picture
Tekken: The Motion Picture
is a Japanese animated adaptation of the Tekken video games by Namco produced in by ASCII Corporation and Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Originally released in Japan as a two-episode OVA, an English adaptation was produced by ADV Films, which edited both episodes into a single hour-long film and...
.
Deliverance was the band's biggest selling album. This was mainly due to the singles "Albatross" and "Clean My Wounds" becoming Top 20 hits on rock radio and the album managed to spend almost four months on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, peaking at No. 155. On the Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart, it peaked at No. 5 and lasted almost a year on that particular chart. US sales for the album were just over 440,000 by the end of 2005 and this album should be eligible for Gold status within the next few years.
Wiseblood was released in October 1996. Despite producing a Top 30 radio hit with "Drowning in a Daydream" and a worldwide tour with Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, the album failed to match the sales set by the previous album. Total US sales to date are just over 150,000. "Drowning in a Daydream" was nominated at the Grammy Awards in 1998 for "Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
".
America's Volume Dealer and In the Arms of God (1999-2006)
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
. The band released its first album for its new label, America's Volume Dealer, in November 2000. The album was even more of a commercial failure than Wiseblood not even managing to make the Billboard 200. However, the single, "Congratulations Song", did give the band another Top 30 hit. No videos were made from the album. Mullin left the band in 2001. Over the next few years, the band worked with a series of drummers: Jimmy Bower
Jimmy Bower
Jimmy Bower is an American sludge/heavy metal guitarist and drummer who has played with six bands, most notably Eyehategod, Crowbar, Down, and Superjoint Ritual....
of Eyehategod
Eyehategod
Eyehategod is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans who formed in 1988. They have become one of the most well known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene...
, local Raleigh percussion professor Merritt Partridge, Stanton Moore
Stanton Moore
Stanton Moore is a drummer raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also pursued a solo recording career and recorded with bands as diverse as jazz-funk keyboardist Robert Walter and heavy metal act Corrosion of Conformity...
of Galactic
Galactic
Galactic is a funk and jazz jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Origins and background:Originally formed in 1994 as an octet and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio,...
and Reed's former drum technician Jason Patterson, who previously played drums in the Raleigh-based rock band Cry of Love
Cry of Love (band)
Cry Of Love was an American rock band, formed in 1989 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The group released their debut album in 1992 , produced by John Custer before playing the Monsters of Rock festival the following year. After this show, their frontman Kelly Holland left the group...
.
In April 2005, COC released In the Arms of God
In the Arms of God
In the Arms of God is the seventh studio album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released April 5, 2005. So far, it is the only Corrosion of Conformity album to not feature drummer Reed Mullin...
to much critical acclaim. The album performed much better than their previous effort, debuting at No. 108 on the Billboard 200 and even topping the Heatseekers chart. This was achieved without even one radio hit from the album. A video was made for the song "Stonebreaker" which saw airplay on MTV2's recently revived Headbanger's Ball. The band spent the rest of the year touring the US and Canada. They were the opening acts for Motörhead and Disturbed and also went on headlining tours with Crowbar, Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu (band)
Fu Manchu is a Southern Californian stoner rock band, who released their debut single "Kept Between Trees" in 1990. They have been featured on compilations put together by Tony Hawk and ESPN's X Games, and invited to perform on the US television program Monster Garage...
, Alabama Thunderpussy
Alabama Thunderpussy
Alabama Thunderpussy was a Stoner metal band from Richmond, Virginia. It was founded by Bryan Cox, Erik Larson and Asechiah Bogdan in 1996.-History:...
and Danko Jones
Danko Jones
Danko Jones is a Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Danko Jones and JC...
all providing support. A European tour was scheduled for September/October 2005 but was later cancelled, after Hurricane Katrina ravaged Keenan's hometown of New Orleans. A co-headlining UK tour with Clutch
Clutch (band)
Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
commenced in January 2006.
Second hiatus (2006-2010)
Corrosion of Conformity was on hiatus from 2006 to June 2010, while Pepper recorded and toured with DownDown (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
. From March 2009 to June 2010, Karl Agell and Reed Mullin occasionally performed with Jerry Barrett, Scott Little, and Jason Browning (Browning eventually replaced by TR Gwynne) as "COC-Blind", playing the Blind album. Reed Mullin and Mike Dean along with Jason Browning are also touring in a new band called "Righteous Fool", and have released a self-titled EP on Southern Lord Records.
Animosity lineup reunion (2010-present)
On May 12, 2010, Blabbermouth.netBlabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
reported that the Animosity
Animosity (Corrosion of Conformity album)
Animosity is the second studio album by the American band Corrosion of Conformity. Album cover art was done by the artist Pushead.- Track listing :# "Loss for Words" - 4:06# "Mad World" - 1:54# "Consumed" - 2:52# "Holier" - 2:27...
lineup of Corrosion of Conformity was reuniting and working on a new album. They are planning some early-August shows lined up for the West Coast, although they have not yet been officially announced.
The band is still open to recording again as a four piece with Pepper when the time is right, according to a message on the official C.O.C. website on May 15, 2010. Pepper currently, has not left the band.
Pepper joined his band mates on stage on June 19 2011 in Bilbao Spain and played songs from "his" era of the band. Pepper stated that he looks forward to working on some Deliverance type material in the near future with the band. The band has finished recording and mixing their new album as a 3-piece and plan a release in early spring 2012 via Candlelight Records.
Collaborations/side projects
They have also collaborated with a number of other artists: James HetfieldJames Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
contributed vocals to the song "Man or Ash" on Wiseblood; Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes is an American rock and blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Haynes is best known for his work as long time guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a guitarist for David Allan Coe and The Dickey...
of the Allman Brothers' Band and Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
played slide guitar on "Stare Too Long" on America's Volume Dealer; and Stanton Moore of Galactic
Galactic
Galactic is a funk and jazz jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Origins and background:Originally formed in 1994 as an octet and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio,...
played drums on In the Arms of God.
Members of COC have also participated in collaborations: Keenan plays guitar with the metal supergroup Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
, and Dean contributed vocals to a track titled "Access Babylon" on Dave Grohl's
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
Probot
Probot
Probot was a heavy metal side project of ex-Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters rhythm guitarist and lead-singer Dave Grohl. An album was recorded out of the material and released in February 2004...
project. Also Pepper is on Metallica's Garage Inc CD playing guitar and singing the second verse of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Tuesday's Gone", he is also in the documentary "Some Kind of Monster" auditioning to be Metallica's replacement for Jason Newsted.
Band members
- Woody WeathermanWoody WeathermanWoodroe "Woody" Weatherman is lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity.Woody was born on July 29, 1965 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and now lives in Virginia....
– lead guitar, backing vocals (1982–present) - Mike DeanMike Dean (musician)Mike Dean is the bassist for American metal band Corrosion of Conformity. He sang on the band's early recordings from their crossover thrash era before leaving the band in 1987. In 1989 Dean, along with C.O.C. guitarist Woody Weatherman and artist Brian Walsby on drums, released the Snake Nation...
– bass, vocals (1982–1987, 1993–present) - Reed MullinReed MullinReed Douglas Mullin is the drummer for punk/metal band Corrosion of Conformity . He was the founding member with Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman. Mullin, along with Weatherman, also played in the Raleigh NC harcore band, No Labels. No Labels disbanded in 1984, while Corrosion of Conformity...
– drums, percussion (1982–2001, 2010–present) - Pepper KeenanPepper KeenanPepper J. Keenan , is an American vocalist and guitarist, best known for his work with heavy metal bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down. He joined Corrosion of Conformity in 1989, but did not become the lead singer until the recording of Deliverance in 1994...
– vocals, rhythm guitar (1989–present)
Former members
- Benji Shelton – lead vocals (1982–1983)
- Eric Eycke – lead vocals (1983–1984)
- Simon Bob SinisterSimon Bob SinisterIn 1983, Simon Bob Sinister founded the Ugly Americans in Durham, North Carolina, along with Danny Hooligan, Chris Eubank and Dan Adams. Adams soon left and was replaced by Jon McClain. This punk band's musical influences were diverse. After releasing, The Dream Turns Sour, Who's Been Sleeping...
– lead vocals (1986–1989) - Phil SwisherPhil SwisherPhilip "Phil" Swisher is a former American bassist for hardcore punk/sludge metal band Corrosion of Conformity, and stoner rock band Leadfoot. He also played lead guitar for hardcore punk bands Unicef and Blood Bath.-Joining Corrosion of Conformity :In 1989, Swisher joined Corrosion of Conformity,...
– bass (1987–1993) - Karl Agell – lead vocals (1989–1993)
- Jimmy BowerJimmy BowerJimmy Bower is an American sludge/heavy metal guitarist and drummer who has played with six bands, most notably Eyehategod, Crowbar, Down, and Superjoint Ritual....
– drums, percussion (2001–2002) - Merrit Partridge – drums, percussion (2002–2003)
- Stanton MooreStanton MooreStanton Moore is a drummer raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also pursued a solo recording career and recorded with bands as diverse as jazz-funk keyboardist Robert Walter and heavy metal act Corrosion of Conformity...
– drums, percussion (2003–2005) - Jason Patterson – drums, percussion (2005–2006)
Collaborators
- Warren HaynesWarren HaynesWarren Haynes is an American rock and blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Haynes is best known for his work as long time guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a guitarist for David Allan Coe and The Dickey...
– slide guitar ("Stare Too Long," America's Volume Dealer) - James HetfieldJames HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
– vocals ("Man or Ash," Wiseblood) - Robert Stewart – vocals (performed live, never recorded)
- John CusterJohn CusterJohn Custer is a record producer who produced several Corrosion of Conformity albums including Blind , Deliverance , Wiseblood , America's Volume Dealer , and In the Arms of God...
– producer of Blind, Deliverance, Wiseblood, Nativity in Black, America's Volume Dealer and In the Arms of God
Timeline
- Note: Corrosion of Conformity was on indefinite hiatus during the 2006–2010 period.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat. Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
FIN |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| 1984 | Eye for an Eye Eye for an Eye (album) Eye for an Eye is the first studio album by American hardcore band Corrosion of Conformity released in 1984.-Track listing:#Tell Me - 3:27#Minds Are Controlled - 1:35#Indifferent - 1:18#Broken Will - 1:34#Rabid Dogs - 0:40#L.S...
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| 1985 | Animosity Animosity (Corrosion of Conformity album) Animosity is the second studio album by the American band Corrosion of Conformity. Album cover art was done by the artist Pushead.- Track listing :# "Loss for Words" - 4:06# "Mad World" - 1:54# "Consumed" - 2:52# "Holier" - 2:27... Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music... |
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| 1991 | Blind Blind (Corrosion of Conformity album) Blind is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity. It was released in 1991 on Relativity Records. This was the only COC album with Karl Agell and Phil Swisher.... Relativity Records Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | US: 250,000 |
| 1994 | Deliverance Deliverance (Corrosion of Conformity album) Deliverance is the fourth album by Corrosion of Conformity, and the first on which Pepper Keenan was lead singer. By this album, the band had completely shed their punk and thrash influences, instead opting for Black Sabbath-inspired heavy metal style. "Clean My Wounds" was a radio hit. The UK's... Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
155 | — | — | — | — | — | US: 440,000 |
| 1996 | Wiseblood
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104 | — | 39 | — | — | 43 | US: 150,000 |
| 2000 | America's Volume Dealer America's Volume Dealer America's Volume Dealer is the sixth album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released Sep 26, 2000. This was the last album to feature longtime drummer Reed Mullin for 9 years until his return in 2010.-Track listing:... Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world... |
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| 2005 | In the Arms of God In the Arms of God In the Arms of God is the seventh studio album by Corrosion of Conformity and was released April 5, 2005. So far, it is the only Corrosion of Conformity album to not feature drummer Reed Mullin... |
108 | 1 | — | 196 | 41 | 147 | US: 8,967 |
| TBA | TBA
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| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | ||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Live Volume Live Volume Live Volume is a live album released by sludge metal band Corrosion of Conformity on August 7, 2001. It was recorded on April 20, 2001, at Harpo's in Detroit, MI.-Track listing:#These Shrouded Temples - 4:34#Diablo Blvd...
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Extended plays
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Technocracy Technocracy (EP) Technocracy is an EP by Corrosion of Conformity. It was released in 1987 on Metal Blade Records, and re-released in 1992 on Relativity Records with four additional songs, including three demo versions of songs from the EP with bassist Mike Dean singing....
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| 1989 | Six Songs with Mike Singing
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| 2010 | Your Tomorrow Parts 1 & 2 Your Tomorrow Parts 1 & 2 (EP) Your Tomorrow is an EP by Corrosion of Conformity. It was released in July 2010 on Southern Lord Records, and features the recently reunited circa-1986 Animosity album lineup of Woody Weatherman on guitar, Mike Dean on bass and vocals, and Reed Mullin on drums.-Personnel:*Mike Dean – Bass,... Southern Lord Records Southern Lord is an American record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson, specializing in what could broadly be classified as experimental heavy metal, particularly the doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal sub-genres. Some of the more notable artists on the label include Earth, Om,... |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Playlist: The Very Best of Corrosion of Conformity
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Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Main. |
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| 1992 | "Vote with a Bullet" | — | Blind |
| "Dance of the Dead" | — | ||
| 1994 | "Albatross" | 19 | Deliverence |
| "Broken Man" | — | ||
| 1995 | "Clean My Wounds | 19 | |
| "Seven Days" | — | ||
| 1996 | "Drowning in a Daydream" | 27 | Wiseblood |
| "King of the Rotten" | — | ||
| 2000 | "Congratulations Song" | 24 | America's Volume Dealer |
| 2005 | "Stonebreaker" | — | In the Arms of God |
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||
Music videos
- "Vote with a Bullet" (1992)
- "Dance of the Dead" (1992)
- "Albatross" (1994)
- "Clean My Wounds" (1994)
- "Drowning in a Daydream" (1996)
- "Stonebreaker" (2005)
Compilation appearances
- No Core tape (1982, No Core)
- Why Are We Here? 7" (1983, No Core Records, "Poison Planet", "Indifferent", "Too Cool")
- Empty Skulls tape (1984, Fartblossom Enterpises, "Poison Planet", "Eye for an Eye")
- Cleanse the BacteriaCleanse the BacteriaCleanse the Bacteria is a hardcore punk compilation LP released in 1985 by Pushead on Pusmort Records. It is an international compilation of early hardcore music, and represents grindcore pioneers Siege's only original official release...
LP (1985, Pusmort Records, "Kiss of Death") - Thrasher Skate Rock Vol. 3 LP (1986, Thrasher/High Speed Records, "What", "Not for Me", "Citizen")
- Empty Skulls Vol. 2 LP (1986, Fartblossom Records, "Center of the World", "Eye for an Eye", "Negative Outlook")
- Complete Death LP (1986, Death Records, "Loss for Words")
- Life is a Joke Vol. 2 LP (1986, Weird System Records, "Eye for an Eye")
- Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Vol. 3 LP (1987, Gasatanka Records, "Intervention")
- Rat Music for Rat People 3 LP (1987, CD Presents Records, "Bound")
- Clerks soundtrackClerks (soundtrack)Clerks is the 1994 soundtrack album to the film of the same name. The soundtrack features alternative rock songs performed by various artists, as well as audio clips from the film. Famously, the cost of licensing the songs on the soundtrack cost more than the film cost to make.-Track listing:...
LP (1994, Columbia Records, "Big Problems") - Nativity In Black: A Tribute to Black SabbathNativity in BlackNativity in Black is the name of two Black Sabbath tribute albums that came out in the 1990s and 2000s. The albums were recorded with various heavy metal bands paying tribute to Black Sabbath for their influence on the heavy metal genre of rock music....
LP (1994, Columbia Records, "Lord of This World") - UMPF LP (1995, ???, "Clean My Wounds")
- Duke Nukem: Music to Score By LP (1999, RED Interactive, "Land of the Free Disease")
- Xtreme Rock: Music That Changed Our Lives LP (1999, RED Distribution, "Land of the Free Disease")
- Motorcycle Mania 3 CD (2004, Artist Direct BMG, "Thirteen Angels")