Last year, Corrosion of Conformity‘s Scion A/V-sponsored Megalodon EP continued to win the long-running North Carolina outfit favor in the wake of their 2012 self-titled (review here), their first album as a trio since 1985’s Animosity. As the studio footage of drummer Reed Mullin recording some vocal parts demonstrates, work on a follow-up is underway now.

It’s funny to think of a band who’ve been at it since 1982 — and who are back in their original lineup — as having something to prove, but with the C.O.C. audience contingent who can’t or don’t want to move beyond the fact that guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan isn’t in the band at this point and may or may not rejoin them at some future date (he’s in Down if you’re looking for him), the three-piece of bassist/vocalist Mike Dean (also Vista Chino), Mullin and guitarist Woody Weatherman seem to still be pushing against expectations born of their Deliverance era. I’m not going to argue that’s not a great, landmark record, but it was also 20 years ago, and you’re only cheating yourself if you miss out on the quality output from modern C.O.C. — who, again, are also the original C.O.C. — because of Keenan‘s absence.

My two cents. Check out Mullin belting out a new song below, followed by some PR wire info courtesy of the band’s label, Candlight Records and the link to the event page for their upcoming show at The Underworld in London on March 13:

C.O.C., Back in the Studio

Raleigh, North Carolina legends Corrosion Of Conformity are recording their next album, the follow-up to the well-received self-titled record issued via Candlelight Records in late February 2012, the reissue of their “Eye For An Eye” debut, and the released Scion A/V EP “Megalodon”. The forthcoming CD, untitled at this time, will again feature the trio of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woodroe Weatherman, and drummer Reed Mullin. A new video clip from the studio can be seen below.

The initial work on the new album found the band not long out of the recording studio, having recently completed their “Megalodon” EP. The special EP was included free to all customers to the band’s official webstore. Dean said: “The EP was written, recorded, and released in two months’ time. It really challenged us in a good way.”

Formed in Raleigh in 1982, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY quickly transformed heavy music. Politically charged and socially aware, the band has influenced countless others and today remains humble about their accomplishments. With over 1.1 million albums sold in the United States, the band continues to find new fans via nonstop touring.

C.O.C. on Thee Facebooks

Candlelight Records on Thee Facebooks

C.O.C. at the Underworld event page

…And it seems like it’s going to be a permanent situation. No harm there — C.O.C.‘s self-titled (review here) was killer and the subsequent Scion A/V EP, Megalodon, scratched a similar itch, so if the North Carolina stalwarts want to kick out another full-length as a trio on the quick, I’m not going to complain. The PR wire sends along word of the new album, recent touring, and an upcoming appearance at Metal Fest in Chile.

Dig it:

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Writing New Material

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY has begun writing material for their next album, the follow-up to the well-received self-titled record released via Candlelight Records late February 2012, the reissue of their Eye For An Eye debut, and recently released Scion A/V EP Megalodon. The album, untitled at this time, will again feature the trio of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woodroe Weatherman, and drummer Reed Mullin.

Last week the band announced their first live performance for the New Year at the annual Metal Fest Chile on April 13th. It will be the first CORROSION OF CONFORMITY appearance ever in Chile. Mike Dean comments, “We have been talking about going to South American forever and with Chile being a big source of so much of our Facebook traffic, I know it’s going to be epic. Another chance for us to do a festival with Down is always a very good thing.”

The festival follows the completion of the band’s recent US tour that concluded in southern California alongside High On Fire. The trio was also a featured participant on Barge From Hell that left Florida shores on December 7. Dean notes, “The cruise was pretty awesome. We had Rick and Jonathan from Torche masquerading as our crew and watching their antics alone was worth the trip. The seas were calm so there was no hurling over the bow.”

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY continues to promote the self-titled album in interviews with media as well spreading word on their recently released Megalodon EP. The EP, sponsored by the amazing folks at Scion A/V, is available for free now via various outlets. Dean says, “The EP was written, recorded, and released in two months time. It really challenged us in a good way. It feels good to get two releases out in one year and I expect that we will continue that level of productivity.” Continuing he shares, “The self-titled album is holding up very well for me. There is a wide variety of material there. It’s all definitely COC but at the same time everything is really a stretch for us. Within the realm of never being totally satisfied, I am very happy with how it came out.”

Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1982, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY quickly transformed heavy music. Politically charged and socially aware, the band has influenced countless others and today remains humble about their accomplishments. With over 1.1 million albums sold in the United States alone, the band continues to find new fans via non-stop touring.

I think I’m gonna go to this show. I don’t know yet whether I’ll go to Brooklyn or Philly, but I haven’t seen trio C.O.C. — whom I’ve been secretly referring to as “C.O.Three” to myself mostly because I don’t have any friends who would know what I was talking about if I said that kind of thing to them — since they played last New Year’s Eve with Clutch, and, well, I’d kind of like to sing along to “Psychic Vampire” and maybe pick up a t-shirt if they have appropriate fat-dude sizes. Their self-titled album (review here), has an enduring appeal that’s hard to ignore as 2012 winds down and list time comes.

Dig the good news, fellow worshipers:

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Announce North American Fall Tour Presented By Scion A/V

Eye For An Eye Reissue To Drop November 6 Via Candlelight Records

Following a hearty summer of live takeovers throughout North America and Europe, today North Carolina crossover kings CORROSION OF CONFORMITY announce a string of Fall and Winter dates through November and December. Presented by Scion A/V, the tour will include support from a host of esteemed ear-bleeders including Zoroaster, ASG, Royal Thunder, YOB, and Saviours. Additionally, the band will play a string of special shows with High On Fire, Goatwhore and LoPan on select dates. See full itinerary below. Tickets for all CORROSION OF CONFORMITY headlining shows go on sale TODAY through all local ticket outlets. Go HERE to get yours now!

The journey comes in conjunction with the North American release of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY’s Eye For An Eye full-length, set to drop November 6 through Candlelight Records. Originally issued in 1984, the special reissue has been remastered/packaged and includes the Six Songs With Mike Singing EP, both of which have been long out of print. A deluxe digibook edition of the album, limited to 1000 for North America, will be available at limited retailers and via Candlelight’s official webstore. The digibook version includes extended liner notes and a rare pictorial gallery.

CORROSION OF CONFOMRITY Fall/Winter Tour 2012
11/06/2012 Altar Bar – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Zoroaster, Royal Thunder
11/07/2012 Kingdom – Richmond, VA w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/08/2012 North Star – Philadelphia, PA w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/09/2012 Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/10/2012 El ‘N’ GeesNew London, CT w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/11/2012 Mavericks – Ottawa, ON w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/13/2012 Revolutions – Kingston, ON
11/14/2012 Corktown Pub – Hamilton, ON w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/15/2012 London Music Hall – London, ON w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/16/2012 Harpo’s – Detroit, MI w/ ASG, Royal Thunder
11/17/2012 Mojoe’s – Joliet, IL w/ Zoroaster, Royal Thunder
11/18/2012 Cosmic Charlies – Lexington, KY w/ Zoroaster, Royal Thunder
12/11/2012 The Biltmore – Vancouver, BC w/ Saviours
12/12/2012 The Crocodile –  Seattle, WA w/ YOB, Saviours
12/13/2012 Dante’s – Portland, OR w/ YOB, Saviours
12/14/2012 Oak Street Speakeasy – Eugene, OR w/ YOB, Saviours
12/15/2012 Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA w/ YOB, Saviours
12/16/2012 Uptown Theater – Oakland,CA w/ Saviours
12/18/2012 Catalyst – Santa Cruz,CA w/ High on Fire, Goatwhore, LoPan
12/19/2012 The Brickhouse – San Diego, CA w/High on Fire, Goatwhore, LoPan
12/21/2012 The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA w/ High on Fire, Goatwhore, LoPan

Formed in Raleigh in 1982, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY quickly transformed heavy music. Politically charged and socially aware, the band has influenced countless others and today remains humble about their accomplishments. With over 1.1 million albums sold in the United States, the band continues to find new fans via nonstop touring.

Probably should have seen this one coming, since the Animosity lineup also played the Southern Lord fest out in California earlier this year, but the confirmation that this legendary incarnation of Corrosion of Conformity will be at Roadburn 2011 is welcome news nonetheless. Here it is, straight from the Roadburn site:

The reunited classic Animosity lineup of Corrosion of Conformity — Mike Dean (bass, vocals), Woody Weatherman (guitar) and Reed Mullin (drums) — has been confirmed for SunnO)))‘s curated event at Roadburn 2011, set for April 15 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

Also appearing on the bill are Winter, Earth, Scorn, Beaver, Hooded Menace, Menace Ruine, Aluk Todolo, The Secret, Atilla Csihar’s Void ov Voices and SunnO))).

As curator, SunnO))) (Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley) are personally selecting the bands that will play during their special event, as well as performing a headlining show. SunnO))) is Roadburn’s fourth curator, following David Tibet in 2008, Neurosis in 2009 and Triptykon’s Tom Gabriel Warrior at this year’s festival in April.

We close this week with a track off what’s commonly regarded as C.O.C.‘s worst album, America’s Volume Dealer. I chose it for a reason I’d rather keep personal (nothing tragic). There’s another version on the YouPipes with a picture of thrash band Hirax that stays up the whole time the song plays. I very nearly put that one up instead of this, just because it’s funny.

Plus, it’s America Weekend, and we all know there’s nothing more American than C.O.C. They’re like apple pie topped with smartbombs plastered with advertisements for penis enlargement capsules. That’s how American they are. Are you that American? I’m not. Next to C.O.C. I’m practically Uzbek.

Tumult next week as I make the aforementioned move to Vermont for a month, but that doesn’t happen until Wednesday so stick around anyway. I’ll have that interview with Zoroaster posted and a writeup on my visit to the studio with friends-of-the-site Kings Destroy. Good fun to be had.

Please be safe this weekend, and we’ll see you back here Monday.

Well, this is pretty much the coolest thing ever, and it’s definitely happening 3,000 miles from where I live. Thanks a lot, guys. Wow, hey, another great show in San Francisco and Los Angeles and Seattle. That’s so amazing, because you never see anything there. Oh wait, you see everything there. Stupid California (and in this case, Washington). Not enough that you have the fourth largest economy in the world and enough natural resources to sustain the entire planet, you have to have Goatsnake too? Fuckers.

The PR wire mocks my lame New Jersey ass with the following:

Running from August 8th through 12th, the three-show tour features Southern Lord artists Eagle Twin, Black Breath and the return of Goatsnake. All of this is in addition to the headliner for the festivities; the recently reunited circa-1986 Animosity album lineup of Corrosion of Conformity, featuring Woody Weatherman on guitar, Mike Dean on bass and vocals, and Reed Mullin on drums! The tour will also showcase openers Righteous Fool featuring Mike and Reed from C.O.C.

The string of dates kick off in Los Angeles at the Southern Lord sponsored The Power Of The Riff Festival, featuring this tour’s full lineup as well as countless other brutal acts including Repulsion, Trap Them, Nails, From Ashes Rise and more. The full lineup and info behind the fest will be announced soon.

Southern Lord West Coast mini tour:
8/08/2010 Echo and Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA @ The Power of the Riff Fest
8/10/2010 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
8/12/2010 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA

Here in the States, today is Memorial Day, which is basically yet another excuse for everyone to get their jingoism going and glorify war, blow fingers off with fireworks and blah blah blah. What it means to me is the official start of grilling season. True, I hate the heat and I have in fact been grilling all winter, but now it’s the season, which means eating outside, which means grilling music. Killer.

Because I’m all about sharing, here are my seven favorite barbecue records, presented in the order in which they should be played:

1. Black Sabbath, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. What this says is, “I am here to grill. I don’t care what else happens in the universe, I am going to have a good time and that is that. Now rock with me as I cook this meat.” Perfect starter album.

2. C.O.C., Wiseblood. Like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, it’s a fun collection of songs, but Wiseblood is a little thicker sound-wise. It’s great to sing-along to, and the groove seems to run throughout the whole album, so it’s consistent too. A definite necessity.

3. Greenleaf, Agents of Ahriman. By now you’ve had a few beers and it’s time to let loose. Greenleaf‘s Agents of Ahriman is catchy, rocking and has a freedom to its sound that seems to be made for the outdoors.

4. Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf. I confess, I love this record regardless of the food and/or climate surrounding. I try to take it everywhere, so it comes out for grilling for sure. “Go with the Flow?” Come on, man. Can’t beat that.

5. Fu Manchu, King of the Road. The last of the real rockers on the list, it’s great to finish the meal with some righteous fuzzery, and for that, there’s nowhere to go but to Fu Manchu. If you’ve got ice cream for dessert, this’ll work with it.

6. Monster Magnet, Spine of God. You’ve rocked, you’ve stuffed yourself, you’re probably more than a little intoxicated and you feel like if you ever even see another burger, your heart will explode in your chest. Clearly you’ve yanked on the spine of god and it’s time for some penance.

7. Masters of Reality, Flak ‘n Flight. This is for your cleanup. When you’ve drunkenly insulted all your relatives or friends and they’ve left and it’s just you and the mess. You put this one on and sing along as you throw away paper plates, beer bottles and the bloody packaging that once contained the meat now blocking up your colon. It’ll help ease the pain.

I’ve also found that Enslaved‘s Ruun album is great for cleanups, so if it persists longer than Flak ‘n Flight lasts, you might want to have that on-hand for reinforcements. Or maybe you just want to sit on a plastic chair in the dark for a while. It’s good for that too.

Of course, if you’re in it for the full-day barbecue experience, you’re going to need more than seven albums, but hopefully this is a decent start. If you have any longtime favorites, leave a comment and let me know about them. You can never have too much grilling music.

I can’t find any confirmation from the band, but according to Blabbermouth, Brian Walsby (of Manchild fame) has reported on his blog that Mike Dean, Woody Weatherman and Reed Mullin are back as a Pepper Keenan-less incarnation of C.O.C., apparently working on new material and scheduling shows.

I’ve always been partial to the post-Pepper stuff myself, but with Keenan having more or less left the rest of the band in the dust to play with Down full-time, it’s good to see Dean and Co. at least doing something. Here’s what Walsby had to say about it:

Corrosion of Conformity have apparently reformed, and are working on a new record. There are even some summertime shows lined up for the West Coast already and a few other things going on. Who is in the band?

For right now, it is the classic Animosity lineup: Mike Dean, Woody Weatherman and Reed Mullin. Really. This is pretty exciting news. Not only that, it is very strange to say the least. It will be pretty interesting to hear what they cook up. Also, Righteous Fool, the other band that Mike and Reed had started with Jason Browning (a really good guitarist in his own right) is still going to happen. A good deal of that band’s material is pretty damn good, with a few twisty turny almost math-rock tunes being quite good. So if that is any indication you should be hearing a lot of music coming from these three or four (or eventually five?) guys coming soon.