Corrosion of Conformity - In the Arms of God
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Free Music Notes for In the Arms of God
Free Music Review: Not Quite There Yet
Hit: 3 Stars
There are some good riffs on this album, as one would expect from COC. I also enjoyed almost all of Pepper Keenan's vocals, as I usually do. But this disc lacks something that keeps it out of the 4 star range (if I could I'd give it 3 1/2 stars). Perhaps it is that the disc reminds me of mid-90's Metallica a bit too much at times, or that one of the best riffs on the album (from Paranoid) sounds almost the same as the riff from the song Bottom Feeder (on Wiseblood). Perhaps it just sounds too much like stuff I've heard too many times before. Whatever the case, while there are some pretty good southern rockish/metallish songs on the CD, and some good Sabbathesque riffs, I don't think they've gotten back to the heights they reached on Blind, Deliverance, and Wiseblood. I would say that this is a step in the right direction, though.Free Music Review: Rocks!
Hit: 5 Stars
I just listened to two tracks on the CoC myspace site. This album is heavy and totally rocks! They still got it!Free Music Review: Excellent Return To Form
Hit: 5 Stars
It's good to see COC back in action, making a new album and touring, as they were one of my favourite acts from the 90's. With "In The Arms of God" the band return to form, combining the elements that made them such a great band in the first place - good song writing/melody, and of course lots and lots of bluesy riffs.
After leaving their hardcore/thrash/metal fusion beginnings behind, the band created a series of stunning metal releases. This was not a view held by all however, as the band lost fans, claiming they had `sold out' with the new old-school metal approach. For me, a fan of retro metal, especially in the stoner/doom styling, albums such as "Deliverance" and "Wiseblood" did the trick, and this new release is in a similar vein.
What distinguishes COC from all the other riff-heavy metal bands is their excellent song writing ability, combining great riffs with actual good structures and melodies. After the flowing start of "Stone Breaker" with its spacey intro and relatively straight-forward styling, the band really kick things off with "Paranoid Android", which combines everything I was previously talking about. The song starts with an infectious Pepper Keenan bluesy riff, albeit rather repetitive, but then the band really begin to show their colours, switching things up with numerous middle sections, all with varying riffs, melodies and tempos. Another example of the bands superb song writing comes in my personal favourite, the sprawling "Never Turns To More". This is possibly COC's best song to date, with rich vocal harmonies, infectious riffs and overall stellar musicianship from the whole band. This song also has a very dreamy and ethereal aspect to it, due to many of Keenan's vocal notes being held and delayed with effects (this is also used in other standout track "It Is That Way"), and some of the lead solos having a similar echoed and delayed effect. The band really hit the nail on the head with this song.
To me there are also promising signs of development from the band, experimenting with different sounds and vibes. For example "Rive River Rise" has a very cool middle-eastern/Asian vibe to it, with its use of shakers, congas and driving acoustic guitars. The album's closer, the title track, sounds to me like Keenan was greatly influenced by his time with super group Down, as this song could've easily been on either of their releases. Starting with pummelling riffs and aggressive vocals, the song draws to its massive climax with simply THE riff on the album, the structure reminds me a lot of the epic closer to "NOLA", the fine "Bury In Smoke" which ends with the albums most brutal and engulfing riff. This is not to say the band has lost any of its original sound and style, as this album is packed with killer and classic COC songs (such as "Dirty Hands", "Backslider" and "World on Fire"), all adding up to an album with NO filler, and not a single weak track.
Due to this reason, I am very tempted to say this is COC's best album yet. Whether it's a maturing or simply the benefits of taking time out, whatever it is...this band has hit their peak.
Free Music Review: They're Back
Hit: 5 Stars
Leading up to the release of "In the Arms of God," Pepper Keenan stated several times that he and his bandmates had listened to their old-school hardcore and metal albums again. This led to some speculation that this album would perhaps be a return to one of their previous incarnations; either the hardcore punk of their 80's releases or the thrash/alterna-metal of "Blind." But while there are a few almost thrash moments present, most notably in the album-ending title track, the fans expecting a return to either of those two sounds were pretty much disappointed. Thankfully, they fixed alot of the problems of "America's Volume Dealer," leaving "In the Arms of God" to sound most similar to "Wiseblood," yet calling this "Wiseblood II" would be an insult to the sound that COC have achieved on this album.
John Custer's production has moved the guitars farther back in the mix, giving Corrosion of Conformity a chance to focus on two aspects of their sound that had previously been underutilized; those being Keenan's vocals and the drums. Stanton Moore does a fine job filling in, and although I first hated his jazzy style of playing, I now think that his impressive technical drumwork is one of the highlights of songs such as the title track and "Paranoid Opioid." Keenan always had a cool way of singing (I wish he was giving more vocal duties in Down) and now he adds more variation than just his southern croon that he had mainly used before this. He spits out the words like venom on "Paranoid Opioid," adapts a more "macho" style on "Stonebreaker," and goes for a more laid-back approach on "Rise River Rise." Don't get me wrong though, the riffs are still there, and they're still awesome, they just aren't as crushing as they were on older cuts like "Broken Man."
As for the songs themselves, I think that "In The Arms of God" has the best 1-2-3-4-5-6 punch out of nearly any album I've heard. "Stonebreaker" kicks it off with an organ and a surprisingly melodic solo before the almighty riffing takes over. Keenan shines on both vocals and guitar, while the chorus is impossible not to sing (yell) along to. Next up is "Paranoid Opioid," a song where COC inculde a jam section reminiscent of Black Sabbath, one of the band's biggest influences. Not to be outdone, they show how much Black Label Society has affected them on the following song, "It Is That Way"; Keenan's howl at the beginning of the song is taken right from Wylde's textbook. While BLS hasn't done anything innovative in several years, it would be folly to deny their strong influence on this type of metal (Biker metal? Stoner metal? Your guess is as good as mine). Even so, this song is a winner. The next song is a two part, "Dirty Hands/Empty Pockets (Already Gone)" the first half being slower before the song speeds up and Keenan spits out awesome lines like "Soon you will see/when you're six feet down like me" and "KILL THAT SONOFABITCH!!" Soon after we are treated to the acoustic based "Rise, River, Rise." Keenan's vocals trade off with an echo-tinged lead guitar to create an eerie melody that is different than anything COC has done before. Following one of the highlights of the album is the best song of this session, "Never Turns To More." The verses are nearly impossible not to sing along with, and Keenan once again delivers a top-notch performance, making this rank right up there along "Heaven's Not Overflowing" as COC's best song. After this, the album gets weaker with the throwaway "Infinite War" and the overlong "Backslider." "World on Fire" starts out okay but fails to take off while "Crown of Thorns" is a useless instrumental. "So Much Left Behind" is pretty good but doesn't measure up to the first six songs. The album finally picks up again with the pounding closer "In The Arms of God." After a short intro which features some great drum work by Stanton along with the rhythm guitar, a near thrash riff come out of nowhere. Then Keenan's vocals enter the fray and it's impossible not to receive an adreniline rush. I want to bust a piece of wood or smash my head through the wall, it is that exhilarating. Out of nowhere the heavy metal mayhem ends and a sole acoustic guitar begins to play. Where did that come from?! But fear not, the distorted guitars come alive again and the album and song end on a high note.
It's nice to see a band that makes a misstep acknowledge their mistake and return to the sound that their fans have come to expect. Yet, once again, this isn't "Deliverence II" or Wiseblood II," the band continues to evolve without screwing over their listeners. I like the fact that the band writes longer songs with several ideas to mix along with their shorter, more concise numbers. Sadly, for COC at least, Pepper Keenan has said he won't play on the new COC album, opting instead to record with former side project, Down. This isn't to say that the next album will suck, but Keenan is such an integral part of their sound, it's difficult to believe that they will be able to top this. But Weatherman, Dean, and company are no slouches either, so we'll see what happens. In the meantime, get "In the Arms of God" and prepare for the forthcoming sonic assault.
Free Music Review: GREATNESS!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Don't expect this to be the "run of the mill" release. While it is in fact the great C.O.C, there is definitely more atmosphere to this release. It only took me the first spin to feel whats goin on on this disc. Stanton Moore is a great addition to the band with his style of drumming. The production is stunning. Its nice to hear drums sound like drums again, and I have always been a big fan of the bluesiness the band brings forth while still keepin the almighty metallic riff to slam to.
Mike Dean is really shining on this one in my opinion, thru his groovin basslines, as he shows some blues and jazz influence as well.
As far as Woody and Pepper go.....well, you know its them with their metallic bluesiness, and raw sound.
I have been a C.O.C fan for quite some time now, and while I have enjoyed every release, for the longest time, Deliverance couldnt be beat in my opinion.......I was wrong....BUY THIS CD!!!