From across the pond, we check out the legendary crossover thrashers Corrosion of Conformity playing their second Brooklyn date…
[date]14th April 2016[/date]
[venue]St. Vitus[/venue]
[city]New York City, NY[/city]
[support_bands]Mothership, Polygamist[/support_bands]
Hailing from North Carolina Metallers Corrosion of Conformity initially introduced a crossover blend between Hardcore Punk and Heavy Metal back in the early eighties. However, it was Pepper Keenan’s vocals that reshaped and led a distinctive style for the group which was featured in the acclaimed 1994’s Deliverance and 1996’s Wiseblood. The band has an extensive history where Keenan disbanded in 2006, along with drummer Reed Mullin’s departure from 2001-2010. Despite these changes, C.O.C carried on as a trio up until late 2014 with Keenan’s return which also includes Woody Weatherman (guitar) and Mike Dean (bass). Chemistry has rekindled as the band has been touring on and off ever since the reunion. Most recently, before hitting the road with Lamb of God and Clutch, C.O.C booked a short East Coast tour in the United States with Mothership as direct support. Luckily, to celebrate five years of St. Vitus, the intimate Metal club out in Greenpoint Brooklyn, New York, C.O.C had a two night run on April 13th & 14th. On their final night at St. Vitus April 14th, 2016, the local Brooklyn group Polygamist joined in as direct openers for the evening.
Kicking off the St. Vitus celebration early were Brooklyn’s own Rockers, Polygamist. The venue was halfway full at this point when vocalist George S, guitarist Philippe O and drummer Chad B stepped onto the stage. However, George casually mentioned how his father and brother were there for support as well. Despite the diversified sounds the band demonstrates between Metal, Psychedelic, and Stoner; they identify their craft simply as Space Metal. The set lasted about thirty minutes, and it awakened the Sludgy and grungy vibe of the evening.
Next up were Texas Hard Rockers Mothership. Influenced by bands such as ZZ Top, AC/DC, and Motörhead where their live performance demonstrated a casual style of their own. Members include brothers Kelley (guitar/vocals) and Kyle Juett (bass/vocals) followed by Judge Smith (drums). After the Bluesy tune “Hot Smoke and Heavy Blues,” the band mentioned this was the second time touring with C.O.C as they were happy to be back with them once again. The Juett brothers pumped up the crowd asking if they wanted to hear more as they went into “Priestess of the Moon” and “Astromancer.” They conquered the stage as kicks, riffs, and Rock N’ Roll continued to fly. Mothership is currently on a European tour entitled Texas Takeover 2 Tour and will most likely continue to make travelling appearances throughout the summer.
Finally, it was time for the crossover Thrashers Corrosion of Conformity to take the stage. It wasn’t too long ago when fans rejoiced seeing the band reunited with Keenan last December at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. However, this evening felt more up close and personal. The set moved in with nostalgic bliss as they ripped in with “These Shrouded Temples” from 1991’s Blind, followed by “King of the Rotten” from 1996’s Wiseblood. Fans were hooked onto the stage as Keenan, who was less than ten feet away from the crowd fueled in with an incredible energy during “Senor Limpio” and “Heaven’s Not Overflowing” from the acclaimed 1994 album Deliverance. Mullin continued to smile as he pounded away on the drums during tracks such as “Goodbye Windows” and “Wiseblood.” Dean and Woody dominated the platform as the set continued with the classic “Seven Days” from Deliverance. Keenan powered through tracks that consisted during the years he was in the band as they moved in with “Paranoid Opioid” from 2005’s In The Arms of God and “13 Angels” from 2000’s America’s Volume Dealer. The set continued to move in a favorable direction with songs “Albatross,” “Stonebreaker,” and “Who’s Got the Fire.”
Keenan thanked St. Vitus for being there two nights in a row in honor to celebrate the club’s five-year anniversary as they moved into the older track “Vote With a Bullet” from 1991’s Blind. As the set was winding down, C.O.C closed the evening with the long-awaited tunes of “The Door” and “Clean My Wounds.” Keenan thanked the audience once again as he promised they will be back with fresh music under Nuclear Blast Records for a new album to be released shortly.
It was evident this evening that the flame continues to strengthen as a quad. Hopefully, more information on the new album will be revealed soon enough since it was since 2000’s America’s Volume Dealer that includes the full pack of Pepper, Reed, Mike and Woody. There will be much more C.O.C as they have teamed up with Lamb of God and Clutch for a North American tour that kicks off on May 3rd in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Written By,
Zenae Zukowski
