Corrosion of Conformity

The back story to this one is so confusing that it sends everyone who even attempts to understand it into a tailspin the likes of which previously only thought possible by Suicidal Tendencies-related tales of line-up and discography mix-ups. Here we have Corrosion of Conformity's Animosity-era line-up back together, no Pepper Keenan involved despite him being the face of the band for the past couple decades. The sound returns to the punk rock of old, but not without some sidesteps into Sabbath-y dirges (see the excellent "The Doom") and the Southern metal COC became synonymous with during Pepper's era. Opening track "Psychic Vampire" has the stupidest song title ever, but right away the punchy, natural production sound impresses, showcasing Reed Mullin, who proves he's still a monster behind the kit. "River of Stone" features tons of great riffs that wouldn't have been out of place on Deliverance, while closer "Time of Trials" delivers an interesting verse riff somewhere between funk and '80s post-punk. But the vocal delivery throughout (care of guitarist Woody Weatherman and bassist Mike Dean) is pretty weak, especially compared to Pepper's attention-commanding style, and that, combined with a somewhat jarring mix of fast punk, smothering, Sabbath-ian metal and good-ol'-boy Southern rock, just whets the appetite for the return of Pepper and the big rock.