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Rating: Pepper Keenan, Woodroe Weatherman, Mike Dean, and Reed Mullin.
With a strong dose of personal reverence, today I open my new review by citing the names of what I consider the absolute best lineup the Corrosion of Conformity have fielded in their long career.
An experienced and reliable quartet capable in previous years of delivering two undisputed masterpieces of harsh and furious Hard-Rock-Blues-Stoner; I'm referring to Wiseblood from 1996 and Deliverance released two years earlier. With this America's Volume Dealer they open the new millennium and we're very close to another successful album, just powerful enough but with some novelties that initially quite puzzled me.
Pepper is fresh from the Sludge-Southern Rock experience he built with Down and wants to take Corrosion back to the roots of delta Blues, around New Orleans. The references head towards Southern bands like the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd; with due caution because when they remember they were once a Hardcore band, they can still push and cause damage. Here's the explanation for my initial "disorientation" with an album less immediate than its predecessors; it requires a few more listens to be fully appreciated. Which I eventually did within a few weeks of its release, fall 2000.
They lock themselves in a recording studio and come out after only 28 days with 13 songs; the cover wants to be a tangible sign of change, the risk the band is willing to take. Those spirals, those almost visually disturbing circles seem to say "don’t worry about the album's winding and varied path. Because deep down we are still the COC."
The powerful and explosive "Over Me" and "Congratulations Song" (100% Corrosion of Conformity tracks) are chosen to open the new collection. Compactness, physicality, controlled rage: all ingredients that recall their very recent past. An unexpected slide guitar opens the marvelous "Stare Too Long" which represents the most changeable and at the same time successful novelty. Pepper has never been so serene and sunny in his singing; and the other members can only adapt, following him step by step on an excursion into Folk-Country. Unusual for them but very successful. The same can be said for "13 Angels" with its over six minutes of nocturnal Hard-Blues that rises in tone, elevates in its temporal progression to a finale where finally the two electric guitars become the undisputed protagonists.
The two and a half minutes of "Gittin' It On" give us the most vicious and devastating Corrosion; but my personal peak is reached with the Stoner-Rock gusts of "Take What You Want" which concludes with an immensely powerful solo that gradually lowers in volume, fades out. Deadly!!!!
Great Corrosion of Conformity...ZIPPO...
Ad Maiora.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Congratulations Song (03:20)
Standin' on the ceiling, it's alright
Suspended by the dreams you seem to lose
You've been floatin' for a while, a while, can't hold on
Standin' on the ceiling, it's alright, it's alright
Somebody is tryin' to get the best of me
Congratulations song
So now your'te flying like you wanna be
Right where you belong
Starin' at the wall like it's window,don't know
Blinded by the dreams you seem to lose.
You've been starin' for a while, knock it down
Starin' at the wall, you don't know, don't know...
Somebody is tryin' to get the best of me
Congratulations song
So now you're flying like you wanna be
Right where you belong
Runnin' from the sun again, it's alright, alright
Runnin' from the dreams you seem to lose
You've been runnin' for a while, a while...
You can't slow down...
Runnin' from the sun again, it's all right, all right Somebody is
tryin' to get the best of me
Congratulations song
So now you're flying like you wanna be.....
03 Stare Too Long (04:56)
Oh lord I must be crazy, Settled down and I find nothing new..
Older days, they used to matter but I don't care
Cause I got nothin' to lose
And if I stare too long, I might not see you right
Over time, the heart goes out of sight
And if I stare too long, I might not see you right
Close the door. Where the heart is out of sight
Many a dreams across the river
But it's too strong for a boy like me, yeah....
Now you're gone but I still remember
Better days as they wash into the sea
And if I stare too long, I might not see you right
Over time, the heart goes out of sight
And if I stare too long, I might not see you right
Close the door. Where the heart is out of sight
I've got the time but I got no reason
I'm broken down, waiting patiently
Now the sun don't shine for me and that's a different season
but she comes around one more time for me...
And if I stare too long, I think I might go blind
Over time the heart goes out of sight
And if I live too long, I might not treat you right
Close the door....Now you're shining way too bright...
Shine on......
04 Diablo Blvd. (03:28)
Some wonder, some filter, some trip to pass the time
Just ask him and he'll tell you nothing better then a desparate mind
I'm in love with a widow soon to be,
I don't think I can fight it
Anthems broke and I'm spinning 'round again,
Stayin' dizzy 'cause I like it
You can have it if you want it,
just remember it's a lonely ride
Ain't that hard to fight
Kickin' hard time, they split you to the bone. Kickin' hard time, risin'
Home is your destination, do you think you can find it
Feelin' green once again, downtown you go, the arrows rising
You can have it if you want it,
just remember it's a lonely ride
Ain't that hard to fight
Kickin' hard time, they split you to the bone. Kickin' hard time, risin'
Some wonder, some filter, some trip to pass the time
Just ask him and he will tell you there is nothing better then a deperate mind
Diablo, talk to me, tell me what's on your mind
I can't boy, cuz I'll ramble, we don't need no war inside
Kickin' hard time, kickin' hard time, risin'
Once so magnetic but you do it so poetic
And you lay it on the line and singin' kickin' hard time, it ain't that
hard to find
Kickin' hard time, they split you to the bone. Kickin' hard time, risin'
05 Doublewide (04:15)
New, the sky is clear, you reappear
And I lost my way a million to one
and you come around when the day is done
And I wonder which one knows ?
And I wonder which one goes ?
I'm doublewide.. I'm doublewide
And I don't have a reason, something's gone wrong
And I still don't remember, I been here too long
Gonna lose my way behind the sun
Then I'll come around when the day is done
And I wonder which one knows ?
And I wonder which one goes ?
I'm doublewide.. I'm doublewide
Over time, on judgement day, overdrawn passion play
If I die before I wake, I think I got an even break
I'm doublewide....
06 Zippo (04:28)
Amplified on fire, strapped to take you higher
Queens appear, strapped you made it clear
Is everybody with me, is everybody cool
Is anybody lazy, am I the only fool ?
Hell yeah maybe you a rock n roller
Hey, hey maybe I should of been colder
Ditch that wish and sell your soul
Is everybody with me is everybody cool
Is anybody lazy am I the only fool ?
That's what makes it so damn hard to find her
I was down beat crazy, lumps to make it hazy
Ride on fear, wings they disappear
Is everybody with me, is everybody cool
Is anybody lazy, am I the only fool ?
Hell yeah maybe you a rock n roller
Hey hey maybe I should of been colder
Ditch that wish and sell your soul
I was down town freaky, strapped you made it tricky
Heads go under, sho nuff gonna roll you over
Is everybody with me is everybody cool
Is anybody lazy am I the only fool ?
Hell yeah maybe you a rock n roller
Hey, hey maybe I should of been colder
Ditch that wish and sell your soul
Ditch that wish and sell your soul
Life that touch and make your body rock, ah
Make yo body rock, ah...Make yo body rock, ah...
07 Who's Got the Fire (03:17)
Oh say man, are you still alive, cause I heard your ship was sinking
Back in town, but there's nothin' around, man, I know the feeling'
I'm talkin' bout it
Who's got the fi-yah?
Who's got the fi-yah?
Who's got the fi-yah?
Leave it for the love, and try to call me a liar.
Hey you. Mr. Highball, too young to walk, to old to crawl
Quittin' time, but is your soul better, never mind, never mind
Quit talkin' bout it
Who's got the fi-yah?
Who's got the fi-yah?
Who's got the fi-yah?
Leave it for the love, put me out
To' up, from the Flo' up, I say Stop...wait a minute now Ho' up
Heat come around to hunt you down
I know you know the feelin'
I'm talkin' bout it
Who's got the fi-yah?
Who's got the fi-yah?
Who's got the fi-yah?
Leave it for the love, put me out
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