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To my great astonishment, while browsing Debaser, I realized that no one had taken the trouble to review an album by Corrosion Of Conformity!
How can that be? There are reviews of Gatto Panceri and yet no one ever thought of this band, which is fundamental for the modern evolution of hard-heavy rock? Okay, the Corrosion were never front-page stars, but precisely because of this, working in the background, they have significantly contributed to the birth of not one but two musical subgenres!! In the '80s, they were among the first to give birth to the crossover movement between hardcore and metal, and in the early '90s, after a gradual change in style, they pointed the way to stoner by reviving the '70s atmosphere of the old Sabbaths. Formed in 1982 as a hardcore band, thanks to three albums with a metallic impact and social lyrics such as "Eye For An Eye" (1983), "Animosity" (1985), and "Technocracy" (1987), Corrosion is part of the group along with D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, Crumbsuckers, and SOD who dared to mix different genres, giving rise to the crossover current that would mark the '90s in heavy music.
But just when Crossover becomes public domain, Corrosion changes its skin. First with "Blind" from 1991, still tied to THRASH but which already shows '70s hard rock references, and then the complete transformation with this "Deliverance" in 1994. From this album, the singer and guitarist becomes Pepper Keenan, and his charisma significantly marks the band's progression. With Woody Weatherman on guitars, the eccentric Mike Dean on bass, and the talented drummer Reed Mullin (who left the band in the early 2000s), COC recorded their masterpiece. They enriched the heavy Thrash metal of the previous album with significant nods to the early '70s doom-Sabbath style, with Keenan echoing the old OZZY in some tracks (ALBATROSS and SEVEN DAYS). The album travels through songs with heavy blues riffs and '70s vibes like the opening HEAVEN'S NOT OVERFLOVING and BROKEN MAN to more lively and Southern rock episodes like CLEAN MY WOUNDS, which sticks in your head, SENOR LIMPIO to more hard-psychedelic episodes like SHAKE LIKE YOU or the concluding PEARLS BEFORE SWINE.
There's also a mention for the acoustic and almost country SHELTER and for the hypnotic title track DELIVERANCE sung by bassist Mike Dean, all interspersed with brief acoustic interludes (WITHOUT WINGS, MANO DE MONO, #2121313) as Tony IOMMI loved to do on old Black Sabbath vinyl records. In short, an album that opened the doors to the Stoner movement but which no one will ever recognize as such. An album that Metallica tried to emulate in vain with their "Load" and "Reload," not coincidentally COC was called to open the "Load" tour, an album that Zakk Wylde must have listened to exhaustively.
Corrosion Of Conformity later released "Wiseblood" in 1996, a step below this one, "America's Volume Dealer" from 2000, a lighter and more purely hard rock and southern album, and the recent "In The Arms Of God" (2005) returning to doomy heaviness. Note the importance of Pepper Keenan's presence in the DOWN project put together with Phil Anselmo and various members of Crowbar.
No need to recommend the album if you love heavy metal in all its forms.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
02 Albatross (05:20)
Well I'm feeling left behind
Lord what a waste of time
They're coming to get you
Run on
How can I respect your crime?
When all you criminals whine
They bought and sold you
Run on
Run on
Well you can call me crazy
You can call me wrong
Cause see I was born a liar
Albatross
Fly on
Fly on
My home is kind
Man, it pays to be blind
Well I promise to forget you
Run on
Yea
No swallowed pride
No conspiracy lined
Broken promise of virtue
Run on
Run on
Well you can call me lazy
But I know where I belong
Cause cause I was born a liar
Albatross
Fly on
With your trust in love
From your god above
Ooo I believe
The albatross is me
Well you can call me crazy
You can call me wrong
Cause cause I was born a liar
Albatross
Fly on
Fly on
I should have seen the signs
Now the memorys far behind
It was no big loss
Fly on albatross
Yea
Fly on x2
Albatross
Yea
Fly on x2
03 Clean My Wounds (03:32)
I see the world through bloodshot eyes
Streets filled with blood from distant lies.
The dogs of war never compromise,
No real time for rearranging.
"Help me Jesus, Help me clean my wounds"
He said he cannot heal that kind.
Bleeding soul becomes a bitter mind.
He said it happens every time...
Knock it down,
Knock it down,
That's how the story goes
In the Land of 1000 No's.
I'm all over you
In time my mind is changing.
Knock it down.
Black on black gives me a heart attack
And the silence makes it deadly.
Some choose to kill with simple will.
I've seen them fall fast and steady.
"Help me Jesus, Help me clean my wounds"
He said he cannot heal that kind.
Bleeding soul becomes a bitter mind.
He said it happens every time...
Knock it down,
Knock it down,
That's how the story goes
In the Land of 1000 No's.
I'm all over you
In time my mind is changing.
Twist of fate won't give me a break
And myself, I'm slow and tired.
I've got to rise with these bloodshot eyes
But I keep falling when I'm higher.
"Help me Jesus, Help me clean my wounds"
He said he cannot heal that kind.
Bleeding soul becomes a bitter mind.
He said it happens every time...
Knock it down,
Knock it down,
That's how the story goes
In the Land of 1000 No's.
We are bleeding sins but our sins
Are always fading...
Knock it Down,
Knock it Down.
06 Señor Limpio (03:53)
Sleeping on the wing
Busted flat and dusted boy your minds a terrible thing
Said the man with a dirty hand who claimed that he was king
Choking angels from inside trying to make them sing
C ause your short of breath and close to death from sleeping on
The wing
Dirty king, dirty king now your strapped in for
The ride- its so hard to be a fighter when
Your hands are always tied.
Mr. Innocent blood says he kills but just for love
Toobad the good ones always have to take the blame
"hey" sharp toungue liar making pay ina bed of fire
To bad your dreams are always made of losing games
Dirty king dirty king now your shrapped in for
The ride, its so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
But i want to i want to iwannt to but my hands were always tied up
But i want to i want to iwant to but my hands were alw ys tied
And i wish i had myself a dime for every time i cursed your
Goddamn name...
Mister clean
Sweatin on the line doin 40 wasting time
Aint it funny how dat money rots your brain
Put your soul on trial cause you lost it all to a tiny vial
Look in the mirror when you tell me whos insane
Dirty king dirty king now your strapped in for
The ride, it so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
But i want to but my hands are alays tied up
But i want to i wantto iwant to but my hands were always tied up
But i wish i had myself a dime for every time i cursed your
Goddamn name..
Mister clean
08 Seven Days (04:56)
Over time mistakes were few but I believe they're mine
Faded mind youth was old and the years were so unkind
I'm the one I face the change I know that stands before me
Believe in me cause I damn sure don't believe in you
I cannot deny myself my anger and pride
I cannot deny another lie
Waiting to find another spike right through my hand
Hope I'm killed before I die
Worlds divide, long ago the memorys still inside
Chances shine, seven days our fears become entwined
Seasons change our time is gone our souls have
grown much colder
Believe in me cause I damn sure don't believe in you
Never again are words that echo in my mind
Leaving still hold back the tide
Crucified with lies my blood turns in wine
Take a sip before I die
I cannot deny myself my anger and pride
I cannot deny another lie
Waiting to find another spike right through my hand
Hope I'm killed before I die
I cannot deny...
Before I...
10 My Grain (03:20)
Grace, pride, tell me what's your name
crippled will with tomorrow's pill
cause I feel no pain and I can't remember who's to blame...
this is not my home, this is not my home
but the source was always known
My grain
I beg, you steal, do you show me your signs of sin
blistered and torn by the pure and reborn
when they're just like us and remember man, they cave in...
this is not my home, this is not my home
but the source was always known
My grain
this is not my home, this is not my home
but the source was always known
My grain
war stone, do you write your name in trust?
word to the wise my instincts rise
all your heroes are gone and the proud ones have turned to dust, seven dust
you can kill my pride but my heads still flying
my grain
my grain
my grain
my.......
11 Deliverance (04:23)
is there no one to deliver you from your ignorance?
maybe you'll look and see there'll be no deliverance
turn to vulture parasites who prey on lost souls
suck the life from hapless fools who give them control
No, no deliverance
pick your own, your own deliverance
No, no deliverance
pick your own, your own deliverance
sad domination by those who say more than they'll ever know
take you to the depths of dogma hollow... it's them you follow
No, no deliverance
pick your own, your own deliverance
irredemption, pure deception, won't see what's if or you
shutter your world and it won't be shut out, the devistating truth
will your denial ever come to trial? it's devistating proof
denial on trial like a jumbo cap, vile brother are you through?
is there no one to deliver you from your ignorance?
maybe you'll look and see there'll be no deliverance
turn to vulture parasites who prey on lost souls
suck the life from hapless fools who give them control
sad domination by those who say more than they'll ever know
to the depths of dogma hollow... it's them you follow
breathing inside, breathing with pride they tow the line
we feed the crime with borrowed time select and find
no longer will they know, we amputate the shown
12 Shake Like You (04:19)
Give it up
Beginning of this world swelled with mankind
who built a tool to kill a fool and lead the blind
invent the rules to keep you down and call it sin
then stand behind the wall and watch the games begin
seperate by class and keep the middle low
instill the order with a border just for show
give them weapons and let them have their piece of mind
then tip them off so they can kill what's not their kind
Watch them shake like you
Watch them shake like you
Do it
if tales come true and judgment's due they'll call us liars
and put us in their hell and set our souls on fire
remember sin your only friend he brought you through
hallucinate with hate and watch them shake like you
Watch them shake like you
Watch them shake like you
Watch them shake like you and you
Watch them shake like you and you and you
Watch them shake like you
Watch them shake like you
13 Shelter (03:25)
Once in a while you
Be better listening to the fools for a change
I can see it in your eyes, it's the ones not like you
You despise
I'm no different than you, it's just that I do whatever I want to
That's what sets us apart I was free from the start, now your leaving
Tell me whose heart is bleeding
So, once in a while you'd
Be better listening to the fools for a change
What comes around follows and the truth becomes harder to swallow
So, bang, bang they shoot you down
No one says a word as your body hits the ground
Pick her up and put her down
The crowd screams aloud "she's not breathing"
And the only hands that reaches, is the one alone
You've been cheating my friend
Tell me whose heart is bleeding again
So, once in a while you'll
Be better listening to the fools for a change
Once in a while you'll
Be better listening to the fools...
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