CORROSION OF CONFORMITY: Wiseblood

Produced by John Custer

Released: 1996

Corrosion of Conformity's previous album Deliverance showed that the band's journey from hardcore band to sludge metal overlords was complete. With Wiseblood they tweaked a few things and created their masterpiece, even managing to rope James Hetfield in on the fun.

Deliverance may have scored the band some US chart action and elevated their status somewhat, but while it had plenty of moments there weren't nearly enough memorable songs and it was obvious COC was still trying to perfect its Southern rock/sludge thrash crossover. Where they had failed there, on Wiseblood they nail everything perfectly. "King of the Rotten" gets things underway with a scorching riff and Keenan's snarling vocals and mid-way through the running order is a knock-out trio headed up by "BOrn Again for the Last Time", leading into the pure gem that is "Drowning in a Daydream" and following through with "The Snake Has No Head".

There isn't really any filler on here, just one killer cut after the next as COC veers effortlessly from Southern-style sludge to doomified rock to ultimate bottom-feeding drone (titled, erm, "Bottom Feeder", no less!) while delivering nothing less than an thoroughly enjoyable and consistent album. Keenan and Woody Weatherman fire off some truly tasty riffage with Mike Dean's huge bass sound rumbling along underneath. The debt paid to Black Sabbath here is both obvious and enormous, but that could be said about lots of bands, and Corrosion of Conformity adds a well-honed groove to it that Pantera would not only envy but admire. Another admirer was Hetfield, who chimes in with some backing vocals on "Man or Ash", marking one of few musical contributions outside of Metallica.

Put simply, Wiseblood is just musical dynamite, a fantastic album from a band at the very top of their game and one that should find a home amongst the collection of any devoted listener of quality heavy music.

1. King of the Rotten


2. Long Whip/Big America


3. Wiseblood


4. Goodbye Windows


5. Born Again for the Last Time


6. Drowing in a Daydream


7. The Snake Has No Head


8. The Door


9. Man or Ash


10. Redemption City


11. Wishbone (SomeTomorrow)


12. Fuel


13. Bottom Feeder

Rating: 92%