Reno, NV – My ears are STILL ringing from Corrosion of Conformity’s set at Cargo Hall in Reno, NV
Friday night! The band has joined forces and is currently on tour with Clutch. CoC is
also promoting their brand-new album, “Good God / Baad Man”, released on April 3rd of
this year.
It was a bit of a toss up for me as to which one of the bands I was most excited to see. I
suppose CoC took the lead though, as I am a bit more familiar with their discography.
As I gaze into the sold-out crowd, there are equal parts of merch from both bands
adorning concert goers.
Corrosion of Conformity hit the stage brazenly, like the road hardened veterans that
they are. Hitting the audience with the hard hitting, ‘Asleep on the Killing Floor’ off the
new album to kick off the show. As the first riffs of the second song (‘Migraine’) pulsed
through the air, it was apparent that CoC was taking no prisoners.
With Pepper Keenan’s graveled and brazen voice, Woody Weatherman’s flawless guitar
licks, Bobby Landgraf’s hard driving bass, and drummer Nick Shabatura banging the
hell out of the skins, Corrosion of Conformity was zero frills and absolutely no fluff. It
was ALL heavy hitting, hard rockin’ music, meant to melt faces off.
Corrosion of Conformity’s set solidified why they have enjoyed such longevity in the
Heavy Metal world. With a career spanning more than four decades, the band has a ton
of material to pull from for a show’s setlist. This particular set was full of fan favorites
(‘Vote With a Bullet’, ‘Who’s Got the Fire’, Albatross’), as well as four songs from the
new album.
Speaking of the new album, “Good God / Baad Man” is quickly becoming my favorite
CoC album. I highly recommend that you opt for the vinyl copies as this release is
intended to be consumed as a full body of work, versus just a few single releases. I also
feel that it’s a concept album of sorts, perhaps even two concepts, with each of the four
sides of the album making its own statement. While this may not be evident on first listen, give it a few more spins and I believe it will take hold. “Good God / Baad Man”
was released on Nuclear Blast on April 3 rd .
As for the show, CoC saved ‘Clean My Wounds’ for last. This, of course, was greeted
with thunderous applause and loud cheers from the sea of metal heads. Corrosion of
Conformity absolutely ROCKED!!! Honestly, if I were in Clutch, I would have been
hesitant to follow that performance.
The very first thing I noticed about the stage set-up for Clutch was the amount of real
estate there was. Gone were the typical gaggle of mic stands, except for one. Once the
band hit the stage it all made sense. Vocalist Neil Fallon used every square inch of the
remaining space on that stage. I don’t know how many times he traversed the stage, but
it was a lot. Making a point to engage with the audience whenever and wherever he
stopped.
The band kicked off their set appropriately with ‘The Mob Goes Wild’ off of 2004’s album
“Blast Tyrant”. They kept things rockin’ as they blasted into ‘Profits of Doom’ for their
second song of the evening.
The band consisting of Tim Sult (lead guitar), Dan Maines (bass), and Jean-Paul Gaster
were on fire! I don’t even think that Fallon stopped to take a breath until after the fourth
song (‘X- Ray Visions) to ask the audience not to fight. Saying, “we have a lot of kids
down here against the barrier. Let’s be sure they all leave her with memories instead of
bruises”.
Clutch kept up the momentum with heavy riffs and thought-provoking phrases for their
entire performance, much to the delight of everyone in attendance. Being the absolute
professionals that they are, they were sure to sprinkle in some newer material along
with the time-tested fan favorites.
It was a great night for live music! Other than just a couple shoving matches, we were
all able to ‘Suffer No Evil’
Do not altar
Copyright: Chris Couture Photography
