Here we are in early 2018, and we now have, alongside the latest from Weedpecker, one of the highlights of the still infant new year, the latest from Corrosion of Conformity, No Cross No Crown. Now, these guys have been around for over 35 years, and are no secret to hard rock, metal, hardcore, stoner, and punk fans worldwide, as their music has woven parts of these genres since their inception. The current incarnation of CoC consists of:
Pepper Keenan -vocals, guitar
Woody Weatherman – guitar
Mike Dean – bass, vocals
Reed Mullin – drums, vocals
As many of you are probably aware, No Cross No Crown marks the first time in twelve years that Keenan has recorded an album with CoC, as after a lengthy spell with Down the guitarists/vocalist has decided to come home to the North Carolina act that he has spent so much of his career with. As good as 2014's IX was, the presence of Keenan was sorely missing, so it's great to hear him back with the band here on No Cross No Crown. Bulldozing tracks like "Wold Named Crow", "The Luddite", and "Cast the First Stone" carry all the trademark CoC elements we've come to love over the years, the beefy Black Sabbath styled guitar riffs, Keenan's growly, Southern Rock tinged vocals, and those thundering rhythms...stoner rock the way it was meant to be played. "Little Man" is like Lynyrd Skynyrd on steroids, and the lengthy "Nothing Left to Say" combines bluesy Southern Rock, doom, and psychedelia for an atmospheric and quite heavy ride, the lead guitars scorching and riffs crushing. Weatherman & Keenan's riffs are saturated in phase on the lumbering "Old Disaster", and the raucous "E.L.M." is like a cross between Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath, as the twin lead guitars duel and the riffs bash you senseless. After the moody title track (which reminds, in a weird way, of Sabbath's "Planet Caravan") comes the monstrous "A Quest To Believe (A Call To The Void)", a slow, ponderous slab of psychedelic doom, the guitars chock full of fuzz and Keenan's vocal delivery spot on. The real killer however is a brutal take on the early Queen classic "Son and Daughter", as they take this heavy gem and completely stoner-ize it with fuzz laden guitar & bass riffs...so much fun.
You might think that 15 songs is pretty hefty, but No Cross No Crown contains four little instrumental interludes, so the meat of the album is the remaining 11 tracks, and they are all just kick ass songs. 2018 has just begun, but Corrosion of Conformity have made their statement and released what is sure to be one of the albums to beat here in the new year. Heavy stuff!!!!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1. Novus Deus 01:29
2. The Luddite 04:39
3. Cast The First Stone 03:43
4. No Cross 01:19
5. Wolf Named Crow 05:12
6. Little Man 04:31
7. Matre's Diem 01:27
8. Forgive Me 04:07
9. Nothing Left To Say 06:22
10. Sacred Isolation 01:22
11. Old Disaster 04:44
12. E.L.M. 04:02
13. No Cross No Crown 03:55
14. A Quest To Believe (A Call To The Void) 06:02
15. Son And Daughter 04:53
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