Corrosion Of Conformity @ Petit Bain, Paris - May 10th, 2023

 

Corrosion Of Conformity's career has been paved with the typical hurdles of a working rock band: paying the dues in the underground scene, line-up changes, stylistic overhauls, sudden success, fall from grace,  addictions, death... Now somewhat stable since the return of guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan and the death of drummer Reed Mullin, the band is back to reap what they sowed all those years ago when they slowed down their approach and paved the way for all the Stoner Rock and Sludge Metal bands that are so successful theses days.

The band enters the stage one at a time. First, bassist Mike Dean who starts playing an evil, growling, feedback-laden riff. He is soon joined by drummer John Green and the song becomes clear: it's Bottom Feeder (El Que Come Abajo) from 1996' Wiseblood. Guitarists Woody Weatherman and Pepper Keenan enter the stage and the festivities can commence. The setlist is unsurprising, but relentless. Paranoid Opioid, Shake Like You, Senior Limpio and of course the "hits" Vote With A bullet, Albatross, and set closer Clean My Wounds... Unfuckwithable, as the kids say.

C.O.C.'s music is about as subtle as a cast of iron tumbling down a staircase. It smells of leather, sweat, skunked beer and locally grown weed. Whether they play a slow, doom, Sabbathian psychedelic stoner dirge or more uptempo shit, they remain absolutely crushing at all times. And after an intense 80-minute set, after the band is gone and on their way to plunder and pillage the next town, with the guitars still feeding back and echoing through everyone's eardrums, all is left to do for the audience is clean their wounds.

P.S.: Adverse shooting conditions and a malfunction on my preferred lens mean that the photos below are even shittier than usual... They'll just have to do, now won't they?