Bring the biscuits and the metal: CoC's southern doom is hellaciously good

There are times when southern, bluesy metal just feels right.  When this happens, I love putting on some CoC  -- Corrosion of Conformity is a band I actually got into after becoming a fan of Down, the New Orleans 'supergroup' which features CoC mainman Pepper Keenan on guitars.  Listening to CoC, especially to classic albums like Deliverance and their most recent effort, 2005's In the Arms of God, made me well aware that Keenan is a raw talent with plenty to offer even aside from the untouchable Down.

CoC isn't a band that metal fans will want to throw on for a taste of sheer brutality.  Sure, they're heavy, but with CoC there is always plenty of melody going on, and the band draws equal influence from Lynyrd Skynyrd as they do from Black Sabbath.  To quickly sum up what In the Arms of God offers, I will say that fans of "stoner" and "doom" rock/metal will appreciate it, given they have a tolerance for a very gritty, Southern, "countrified, bluesy" vibe mixed in with the heavy guitars.  And this album's two opening tracks really emphasize that.  "Stone Breaker" builds slowly but forcefully, clearing the way for muddy, sludgy, stomp-a-riffic guitar riffs and Keenan's HUGE vocal presence.  His half-sing, half-scream sensibility is charismatic and dominates In The Arms of God.  "Paranoid Opioid" is fast, dirty and fearless, slightly catchier than its predecessor, with Keenan rapidly spitting out lines like "Burnt by the spoon and now you're dying too soon!"

In the Arms of God never really gives the listener a rest.  One powerful song consistently succeeds the previous.  And though "It Is That Way," for instance, falls briefly into a bout of redundancy from a lyrical standpoint ("It is that way because it is" ad infinitum), it's not necessarily a weak link.  With a hint of sarcasm and bitterness, "Dirty Hands Empty Pockets (Already Gone)" alternates from light, steady rhythms and a unique, snarling Keenan vocal performance to an absolutely monstrous guitar riffing section, making it a caustic highlight.  "Rise River Rise" explores Keenan's range both as a guitarist and singer; the gentle but commanding guitar melodies remain constant throughout the song. 

Building on a bouncy guitar riff, "So Much Left Behind" is one of the most blatantly Southern, deep-fried songs on the album, which may make fans of CoC's most metallic tendencies squirm a bit.  Still, Keenan's New Orleans twang  and "hoo, hoo"s add something special when paired with lyrics about an apparent failed relationship.  And, dip your classic Black Sabbath album of choice into the nearest pot of gravy and you have the eerie, unsettled "Southern Doom" feel of "Crown of Thorns,"  which provides a temporary acoustic segue into "In the Arms of God," a wildly epic, appropriate closer which serves up Keenan's most ferocious vocal performance on the entire album, bar none.  A flurry of maddening drums intersect with sharp, downtuned six-string insanity to provide the backdrop for the frontman's seething yowls.  This is the essence of CoC at their most punishing and I can't help but love it.

In the Arms of God is an interesting album all the way through, always self-examining and no-nonsense from a lyrical standpoint and abandoning any form of fluff instrumentally.  I would call it my favorite CoC album and recommend it highly to those who embrace the idea of classic heavy metal influence mixed with a generous heap of Southern feeling and straightforwardness.

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