cspu's Full Review: In the Arms of God by Corrosion of Conformity
I'm a HUGE fan of Corrosion of Conformity, have been since the early 90's when I heard Blind for the first time. As such a fan, when I heard that COC had a new album (around 3pm the day after it came out) I was useless for the rest of the day. I couldn't wait to pick up In the Arms of God!
Impressions
I don't know what I was expecting/hoping for. Maybe I was subconciously hoping that I was going to get Deliverance or more of the southern rock sounding America's Volume Dealer. What I got was something completely different with a heavy blues inspired sound along with a lot of speed metal and grunge. In the Arms of God is a complex mix of different sounds and seque's. One minute you are thrashing and headbanging, the next you are grooving and shaking your head like Rudy on Fat Albert.
If I had to rate this album against all the other COC albums I own, it would be at least 4th in line. There are at least three of their older albums that I like better but In the Arms of God is definitely better than any of the the alternative or pop music that is flooding our airways now. Get this album, if you like heavy metal... real heavy metal, it's getting harder and harder to find quality stuff.
Songs
1. Stonebreaker -Starts off slowly with a "bluesey" sound and escalates into a full on thrash groove, great song... second best on the album.
2. Paranoid Opiod - I can live without this song, it's finally starting to grow on me but the chorus drives me nuts. It's got a punky thrash sound that skateboarders would love.
3. It is That Way - Here's a hint of that southern rock sound. It's a slower tempo that almost reminds you of the last COC album.
4. Dirty Hands Empty Pockets - Begins with a funky baseline and transisitons to a grungy jam for the chorus and them back to the funk.
5. Rise River Rise - Now here's something different, way slower and more acoustic than most other COC songs.
6. Never Turns to More - Good old hard rock jam, it's fast paced with the familiar COC grunge.
7. Infinite War - More fast past jamming but what makes this song unique is Mike Dean (bass) on lead vocals. While he's not the vocalis that Pepper Keenan is, he holds down the vocals very well.
8. So Much Left Behind - I don't know what to say about this song, it doesn't seem like it belongs on ANY COC album. It's slow moving and has very little of the characteristics of other COC songs.
9. Backslider - This song sounds like it's heavily influenced by 70's funk. Vocals sound like they are "enhanced" somehow, definitely a departure from the COC sound of the 90's.
10. World on Fire - I swear the music on this one sounds like something from Motley Crue with a twist of grunge added.
11. Crown of Thorns - No Music, useless waste if disc space, thankfully only a minute or so. Reminds me of 60's dope smokin' hippie poetry. YUCK!
12. In the Arms of God - Finally! After listening to the whole album and honestly wondering what to think I finally got the COC jam that I'd been hoping for. This is in your face COC like Mama used to hate. This song is wide open almost from the beginning.
Summary
I'd love to say this is a great album but in reality it's a good album with some a couple of great songs, a few mediocre songs and some down right crap (it pains me to say that). It's interesting that COC keeps reinvinting itself, the last couple of albums have been completely different than the one before it. I really liked the heavy southern turn they took on America's Volume Dealer and I was looking forward to maybe more of that. This album is interesting but it seems like an experiment, COC is trying to decide which direction to go. Well if I have any influence at all on their direction (doubtful) I say they need to shoot right for Deliverance, Wiseblood, and AVD because from 1995 - 2000 COC hit the nail on the head.
If you are a COC fan, get In the Arms of God if you've never heard of them then I suggest you start with one of the aforementioned offerings from the late 90's before you listen to this one so you'll not be confused.
I hate to say it but In the Arms of God is a full on 3 star album.... It is that way.
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