Review: Corrosion of Conformity, "In the Arms of God"

It's been a long trip for Corrosion of Conformity from hardcore heroes in the mid-to-late 1980s to the premier purveyors of Southern sludge rock today.

Their latest album opens with a blast of Jimi Hendrix-style fuzz on the first single "Stone Breaker." That sets the tone for the rest of the album, which draws heavily on influences like Hendrix, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, but puts a Southern spin on them.

The most interesting track on the album is the jazzy groove of "Dirty Hands, Empty Pockets/Already Gone." It's a little jarring among the other grungy tunes on the album, but also makes for one of the best moments.

"In the Arms of God" takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride from the anger of "Paranoid Opioid" and "War," which channel the band's hardcore roots, to the hopeful and optimistic acoustic number "Rise River Rise."

It's been five years since CoC unleashed an album on the world, but this album was worth the wait. It features the best of both sounds of the band and should please new and long-time fans alike.

Get "In the Arms of God."