Corrosion of Conformity – IX

Nix It

When Corrosion of Conformity returned in 2012 with a classic but refreshed lineup and a new self-titled LP, the result was akin to a history of the band itself, touching on their hardcore past, southern-rock middle and other doom-metal stylings they’ve shown, but the end result was cohesive and well-done. With their latest, IX, Mike Dean & Co. take the same approach, but with different results. The ambitious and random mix is similar, but the end result is something disorganized and disjointed.

Opening track, “Brand New Sleep,” is an example of this issue. The problem isn’t that it starts off with a lot of noise or that the rhythms don’t seem to be going anywhere; it’s that all this happens at once with no direction, inviting boredom. And when the vocals come in and the music finds its groove, the song sounds more like a band trying to imitate its influences rather than one whose career has spanned three decades and is responsible for pioneering some of what makes American hardcore so raw and rewarding.

By “Denmark Vessey,” we get away from the noise and towards the high-energy rock we were waiting for. This is where the passion lies, where CoC’s strength lies. Next track, “The Nectar,” continues along this path, and thankfully so, but then the haunting and calm “Interlude” settles the listener back down in preparation for more mediocre hard rock. “Trusker” features a riff right out of The Sword’s catalog. Not that that’s bad; it’s just not original and not the best that CoC can do. “The Hanged Man” is almost unbearably slow considering how at-home the trio sounds when they let ‘er rip.

IX ends with the teaser, “The Nectar Reprised,” which, unfortunately, does not mean the album closes with a welcome thrash. Instead, it’s a slow burner, fading out mid-verse, interrupting itself as if it just stopped listening. You will, too, if you get that far.