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Live Volume
Corrosion Of Conformity
Sanctuary Records, 2001
REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 11/23/2001
Ah, the live album... and the question that will start morefistfights than one can imagine: Is a live album meant to be areward for long-time fans or something to get new listeners intothe fray?
In the case of Corrosion Of Conformity, the argument could bemade for both sides when it comes to their latest release Live Volume. Undoubtedly, there are performances on thisdisc that will make new listeners want to learn more about PepperKeenan and crew. Yet there is enough of an air about this disc thatsuggests first-time listeners to COC will be left a little out inthe cold, while the long-time fans will revel in the glory of these15 songs.
Sounds like a lot of double-talk, you might be thinking. Maybeso. But how does one explain how tracks like "Vote With A Bullet,""King Of The Rotten" and "Congratulations Song" all have an air offamiliarity to them, even if you've never heard Corrosion OfConformity play before? On the opposite side, how can a first-timelistener get into songs like "My Grain" and "Clean My Wounds," bothof which may seem, to the untrained ear, to stretch out far toolong? (The "trained ear," in this case, is the diehard COCfan.)
Live Volume is indeed a paradox, though for the most partit's a very enjoyable one. Keenan and crew dare to suggest they'reone of the best-kept secrets in the hardcore scene, and they maywell be ready for discovery by the masses without going"mainstream" a la Metallica. Listen to tracks such as "DiabloBlvd." and "Senor Limpio" and try to figure out why these guyshaven't become a bigger name like so many bands in metal's heydaydid. (Okay, never mind the fact that metal is still notexperiencing the rebirth in popularity I've been predicting for thelast four years. Fact is, COC still should have been more of a recognizable name, as Live Volume dares to suggest.)
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