Corrosion Of Conformity - Corrosion Of Conformity (2012)

After the unfinished tour in support of the fabulous "In The Arms Of God, until about late 2009, COC remained, in a state of unofficial hiatus, mostly due to Pepper's growing role in Down, and their heavy touring schedule. That has to be the main reason, tempting Woody and Mike to reform the original, hardcore-era's line-up around the same time. In the beginning, it was just a couple of gigs -- same as the temporary reform of the "Blind"-era -- but later it became more serious as Down transformed from just a sideproject to Philip's main band. And so now comes in 2012, seven years after the release of "In The Arms Of God", something which I must admit to be simply unbearable for every fan as it's been for me, a selftitled release featuring the same hardcore line-up, though the record itself is anything but punk rock. With Woody as the main composer, the sound of "Corrosion Of Conformity" drifts from"Wiseblood" to "Blind", and has a general tendency to delve below the metallic tempo of the two records, not to move in a southern rock direction, like "Albatross", but to explore the slow-motion, free rock of post-84 Black Flag, Saint Vitus.

Premonition 13 - 13 (2011)

You certainly know Wino. As a matter of fact, if that is not true, then my guess is you've come to the wrong place. Scott "Wino" Weinrich is the godfather of doom, period. After teasing just about everybody -- except maybe not the queen, and the fucktards in the Grammy -- with the release of the Shrinebuilder record, two years ago; Wino's been involved a new project, named Premonition 13. Their first release "13" is a 9-song journey running over 43 minutes. It's not quite as ominous as its title suggests, and it's a record with one foot in the rock, and the other, in the spirit; a kind of psychedelia bled in Wino's sonic realm only. As loose as it gets, the tunes wander, expand, and burn slowly, like fire from the skies. It's as though the "Punctuated Equilibrium" record is being re-imagined thru the spacier ground of "Divine Propaganda"; it's not free jazz but it sounds wild and melancholy enough. The future of the band is rather blurry, for the moment being, given the recording of the next Saint Vitus record has already begun, but who cares about the future? Let's simply (or not) delve into the past, observe the present, and come back to the present; thinking of the whole thing, as a premonition.