Corrosion of Conformity History

The Hardcore Years

1982

Formation in Raleigh, NC

Guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean, and drummer Reed Mullin form Corrosion of Conformity as teenagers in Raleigh, North Carolina. Originally called "The Accused" and then briefly "Barney Fife's Army," they settle on Corrosion of Conformity and play their first shows on the Carolina punk circuit alongside Hüsker Dü, Dead Kennedys, and Agnostic Front. Vocalist Eric Eycke soon joins the fold.

Origin

1984

Eye for an Eye

COC's debut full-length arrives as a 20-track blast of hardcore punk fury, released on the band's own No Core label. Raw, fast, and politically charged, it establishes COC as one of the South's most important punk bands.

Album

1985

Animosity

Released on Metal Blade's Death Records imprint, Animosity pushes COC into crossover thrash territory. With Eycke gone, Dean and Mullin split vocal duties. The album features iconic artwork by Pushead and is now considered a landmark in the crossover genre. Tours with D.R.I. follow.

Album

1987

Technocracy & the First Breakup

With new vocalist Simon Bob Sinister, COC releases the Technocracy EP to fulfil their Metal Blade contract. Frustrated with the label, Mike Dean quits. Simon Bob leaves to rejoin Ugly Americans. The band goes dormant for nearly two years.

EP

The Metal Evolution

1989

Rebirth & Pepper Keenan Joins

Weatherman and Mullin reform COC and post a classified ad in Flipside seeking a vocalist in the vein of "James Hetfield or Ozzy Osbourne." Karl Agell is recruited as vocalist, Phil Swisher on bass, and a young guitarist from New Orleans named Pepper Keenan joins as second guitar — originally auditioning to sing. The band's sound shifts dramatically toward heavy metal.

New Lineup

1991

Blind

The breakthrough. Blind cracks the Billboard Heatseekers chart at No. 24, sells over 200,000 copies, and lands "Vote with a Bullet" on MTV. Entertainment Weekly awards it an "A" grade. COC tours with Tool, Clutch, and Cannibal Corpse.

Album

The Classic Lineup

1993

Lineup Shifts & Columbia Records

Karl Agell is fired and Phil Swisher departs. Mike Dean returns, and Pepper Keenan takes over as full-time vocalist — forming the lineup fans consider "classic COC": Keenan, Weatherman, Dean, and Mullin. Columbia Records signs the band.

Classic Lineup Forms

1994

Deliverance

The album that defines COC. Produced by John Custer, Deliverance is a Sabbath-soaked Southern metal masterpiece featuring "Clean My Wounds" and "Albatross." Peaks at No. 155 on the Billboard 200. COC tours the world, including dates with Metallica. Keenan also records with the supergroup DOWN alongside Phil Anselmo.

Album

1996

Wiseblood

Wiseblood reaches No. 104 on the Billboard 200 — COC's highest chart position at the time. James Hetfield guests on "Man or Ash." "Drowning in a Daydream" gets heavy video rotation. The band is at their commercial peak.

Album

2000

America's Volume Dealer

COC returns with Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule) guesting on "Stare Too Long." The album tops the Heatseekers chart at No. 1 and debuts at No. 108 on the Billboard 200 — without a single radio hit. Tours with Motörhead and Disturbed follow.

Album

2005

In the Arms of God

Widely considered one of COC's finest, In the Arms of God pushes their Southern doom to new heights. A European tour is cancelled when Hurricane Katrina devastates Keenan's adopted home of New Orleans. A co-headlining UK tour with Clutch follows in early 2006.

Album

2006

Hiatus

COC goes on an extended hiatus as Pepper Keenan focuses full-time on DOWN. The band would not reconvene for four years.

Hiatus

Return & Reunion

2010

COC Returns as a Trio

Weatherman, Dean, and Mullin revive COC as a three-piece without Keenan, returning to their aggressive roots.

Trio Reunion

2012

Corrosion of Conformity (Self-Titled)

Released on Candlelight Records, the self-titled album showcases the raw power of the trio. Lean, mean, and heavy. The Megalodon EP follows later that year.

Album

2014

IX

The trio's second album continues the aggressive streak. Behind the scenes, conversations begin about a reunion with Pepper Keenan.

Album

2015

Pepper Keenan Returns

"Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalled. "I said, let's just go to Europe and see if it works. So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year." The classic lineup is back for the first time since 2006.

Classic Reunion

2018

No Cross No Crown

Produced by John Custer, released on Nuclear Blast. Debuts at No. 67 on the Billboard 200, No. 3 on Top Hard Music — the highest-charting album of COC's career. The first studio album with Keenan in over a decade.

Album

Loss & New Chapter

2020

Reed Mullin — 1966–2020

On January 27, 2020, founding drummer Reed Mullin passes away at the age of 53. A co-founder who helped build COC from a teenage punk band into a metal institution, Reed's thunderous drumming and spirit defined the band's sound for nearly four decades. Fly on, Reed.

In Memoriam

2024

Mike Dean Departs & New Blood

In September, founding bassist Mike Dean departs on good terms, citing difficulties coping after Reed's death. Former DOWN guitarist Bobby Landgraf steps in on bass. Pepper and Woody hunker down at Keenan's "Blak Shak" studio in Mississippi to write what would become their most ambitious record yet, bringing in Stanton Moore (Galactic) — who previously drummed on In the Arms of God — to lay down the drum tracks.

New Lineup

2026

Good God | Baad Man

After eight years of silence, COC returns with a monumental double album — dubbed "Dark Side of the Doom" by Grammy-winning producer Warren Riker. Two distinct sonic worlds: the aggressive, pissed-off energy of Good God and the deep Southern-rock groove of Baad Man. Lead single "Gimme Some Moore" features guest spots from Al Jourgensen (Ministry) and Monte Pittman. Recorded at Blak Shak Studios in Mississippi, Dockside Studios in Louisiana, and Barry Gibb's private studio in Miami. Released April 3, 2026 via Nuclear Blast. "With a lot of these songs, we're trying to make Reed Mullin proud," Pepper said. "He was a badass, and a one-of-a-kind drummer. And the stakes were high."

Nick Shabatura Joins · On Tour Now

2026 World Tour

With the plan always being for Stanton Moore to record the album and a new drummer to handle touring, COC welcomes Nick Shabatura behind the kit — on the recommendation of Charlie Benante (Anthrax/Pantera). Moore gave his full blessing: "He showed up having completely done his homework and already sounds great playing with the band." COC launches their biggest year in decades: the Suffer No Evil Tour co-headlining with Clutch (with JD Pinkus), headline dates across North America with Whores and Crobot, and festival appearances at Sick New World, Download, Hellfest, Graspop, Wacken, Aftershock, and more. After 44 years, the riffs keep coming.

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New Album New Drummer 44 Years

HISTORY

Four Decades of Riffs