By Andrew Bansal
August 27th 2014, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: Raleigh NC heavy music luminaries Corrosion Of Conformity released their ninth studio album simply titled ‘IX’ earlier this year via Candlelight Records, an album that explores the reunited three-piece setup further from the 2012 self-titled comeback album and has resulted in a highly enjoyable set of tunes for all worshippers of the heavy. COC embarked on a short US West Coast run last week with support acts Bl’ast, Brant Bjork/Low Desert Punks and Lord Dying, and the touring party arrived in Los Angeles for a gig at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip. The lineup looked enticing on paper and carried the potential for an epic evening.
Doors opened at 7:30 and Portland OR riffmongers Lord Dying began the show at 8 PM, playing to an almost empty room, and even though the occupancy increased as their set progressed, nearly everybody decided to hang back near the bar and as far away from the stage as you could possibly get without exiting the venue. It’s probably an LA thing and it’s always sad to see. Nonetheless, nothing ever deters these dudes and sans any crowd support, they put on an exhibition of heavy goodness that was impossible to dislike. They had to cancel their San Diego appearance the previous night because of vehicle issues, but they made it to LA in perfectly fine shape and thankfully so for the select few that were in attendance during their set. They played a new tune or two, to be included on their next studio LP which is set to be unleashed in the winter via Relapse Records, and will undoubtedly bring nothing but bliss to any and every metal-starved ear.
Lord Dying links: facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp
Next up, Brant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk band took the stage at 8:45, and as I was covering two events last night including the gig at the Viper Room two blocks down the street I was only able to catch about half of Brant Bjork’s set, but certainly sufficient to form a valid opinion on the band’s performance. By now the place had filled out a little more and quite a few decided to step out of their hiding spots in the back and stand nearer to the stage to grasp the live music. This was a set of some very laid back stoner/desert rock, boasting of sweet clean tones on the slower songs and a bit more of an abrasive, fuzz-driven sound on the faster ones. Brant Bjork ripped it on the Gibson SG and delivered great mid-range clean vocals with an array of facial expressions that were entertaining to observe. Brant Bjork’s Low Desert Punks are definitely a great fit for this lineup, and ticket holders for the remaining shows of the tour, even those not familiar with this band’s music, are encouraged to go to the venues early enough to catch their set.
Low Desert Punks links: website | facebook | twitter | instagram
Ever since their rejuvenation in 2013, Santa Cruz CA hardcore punk veterans Bl’ast have been highly active in terms of playing shows, specially in the LA area where they’ve taken various stages in the last few months including the Scion Rock Fest, the Neurosis shows and their own headline gigs at places like the Echo. Aside from the music and the performance, one thing I’ve always noticed during Bl’ast sets is the sheer number of local musicians in the crowd. Bl’ast is the kind of band that garners the support of the LA scene, and the same was the case here as members of Fu Manchu, Obliterations and several other LA bands were seen enjoying themselves in the audience. The turnout at the Roxy was still light but it was more surprising to see the total lack of mosh on the dance floor, even for some of Bl’ast’s most seminal tunes that were played in the latter half of the set (which is the portion I caught). Regardless, vocalist Clifford Dinsmore, bassist Nick Oliveri and their band mates brought their A game and gave it their best, much to the delight of the old-schoolers present here.
Bl’ast links: website | facebook | twitter | instagram
And finally at 10:50, Corrosion Of Conformity hit the stage with a crushing avalanche of material from the two latest albums along with some older selections, and performance-wise, they were absolutely in the groove right from the get-go. The newer material sounded fantastic, and for me ‘Psychic Vampire’ off of the 2012 self-titled was the highlight of the set as the song captures multiple facets of the band’s musical repertoire, highlights the collective personality of this three-piece lineup, and comes across with great conviction in the live setting. The wild-eyed, crazy-haired Mike Dean was putting his best foot forth on both bass and vocals, and during the set I came to the realization that the best spot to experience the show from was to stand near his bass amp, to bask in its delightfully massive tone. Woody Weatherman was exemplary on guitar, and Reed Mullin, back with the band drumkit after a brief absence due to injury, was ferocious on the kit. The Roxy’s state-of-the-art sound quality further enabled COC to deliver the full extent of their live show.
I’m well aware that a large number of COC fans remain fixated on the four-piece version of the band that included Pepper Keenan, but surely I can’t be the only one that digs the three-piece setup just as much and thinks their new music and current live show is worthwhile. It was depressing to note the poor turnout here and the lack of support for COC, although it may have been due to the ticket price ($27, plus tax and fees if you ordered online) and the fact that it was a school night. But more than anything, the zero-energy environment maintained throughout by those that were in attendance was the most disappointing aspect of the set, and I was previously unaware that COC was the kind of band for which people could stand with arms folded. That aside, the COC performance met my personal expectations and delivered on all counts.
All in all, a great show with four excellent performances that deserved a much bigger audience.
Corrosion Of Conformity links: website | facebook | twitter
Remaining tour dates:
8/28/2014 DNA – San Francisco, CA
8/29/2014 Catalyst – Santa Cruz CA
8/30/2014 Dante’s – Portland, OR
8/31/2014 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
9/01/2014 The Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC
The Roxy links: website | facebook | twitter | instagram