The big problem is that too many songs, especially the shorter ones, come across as rushed and simply rely on recycled riffs or rhythms. That said, the guitar work is the focal instrument of the entire album, and very rarely does it let the bass or drums have room to breathe. Musically, there's nothing much to note given that you should know what to expect from a genre as simplistic and straightforward as hardcore punk. With songs as consistent and impressive as “L.S.” and “Coexist”, the sound doesn't seem too bad, but nearly every track which lasts just over a minute or less isn't even executed that well, instrumentally or vocally. This basically consists of one longer song followed by three or four considerably shorter tracks, and unfortunately this is where the album seems to fail the most. However, there is a pattern which the band stuck to for their first album in particular. Opener (Interestingly the longest song of the album too) “Tell me”, after a minute or so of slow, built up guitar rhythms, explodes into a multitude of fast, chaotic noises, and naturally sets the pace for the rest of the album to follow. That said, it's really the longer songs here that save the album from coming across as an absolute mess. One type, which utilizes better song-writing, tenser intros and longer durations, and the other, which merely consists of short, snappy numbers having more in common with Dead Kennedys than anything else. Although CoC had only recorded two albums which relied entirely on a well-balanced mix of hardcore punk and crossover thrash in the same vein as Suicidal Tendencies or Lawnmower Deth, the band came across as a confident group of youths who simply wanted to thrash out with a rebellious, mischievous attitude, just like their peers.Įssentially the band's debut, Eye for an eye, is made up of two types of songs. It is not a bad record if you are into the genre, but definitely not the Corrosion of Conformity their metal fan base is most appreciative of the one that has actually attained a certain amount of success in the music industry, doing metal, not punk.Review Summary: A humble beginning for Corrosion of Conformity, but one that essentially follows in the footsteps of the band's peers.Ĭorrosion of Conformity are better known for albums such as the career-defining Deliverance or more recent In the arms of God, but the band's musical output to begin with in the mid 80s was very different. Reissuing this album comes out as a rather controversial decision. In fact, while not necessarily good either, Dean’s vocals do sound better, which is particularly noticeable if one compares both versions of the title track, “Eye For An Eye”, but his singing performance can only be heard in the very brief extra tracks, which altogether last for less than 7 minutes, and by the way, recording and production for these songs seem more elaborate. With that said, Eycke’s singing is really not my cup of tea, and that is the aspect of this album I enjoy the least. Vocals are delivered with anger and intensity, but very little technique (if any). The bass does some interesting things, drawing away from the straight forward pattern of the guitars, but then again it also seems a bit sloppy from time to time. Most of the songs are quite fast with occasional break downs and several dually recorded solos (not always in tune, for better or worse). Production is very raw, which for all we know might be intentional. Aggressive and crude, with relatively decent riffing and some hints of thrash metal here and there that would become more prominent in Animosity. The music does not stand out much from the many hardcore bands that arose in the 80s. In 2012 the album was reissued with the addition of six tracks sung by their bassist Mike Dean (still old recordings, from an EP they released in 1989, appropriately titled Six Songs With Mike Singing), who would also be the singer for their second record, Animosity, while the original release songs portray Eric Eycke on vocals. The cover artwork, the name of the band, and even the number of tracks (originally 20) make quite apparent that the record dwells in the realms of hardcore punk, and in this case looks do not deceive, as its sound follows all the patterns one would expect from the genre. While the band is best known for its stoner/sludge metal style, their first effort was quite different. It was 1984 when Eye For An Eye, the debut by Corrosion of Conformity was released.
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