It gets said every few years that rock is dead, and that might seem true if you’re looking at Billboard charts or letting the algorithms dictate your playlists. But the reality is that it is very much alive and thriving. Case in point: American heavy rock/metal stalwarts Corrosion of Conformity have just released a new record, and have begun touring in support of it. And if you’re tuned into what’s going on, you’d know many of these shows have three killer bands all flying the flag for heavy music. I headed to Outset on May 14 to catch the Chicago stop, which featured support from Crobot and Whores.
Crobot
Pennsylvanian four-piece Crobot led the charge with their laid back blend of melodic blues rock and soulful crooning. These guys checked all the boxes for fans of fun, down-to-earth rock and they were having a blast on stage. They got the crowd thoroughly energized and vocalist Brandon Yeagley was quite animated as they tore through their set. I can see them getting tagged with the “stoner rock” label, but they have a broader style than just that. Definitely a band to keep your eyes and ears on!
Whores.
Atlanta’s WHORES. was up next, blasting forth with their brand of up-tempo noise rock. They excel at crafting extremely catchy and anthemic songs built around abrasive, sludgy riffs. Guitarist Christian Lembach’s lyrics are as apt as ever, skewering the fake, the vain, and much of modern life’s bullshit. They’re in their element live and this show was no departure from that. They brought an explosive and cathartic show to Outset.
Corrosion of Conformity
Headlining the evening was the venerable COC, a band whose existence spans decades. They came in hot to a packed house, belting out Asleep on the Killing Floor off their new record, Good God / Baad Man, which has been met with widespread acclaim. The band’s had a couple lineup changes in recent years – the addition of bassist Bobby Landgraf and drummer Nick Shabatura – but you wouldn’t know it from how well they all play together. They’re a well-oiled machine on stage, and they ripped through a variety of songs from the new record as well as classics from Blind, Deliverance, Wiseblood, In the Arms of God, and America’s Volume Dealer. And, of course, we got the crowd favorites to close the show, Albatross and Clean My Wounds. COC heads to Europe in June and returns to the western U.S. in July. Check out some photos from the show below!
