Good God, Baad Man, Great Record! CoC Drop Their Most Ambitious Work Yet
- jaybroderick
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
By: Jay Broderick - While Raleigh, North Carolina's Corrosion of Conformity released their first album Eye for an Eye 42 years ago in 1984, I didn't become completely familiar with the band until their 1991 album Blind hit the airwaves. Yes, it was a little more accessible than the 2 previous records, but I personally love Blind and have been a fan of the band since I first heard it.
Sadly, in 2020, Corrosion of Conformity lost their drummer Reed Mullin. Despite their promise to keep on pushing forward to honour their fallen brother, Covid-19 hit, and bassist Mike Dean decided it was time for him to leave the band. Still, the remaining 2 members, vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan, and guitarist Woody Weatherman, got to work, and wrote a shitload of new music. “As we went on, we had such a crazy plethora of songs, it was almost like two different directions,” Pepper says. “We knew we had to split it into two different albums. Then we came up with this concept.”
Corrosion of Conformity’s newest offering arrives April 3, 2026, as the double‑barreled Good God / Baad Man, their 11th studio album and easily one of their most stylistically adventurous releases to date. “With a lot of these songs, we’re trying to make Reed Mullin proud,” Pepper says. “He was a badass, and a one-of-a-kind drummer. And the stakes were high.”
GOOD GOD
“Good God Final Dawn” opens the record with a gentle, melodic introduction that lends itself to anticipation as the beat kicks in 25 seconds later. Once the groove locks, the track unfurls into a mid‑tempo, fists‑in‑the‑air anthem that makes it not only a perfect album opener, but is tailor‑made for the opening moments of their upcoming tour, which kicks off on April 7 in Atlanta, GA. The narrative spoken‑word section halfway through adds a dramatic tension that sets the tone for the album’s first act.
The momentum carries into “You or Me,” the latest single, but things really ignite with track three, “Gimme Some More.” This is the first real detonation point of the record, a thrash‑leaning, up‑tempo ripper that channels the band’s classic aggression. The riffs are tight and sharp enough to cut steel, and Pepper Keenan’s vocals snarl with that signature Southern grit. The lead breaks here are frantic, injecting bursts of speed that push the track into full burner territory. It’s one of the clear standouts of the first disc.
“The Handler” shifts into a darker, more brooding register. Slower BPM, thicker low‑end, and a sludgier guitar tone that feels like a nod to their Deliverance era. It’s followed by the instrumental “Bedouin’s Hand,” a desert‑drifting, modal piece built. I’m not usually big on instrumentals, but this one paints a vivid picture of a lone rider crossing endless dunes.
“Run For Your Life” is where the band leans fully into their doom instincts. The track has a slow-burning, heavy undercurrent. Its harmonized guitar lines give off unmistakable Iron Maiden energy, but filtered through CoC’s swampy heaviness. Pepper’s vocal performance is massive! Raw, emotional, and commanding. At over nine minutes, the song never drags; instead, it evolves, layering riffs, counter‑melodies, and soaring solos into something genuinely epic. It’s the crown jewel of disc one.
BAAD MAN
Record two kicks off with the title track “Baad Man,” which immediately shifts the sonic palette. A soulful, syncopated intro leads into a groove‑metal stomp that feels part Rob Zombie, part Southern outlaw rock. The swung rhythm, the swagger, the grit... it’s infectious. You can’t help but nod along.
“Lose Yourself” keeps the groove alive, and then we hit the album’s second instrumental, “Mandra Sonos.” At just over a minute, it’s a quick interlude built on an Eastern‑tinged motif with a second-half thick, Geezer‑Butler‑worthy bass line. It serves as a perfect runway into “Asleep on the Killing Floor,” where the tempo kicks up and the band unleashes one of the album’s most explosive grooves. The Zombie‑esque vocal cadence works surprisingly well here, and the chorus is pure fire. Live, this track will either ignite the pit or leave the crowd stunned in awe.
The stylistic shifts across this record are bold, but none more so than “Handcuff County,” a swaggering Southern rock banger with a narrative vocal delivery that feels like Pepper telling stories from the back of a dusty dive bar. The guitars do as much storytelling as the lyrics... slide‑inflected licks, bluesy bends, and a rhythm section that swings like a jailhouse door.
“Swallowing the Anchor” and “Brickman” begin the final descent before “Forever Amplified” closes the album with a triumphant, highway‑ready rocker. The track layers in a soulful R&B female vocal that lifts the chorus into something unexpectedly emotional: “We’re forever amplified.” It’s a gorgeous touch, and it leaves you wanting the whole journey to start again.
Good God / Baad Man is a sprawling, textured, genre‑bending double album that never loses momentum. It’s packed with tonal shifts, rhythmic surprises, and some of the most inspired songwriting the band has delivered in years. After five decades, Corrosion of Conformity proves once again why they remain one of heavy music’s most enduring and adaptable forces.
Reed Mullin is definitely smiling down on his brothers!
Corrosion of Conformity's tour rides through Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre on May 5.
Corrosion of Conformity Online
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