"Your Tomorrow (Parts 1 and 2)" (released by Southern Lord) is the first recorded output from the reunited three-piece "Animosity"-era lineup (Mike Dean, Woody Weatherman, and Reed Mullin) of Corrosion of Conformity (also being referred to as C.O.C. III). I honestly can't say the material has that raging hardcore/crossover sound of the "Animosity" days, but that doesn't mean it's not an excellent EP. In fact, this material actually fits in quite well with the general tone of the Southern Lord roster, and the vibe kind of reminds me of The Obsessed or something like that. There's an unexpectedly dark, rocked out core, but it does have the energetic thrust of hardcore/punk. The recording's nice and dry, too, so all of the elements feel like they're pulled in close and working together. Good stuff. I definitely expected something that would more literally revisit the sound of the band's early days, but I actually think this kind of atmosphere is more interesting. Hopefully they'll keep at it. Here's a quick snippet to give you a feel for what's going on here:

Corrosion of Conformity "Your Tomorrow (Part 1)" (excerpt)

It looks like this one's already sold out directly from the label, so pick one up from one of these other sources while you still can…

Purchase:

@ All That is Heavy (black vinyl)
@ All That is Heavy (colored vinyl)
@ Blue Collar Distro
@ CM Distro
@ Amazon.com (mp3)
@ iTunes (mp3)

Also from Southern Lord is the debut self-titled EP from Righteous Fool, a trio featuring Mike Dean and Reed Mullin from C.O.C. with Jason Browning. The material's not unlike some of C.O.C.'s post-"Blind" output in that it's basically heavy rock loaded with solid grooves that have plenty of those southern twists and turns. And since they're a trio you'll get to hear some great bass work going on behind the solos, which is always a nice touch. I really dig the overall energy of this stuff, and the songwriting's damn strong as well. I had been looking forward to hearing more from this band ever since I first came upon their MySpace page, and this 7" doesn't disappoint. I'm still hungry for more…

Righteous Fool "Edict of Worms" (excerpt)

This one appears to be sold out from the label now as well, so… same story. If you want a physical copy, take action while you still can!

Purchase:

@ All That is Heavy
@ Blue Collar Distro
@ CM Distro
@ Amazon.com (mp3)
@ iTunes (mp3)