01. Good God? / Final Dawn
02. You Or Me
03. Gimme Some Moore
04. The Handler
05. Bedouin's Hand
06. Run For Your Life
07. Baad Man
08. Lose Yourself
09. Mandra Sonos
10. Asleep On The Killing Floor
11. Handcuff County
12. Swallowing The Anchor
13. Brickman
14. Forever Amplified

COC are still good, and still Baad Man!

American Southern metal legends Corrosion Of Conformity formed 44 years ago, originally starting as a hardcore punk/crossover thrash band but later developing their style into distinctive blues-tinged heavy metal while incorporating stoner and sludge influences. This put them on the commercial Southern metal route alongside the likes of Pantera, Down, Crowbar, Eyehategod, Black Label Society, and Texas Hippie Coalition. Their lengthy career has seen much success over the years, with their most praised albums mainly being considered Blind (1991) and Deliverance (1994). Now they return after an 8-year break since No Cross No Crown with their eleventh album Good God / Baad Man.

Through a hefty 14-tracked 67-minute runtime, the album acts as a tribute to their founding drummer Reed Mullin, who tragically lost his life in 2020, and is a career-defining celebration divided into two halves, each half representing a different period in the band's history. The first half (Good God) is heavier and more energetic, focusing on the band's early hardcore punk and crossover thrash material and Blind-era sludge. The second half (Baad Man) concentrates on the band's '90s groovy stoner and desert-psych material with Southern swampy blues that pays homage to the likes of ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The album features the return of former drummer Stanton Moore, who last appeared on In The Arms Of God back in 2005, and also sees the debut of new bassist Bobby Landgraf, who replaced Mike Dean in 2024. Together they join forces with Woody Weatherman (guitars) and founding member Pepper Keenan (vocals/guitars). This fresh line-up elevates the band's rhythm section, creating a much-needed level of thickness and groove that helps drive Pepper and Woody's crunchy, hook-laden riffs and Southern blues jamming. Pepper also delivers another high-end passionate and soulful performance, where he utilizes his trademark vocals combining the grit and abrasiveness of Phil Anselmo and husky swagger of Billy Gibbons with the Southern Whisky-soaked charm of Van Zant.

The album also features guest contributions from Al Jourgensen (Ministry), who provides backing vocals for the hardcore punk-inspired "Gimme Some Moore", and vocals from Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph on the closing tribute to Reed Mullin, "Forever Amplified". Warren Riker (previously known for his work with Down and Cathedral) also takes over production duties, and this is clearly noticeable. It's much beefier and more weighty in sound, while still managing to maintain a certain raw and primal edge.

From the dark psychedelic desert vibe of "Bedouin's Hand" and haunting acoustic-based Southern blues ballad "Brickman", to the groovy ZZ Top-inspired "Handcuff County", honky-tonk blues-driven "Baad Man" inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Sabbath-laden 9-minute epic "Run For Your Life", this is easily the band's most diverse and ambitious offering to date. Because of the lengthy runtime, and the fact it's split between their old style and their new, it feels more like a greatest hits (or what could've been) compilation; in fact, if this is your introduction to the band, you'll likely think it is.

The standard of songwriting is amongst their highest to date, being consistently good throughout and containing very little filler material. This is an amazing achievement when considering the lengthy runtime and how far into their career they now are. You could argue about it being bloated, and whether they could've trimmed some fat and still created an album of equal quality. But it is what it is, a collaborative work that celebrates the old with the new, and crafted to a high standard without unnecessary gimmicks or uninspiring lengthy jams and noodling. For that, as a whole, I can comfortably say this is their best effort/achievement since In The Arms Of God, and a worthy tribute to the late Mullin.

Performance:	8
Songwriting:	8
Originality:	6
Production:	9