One of the first punk-metal fusion bands, Corrosion of Conformity were formed in North Carolina by guitarist Woody Weatherman during the early '80s. In their early years, C.O.C. became known for their aggressive sound, intelligent political lyrics, and willingness to break away from both hardcore and metal conventions. In the '90s, their shift to a more stripped-down, deliberate sound -- sort of Black Sabbath filtered through the Deep South -- brought them enough in line with the alt-metal Zeitgeist to bring them a measure of mainstream popularity.