Corrosion Of Conformity begin work on new LP with Keenan

Corrosion Of Conformity are to begin work with Pepper Keenan on “leftover” material from previous album sessions.

Speaking in interview with IndyWeek, COC drummer Reed Mullin confirmed that a series of old demo tapes featuring a number of unused riffs recorded with producer John Custer have turned up.

Says Mullin of the find: “Pepper and I were talking the other day, and we’ve got some riffs left over from that era that I never used for COC stuff, and he didn’t use for Down.

“They’ve just been sitting around from when we used to do demos at Jag Studios. He was, like, ‘Man, I found a couple cassettes. Remember those cassettes we used to do with Custer down at Jag?’

“He found a cache of some good riffage in his house down there in New Orleans that I guess he had packed away. And, for some reason, I can remember a lot of the riffs those guys write.There’s a song on the new COC album, the three-piece, and the music is music Pepper and I had jammed back in 1989, and I ended up just putting lyrics to it.

“It’s called Tarquinius Superbus, after the last Roman king. For some reason, I remember a lot of the stuff they do, so I’m kind of like an encyclopedia of a lot of their riffs.”

It was revealed earlier this year that Pepper Keenan would be returning to the Corrosion Of Conformity fold after a period away from the band working with Phil Anselmo’s Down. Mullin has now revealed that their first work as a four-piece unit will likely be live shows in March:

“I think the first shows that we’re going to do with the four-piece are going to be in March. Before then, I guess we’re going be working on the new album. Woody’s going to have a baby in April, so we’re going to take a little time off in there, and then get back to touring with Pepper.

“He’s taking time off from Down and he makes so much damn money doing Down, we’ve got to get him while we can get him. He’s really excited about it, and we’re awful excited to do it.”