Corrosion Of Conformity
4th February 2020
Galatos, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Kirk Lafferty. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
It was with some excitement that I entered Galatos on this hot and steamy Auckland night for what was to be a momentous occasion – the first Corrosion Of Conformity live performance in New Zealand including guitarist and vocalist Pepper Keenan in nineteen years.
But first, Shepherds Reign.
It’s a high expectation when you’re told a band is the next big thing, though these guys have been around since 2013 – be that under the radar out in South Auckland. The expectation was realized when Shepherds Reign came onto stage. The first Polynesian Metal band I read in a review. Sort of true except of course for those kids from Waipu who may not look the part traditionally but definitely deliver it. With an opening on a Polynesian log drum and hair larger than the funk masters of the 70’s, Shepherds Reign look the part, deliver the part, and break new ground in a way quite different than our northern rural boys which I can’t help but compare. The backbone is still heavy metal with its power chords and thumping out double bass drums intertwined into clean well-written songs. From the start the crowd welcomes them into the fold, a hard ask when this realm of music is mainly male, and up till now almost all white.
The reign is clearly established when the finale is played, Le Manu will surely become an anthem for this band and a well deserved one. Watch this space. There are new kids on the block, or should I say a band coming of age.
Following Shepherds Reign, ‘Just one fix’ roll onto the stage. While the first band’s name alludes towards Christianity the second does not. Riccardo Ball’s t-shirt reads, ‘Jesus wants your money’, with a picture of Bishop Tamaki Redrawn as the devil. There is no subtlety in this band, just pure metal delivered professionally to an age-old equation. These guys have been around since 99. The bass player with his devil horned guitar carries on the charade of Christian bashing and if the message was not clear enough the lyrical content makes it clearer. One song has a barrage of ‘KILL, KILL, KILL’. If I saw these Viking like figures on the top of a hill, I would surely be running from the village, down in the valley as fast as I could. I did wonder as the singer sputtered out his anger driven content if heavy metal musicians after a night of screaming, ranting, pillaging with words, maybe, just maybe go home and pat there cats – tickle them gently under the chin, become the antithesis of what they portray. In this bands case, probably not.
After a longer than I believe was needed break to build up suspense Corrosion Of Conformity takes the stage. All the previous bands where squashed up the front. Corrosion Of Conformity has the whole stage to themselves with room to move. The amps have been turned up a notch and the first song opens with Woody Weatherman’s guitar line alluding towards Spanish classical then dropping into a simple cutting metal solo. Reminiscent of 60’s metal bands that trick, me thinks… I have heard this one before. The band plays with two dueling, and then in sync, SG guitars plugged into Marshall stacks – reminiscent of Thin Lizzy a friend continues to remind me. The professionalism and longativity of this band becomes apparent. The crowd has filled but not packed out a comfortable audience in Galatos. I have noticed the 10:1 ratio of men to woman; maybe this is a heavy metal thing. It seems most of those women have now moved to the front to get a view of the rock stars in the flesh. Corrosion Of Conformity play the hits that many of the crowd sings along to most notably, Broken man and Albatross stand out.
For those not as familiar, which I count myself in that group, many of the songs are similar to Soundgarden, not in a copied way but more birds of a feather way – doing a similar thing at a similar time. I must say I love a bass player who plays metal with his fingers and not a pick – not an easy task when the songs are this fast. Near the end of the night the singer Pepper Keenan stops the crowd for a moment of reverence to acknowledge the passing of the original drummer just a few days before this gig. He dedicates 13 angels in a beautifully delivered rendition to him and finishes with one finger pointed to heaven.
This was not the end of the night but for me an angelic and respectful note to finish this review on.
R.I. P. Reed Mullin 12/2/66 – 27/1/20
For me even though Corrosion Of Conformity are a great band and put on a wicked show, the highlight of the night was Shepherds Reign. I look forward to seeing them again soon, perhaps as a double billing with that other Polynesian (Maori), Heavy Metal band from Waipu. Lets mix up those cultures and see what comes out the other side. So far that recipe seems to be working quite well for both of them.
Were you there at Galatos for this magnificent southern stoner metal gig? Or have you seen Corrosion Of Conformity somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Seven Days
- Paranoid Opioid
- Broken Man
- Heaven’s Not Overflowing
- Wolf Named Crow
- Albatross
- My Grain
- 13 Angels
- Señor Limpio
- Diablo Blvd.
- Vote With a Bullet
- Wiseblood
- Who’s Got the Fire
- Clean My Wounds
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Great review of all three bands – such a good night.