Corrosion Of Conformity & Clutch Live 4/11/26
Live at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts USA *April 11th 2026*
Corrosion Of Conformity are undeniably one of the most important bands in my life. I have been a fan of this band since the early 80s. I first heard the Animosity and Technocracy EP as an introduction to the band. I was really into the crossover thrash movement and COC was a pioneer along with bands like DRI and Cryptic Slaughter. I have been a fan of this band ever since! The most impactful album for me was their third release, called Blind. This album came out when I was in high school and so many good memories are connected to it. Every time the band would change their sound. I seem to have been going in the same direction with my musical interests. I believe them to be one of the co-founders of the whole stonerock movement.
I attended this show with my buddy Sam, with his friend from work, and Sam’s son Isaac. I only got to see the COC play live one time during the American Volume Dealer Tour. I almost saw them headline Desert Fest New York a few years ago, but I had to leave to drive back home because of poor planning. So I am looking at over twenty years since I saw them live. The band just recently released their latest album called Good God/ Baad Man. I listened to that album three times in a row at work the morning of the show. I am really digging this album and the review will be posted soon.
When we arrived at the show, JD Pinkus was playing, who is an extraordinary musician and talented one man band. He was the former bassist in the Butthole Surfers, has ties with the Melvins, and was at in the old school stoner/hard rock band, Honky, among others. Admittedly, I didn’t watch much of the set because I was waiting in line to buy some COC merch. I ended up with two t-shirts and a bandanna. The line was super long, but it moved fairly quickly, which was a good thing. Afterwards, Isaac and I , made our way down to the floor about three rows back from the stage. We figured this would be the best spot to witness the band and the place was definitely more crowded now. As the bodies kept rolling in, it was a tight squeeze, but I felt we were in a good spot, on left side three rows from the front of the stage.
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
Once the band came on stage, the place went nuts! Corrosion Of Conformity are back and they were incredible! The live lineup consists of: sole original member, Woody Weatherman on guitar and vocals, Pepper Keenan on guitar and lead vocals, Bobby Landgraf on bass and vocals, and Nick Shabatura on drums. They opened with a new song off the latest album Good God/ Baad Man, called “Asleep On The Killing Floor”. It’s a great song and really got everything moving. The energy in the place was electrifying and the band sounded amazing throughout. They looked like they were really enjoying themselves as the crowd was very responsive with mosh pits and loud screaming. There’s a reason why this band is so important to me, they simply kill! The more I listen to the latest album, the more appreciation and love I have for COC. Along with the opener, the band played “Baad Man”, “Gimme Some Moore”, and “Lose Yourself”. I felt the new material went over very well and it sounded fantastic! After “Asleep On The Killing Floor”, they played “My Grain” from Deliverance, and “Who’s Got The Fire” from America’s Volume Dealer. They actually played “Seven Days” from Deliverance which was unexpected and awesome! The three song punch at the end of the set was amazing! “Vote With A Bullet” from my favorite, the Blind album, followed by the goosebump inducing, “Albatross”, topped off with “Clean My Wounds”, both from Deliverance. I was surprised with how many songs they played from Deliverance, but I was definitely not disappointed! I was hoping for something off of Wise Blood but you can’t win ‘em all. The band sounded very tight and as good as expected, considering The Palladium’s sound system is questionable. I enjoyed every second of it! I can’t express enough how much this band means to me. There are very few bands that I have been into for that long, that have their musical imprint burned in my soul. Corrosion Of Conformity are definitely on that short list and I consider them legendary.
https://corrosion-of-conformity.bandcamp.com/music
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CLUTCH
I could have of left after their set and been satisfied with how the night went, but there was still the amazing Cutch playing next. To be honest, I was just consumed with the fact that Corrosion was playing a show that I didn’t really think much about Clutch leading up to this night. I had seen them like three other times and they always deliver! The great thing about the band is they never play the same set list. They always mix it up and play a very diverse mix of songs at every show. These guys are true professionals in every sense and always sound immaculate. Neil Fallon might be the best front man out there. He commands the crowd with confidence and his gestures are very entertaining. His voice sounded very strong and powerful and the whole band were flawless. They opened up with “Sucker For The Witch” from one of my favorite Clutch records, Psychic Warfare. They also played “Subtle Hustle”, “X-Ray Visions”, and “Firebirds!” from that amazing record. They played two new songs called “The Streets Are His” and “Colorado Fuel And Iron”. They went over really well and blended in with their killer set. Other notable songs were “The Mob Goes Wild”, “Worm Drink” and the unexpected “Profits Of Doom”, all from the Blast Tyrant masterpiece. “Crucial Velocity” and the initial closer “Earth Rocker”, both from that same name record were in company with “Slaughter Beach”, “Burning Beards”, “Animal Farm”, “Pure Rock Fury”, and “Three Golden Horns”. The encore was the exceptional “Electric Worry” and then finishing off with the CCR classic cover of “Fortunate Son”. Clutch was also amazing!
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In closing, I am so happy that I went to this show! I definitely prefer smaller club shows, but seeing COC and Clutch together would never happen in a dive bar setting, nowadays. Both bands are huge for the stoner/ heavy rock scene and legendary in this heavy underground world. The impact and influence on many of these bands today is directly correlated to these two iconic bands, among others.
