Corrosion of Conformity (also known as C.O.C.), was founded in North Carolina by guitarist Woody Weatherman in the early 1980s as one of the first punk metal fusion bands. C.O.C. were known in their early years for their aggressive sound, their clever political lyrics and their willingness to turn away from hardcore and metal conventions. Their shift to a more essential and reduced sound (kind of a deep-South Black Sabbath) in the 1990s brought them closer to the alternative metal zeitgeist and gave them some favors within the mainstream scene.

C.O.C.’s debut was the 1983 thrashy and BLACK FLAG influenced “Eye For An Eye”, which brought the lineup Weatherman, drummer Reed Mullin, vocalist Eric Eycke, and bassist Mike Dean to the screen for the first time. They laid the first stone of their cult after the 1985 release “Animosity”. However, their former label didn’t cope with the band’s internal instability – Eycke had to be replaced by Simon Bob – and gave them up after “Technocracy” (1987). It took several years until a new lineup could come together – with Weatherman, guitarist Pepper Keenan, Mullin, vocalist Karl Agell, and bassist Phil Swisher – but it finally resulted in the release of “Blind” (1991), a powerful, focused, metallic record which significantly increased their audience. Agell would be fired after this success, with Keenan becoming the full-time vocalist on the even more Sabbath inspired “Deliverance” (1994) which also saw the return of original bassist Mike Dean. “Deliverance” would eventually go Gold in America (500,000 units sold) and be the band’s most successful album. In 1995, Keenan made a short detour to the southern metal supergroup DOWN (also featuring PANTERA’s Phil Anselmo and members of CROWBAR).

Thanks to a change in popular taste in favor of the ultra-heavy side of alternative metal which helped the band getting established, C.O.C. found a bigger fan base than ever before with the release of “Wiseblood” (1996), expanding their rock radio success even further. After a long break from recording and a tour with METALLICA, C.O.C. came back in autumn 2000 with a new album entitled “America’s Volume Dealer”. Another break followed, and the band came back in April 2005 for the harsh and complex “In the Arms of God”. C.O.C. had another break (members were involved in several side projects) until 2010, when drummer Reed Mullin rejoined the band, reviving the lineup of “Animosity” while Pepper Keenan stayed with his other band DOWN. The remaining trio started to work on new material and released the eponymous eighth record “Corrosion of Conformity” in 2012. Their ninth album, wisely named IX, came out in 2014.

In 2018, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY returned with “No Cross No Crown” – featuring the return of the legendary “Deliverance” and “Wiseblood” era line-up of Keenan, Weatherman, Dean, and Mullin. The album received both critical and fan acclaim and charted at #67 on the Billboard Top 200 (their fifth album to chart in the Top 200) . In 2020, tragedy struck the band as Reed Mullin passed away. Keenan, Weatherman, and Dean would continue on. 

In 2024, Mike Dean decided to part ways with the band. Upon his departure, Keenan and Weatherman announced their promise to keep the COC legacy moving forward with a new album in 2026 and an active return to touring.  

JD Pinkus is an American bassist best known for his work with American punk band Butthole Surfers from 1985 to 1994 and since the 2009 reunion. In 1990, he and Butthole Surfers’ lead vocalist Gibby Haynes released Digital Dump, the only album from their psychedelic house music side project The Jackofficers. Upon leaving Butthole Surfers, Pinkus worked full-time with the Austin trio Daddy Longhead, which he had assembled during his waning months in the band, and which included longtime Atlanta associate Jimbo Young on guitar and Rey Washam on drums. Daddy Longhead retired after 10 years, leaving Pinkus free to explore other projects including Skinny Leonard and Areola 51. Pinkus played with Helios Creed on his albums NUGG The Transport [1996] and Activated Condition [1998], and has also collaborated with Bad Livers frontman Danny Barnes several times in a live setting. JD Pinkus then co- founded the band Honky who went on to record five albums and are still currently active. Pinkus also performs with Pure Luck,who released a self-titled release in 2017 on Heavy Feather Records. He leaves his bass to play Banjo and Guitar in this project. On their 30th anniversary tour in 2013, Pinkus joined the Melvins in place of Jared Warren (on paternity leave) as well as performing with the opening Honky. He subsequently joined the Melvins full-time, touring with them in 2014 in support of the album Hold It In, which also featured Butthole Surfers founder Paul Leary, and again in 2015. He also plays on the song Captain Come Down which was first released in 2015 on Chaos as Usual, a split release with Le Butcherettes, and later included on the 2016 album Basses Loaded. In 2018, JD Pinkus released a solo album, Keep on the Grass on cassette tape on Danny Barnes Minner Bucket Records and later Vinyl and Compact Disc through Heavy Feather Records. It was recorded entirely on banjo and features a rendition of the song Bride of Crankenstein from the Melvins album Hold It In. The Keep on the Grass album release show was with Sleep in San Pedro on September 15th 2018. On February 12, 2018, the Melvins announced that Pinkus would be joining them, alongside current bassist Steven McDonald (Redd Kross), on their next album and subsequent tour. Released on April 20, 2018, the aptly titled Pinkus Abortion Technician features both bass players and four songs written or co-written by Pinkus. In May of 2021 JD Pinkus and Daddy Longhead released another album titled ‘Twinkle” which was originally recorded but not distributed in 1998. JD Pinkus then released his second solo “space grass” banjo album titled “Fungus Shui.” The album was written, recorded, and mixed by Pinkus himself at Plastic Cannon Studio in Asheville, North Carolina. The album was mastered by Kramer. Fungus Shui LP’s were released on Shimmy Disc and CD’s available through Heavy Feather Records on August 20th 2021. A duo album with Tall Tall Trees called Ponder Machine was released June 20th 2023 on Shimmy Disc. The follow up solo album ‘Grow A Pear’ was released on Shimmy Disc, June 20 2024 and was a combination of songs originally written for the Butthole Surfers album that was not to be and the other side is a continuation to the solo banjo releases but with friends joining in. Currently you’ll find JD Pinkus playing Solo or with his 3 Piece Combo called the JD Pinkus Triptych with Billy Sheeran on Piano and Richard Kirby on Cocktail Kit. The first Triptych record is currently being mixed as of October 2025 and a new unannounced as of yet project of past recording associates to be recorded in December of 2025… Shhhh..