Preface: This album is from 2005, so it is kind of old. That's all.
Overall: 10/10
What I like: Well,there is one thing that defines this particular Corrosion of Conformity album: Black Sabbath worship, and that is not a bad thing at all. The album starts off with the monolithic "Stonebreaker." This first song is easily the best on the record, and that is saying something. Right off the bat, you know what you're in for with this release: rolling grooves and fluid fills from session drummer Stanton Moore, an accomplished jazz drummer, heavy, sludgy, doom filled, Southern riffs from Pepper Keenan and Woody Weatherman, an amazing, emotional vocal performance from Pepper Keenan, and a no-frills, take what you get, Southern metal album. A strange, standout track on this record is track #5, "Rise River Rise." This song dials back the heaviness in favor of pure emotion. Still, it is one of the best songs on this record of great songs. Moving on, the rest of the record is filled with the great songs typical of C.O.C, and then you hit "Crown of Thorns," the penultimate song, and intro to the titanic title track, "In the Arms of God." "Crown of Thorns" is a simple acoustic song that gives a bit of a break, which is needed before going into the almost 7 minute title track. "In the Arms of God" is almost 7 minutes of heavy, Southern sludge. Greatness.
What I don't like: I have zero complaints about this album. A minor nitpick is that the best song is the first on the record, but that isn't a big deal.
Final Evaluation: In the Arms of God is Corrosion of Conformity's magnum opus, their best work yet. It is a fantastic record, and easily deserving of being an iconic Southern metal album, alongside two other C.O.C albums, Deliverance and Wiseblood. I would absolutely recommend this to a friend. |