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Corrosion of Conformity

Technocracy

Review by Mike Heitzman

This album was released in 1987 by Metal Blade Records, and to digress, I found out in a recent interview with Reed Mullin that Tom Araya from Slayer helped get them signed up with Metal Blade. It was released as an EP and later re-released with bonus tracks by Relativity Records. They are the demo versions of “Technocracy,” “Crawling,” and “Happily Ever After.” This also includes the two-minute long demo “Intervention,” which never made it on the original release. The demo versions feature bassist Mike Dean on lead vocals.

The entire album is some of the fastest, hard hitting punk metal you will ever hear. It was ground breaking in its time and should be in every metal head’s collection. This will be a review of the original release as I heard it when I heard COC. It was a random EP someone handed me on a bootleg tape, and I of course, ran right out (actually a 45 minute drive away at the time to the nearest store that would sell heavy music) and picked up the real release on tape so I could enjoy the artwork, too.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012  Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Technocracy

This is the title track and for me what started it all. This comes on so hard, yet with some of the most unique bass lines and guitar riffs that will have you instantly emblazon this song into your memory, leaving it for recall even 20 years later. It features super fast riffs and drum beats that will tear the paint off the walls. I remember just tearing apart my parents’ speakers with this song, and, in fact, this entire EP.

Hungry Child
I have always loved the sound of the vocals on this track. Mesmerizing, yet punkish, yet there’s still enough to make you mosh hard. It is another fast, short track that is typical of the punk genre.
Happily Ever After
This one has the most awesome slides and bends in the guitar riffs. Then it just switches up half way through and goes in to a fast mosh that has most likely always been a crowd pleaser at COC’s live shows. I could just see places being torn apart because of this song. I also like the very trippy ending and guitar solo at the close.
Crawling
“Crawling” starts out with thumping bass guitar beats, and then grinds away in normal COC fashion. The unique bass riffs are the best in this powerful tune. And you can almost hear the drum kit rattle apart. It sounds so raw and pure.
Ahh Blugh (Milking the Sick Farce)

This is like a short outro with some giggling  and a short riff.

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