Myglobalmind has published a new interview with Corrosion Of Conformity bassist Mike Dean and drummer Reed Mullin and Mullin says “hell no” that guitarist Pepper Keenan, who returned to the band in 2014, “completes” the band.

Excerpt below:

Myglobalmind: I saw an interview where you said C.O.C. without Pepper is like Sabbath without Ozzy or Sepultura without Max. Do you feel that Pepper completes C.O.C.?

Reed: “No. We started the band, so hell no. I love this line-up. It's great.”

Mike: “It's fun to do it again, and we kind of want to make up for lost time and do some new creative things with the line-up that's more familiar to people. But we're down for whatever. I think we made a couple of great modern three-piece records. These guys made a fine record without me way back in 1991 called Blind. We made two records that were hardcore crossover classics. We have a couple of different slants on our careers.”

COC is currently on tour with Lamb Of God and Clutch.

Tour dates:

May (with Lamb Of God, Clutch)
4 - Minglewood Hall - Memphis, TN
5 - Brady Theater - Tulsa, OK
7 - Park Street Saloon - Columbus, OH *w/ Lo-Pan (no LOG or Clutch)
8 - Reading Eagle Theatre - Reading, PA
9 - State Theatre - Portland, ME
10 - House of Blues - Boston, MA
12 - The Pageant - St. Louis, MO
13 - Westfair Amphitheater - Council Bluffs, IA
14 - Spicoli's - Waterloo, IA (no LOG or Clutch)
16 - Magic City Music Hall - Binghamton, NY
17 - The Paramount - Huntington, NY
18 - Higher Ground - So. Burlington, VT w/ Clutch (no LOG)
19 - TD Echo Beach - Toronto, ON
23 - The Cotillion - Wichita, KS
24 - Red Rocks Amphitheater - Morrison, CO
25 - The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
27 - Comerica Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
28 - Fox Theater Pomona - Pomona, CA
29 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA
31 - WaMu Theater @ CenturyLink Field Events - Seattle, WA

June (with Lamb Of God, Clutch)
1 - Queen Elizabeth Theatre - Vancouver, BC
2 - South Okanagan Events Centre - Penticton, BC
64 - Calgary Stampede Corral - Calgary, AB
5 - Shaw Conference Centre - Edmonton, AB
6 - Saskatoon Prairieland Exhibition Park - Saskatoon, SK
7 - Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg, MB
10 - Piere's Entertainment Center - Ft. Wayne, IN w/ Clutch, Valkyrie (No LOG)
 
Corrosion Of Conformity have been diligently working on their follow-up to 2014's IX full-length. The as-yet-untitled long player will be helmed by longtime producer John Custer, who has recorded such prior COC classics as Deliverance, Wiseblood, America's Volume Dealer and In The Arms Of God. The record will mark the band's studio reunion with vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan and their first full-length record together since 2005. A Fall 2016 release is expected.
 
Corrosion Of Conformity emerged from hibernation as a trio and released 2012's self-titled album and 2014's IX to wide acclaim, but many hardcore fans have been eagerly and patiently awaiting the return of Pepper Keenan.
 
The band was originally an influential hardcore punk/heavy metal crossover act before reaching critical success with a then new lineup on 1991's Blind album. That trajectory continued with wider appeal as Keenan took over as the group's primary vocalist on Deliverance (1994) and Wiseblood (1996). These two recordings in particular fused the raw energy of their previous albums, with some great strides forward in classic rock inspired songwriting and more spacious production and execution. Since then the band has often been copied but rarely equaled. This juggernaut gained mass and momentum with relentless touring alongside such greats Metallica, Clutch, Eyehategod and many more. Eventually, following the release of In the Arms Of God in 2005, Keenan decided to focus all his energy on his hometown band Down... until now.
 
Corrosion Of Conformity is:

Pepper Keenan - vocals, guitar
Woodroe Weatherman - guitar
Mike Dean - bass, vocals
Reed Mullin - drums, vocals