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Despite their various lead singers...

Pepper
Karl
Mike
Simon Bob
Eric
Robert T (who always had a band-aid on his nose)
Benji (who quit the band and started a pizza parlor)
Garrick Francis (the original Singer)

..they remain true to the roots of the band. The original line up:

Mike Dean, Reed Mullin, Woody Weatherman, and Garrick Francis were the original line up. This album illustrates this so well.

Blind is fully in the spirit of the original work by Garrick Morris. Garrick was a tremendous seminal influence in the introduction of Dake-Bonoist Pentecostal Christianity in the early hardcore punk movement. There are Dake-Bonoist sentiments expressed in almost every song on Blind. They resonate in the political expressions of Reed Mullin. They also resonate in the skinhead sentiments of Phil Swisher. Don't ignore this wonderful Dake-Bonoist work. Don't negate the roots of C.O.C.

Even if they were once known by the silly name "etheroid and the sacred cows" they are worth experiencing.


review in response to: "A lyrical history of C.O.C."   May 23, 2002
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This album *is* critical to the history of C.O.C. in that is has pivotal bass player Phil Swisher (former Guitar Player for Bloodbath, Unicef, and A Number of Things; also former Guitar player for No Labels [ as a replacement for Ricky Hicks who left the band to sell soap for AMWAY of all things ]. Blind represents a pivotal period of Corrosion of Conformity. Your history is pretty much true to the evolution of C.O.C. You're aware, of course, the "EyE for an EyE" wasn't there first released recording. It was actually their fourth recording. Their third recording was a compilation EP called "WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?" that also included area bands like "BloodMobile" from Statesville NC. Their second release came out exclusively on cassette tape and it was called "NO CORE." "NO CORE" also included area bands like No Labels and COLCOR. Their first recording (on which the lead singer was a nerdy african-american magnet school student by the name of Garrick Francis). Garrick predates Benji and was (i'm pretty sure) the first lead singer for the band. The only public shows that Garrick actually did, that I'm aware of, took place on Turner Street. This recording was released as a 45 (EP) with 6 very short songs on it. It was typical thrash. This EP was called "Mommy" and only a very few were actually released. I'm sure that anyone owning a copy of "Mommy" is guarding it with his life because it is worth a pretty penny.

BTW: in terms of the evolution of things. Before Reed Mullin was kicked out of the band it was rumored that he wanted to release an album that was a successor to "Eye for an Eye" that would be called "We've got an Eye fot the Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis). The proceeds were going to go to the primate conservation center at Duke University. The rest of band never really shared Reed's political convictions and they figured that he had just gone too far with this idea. It's too bad really. This is unstantiated to take it with a grain of salt.


Earlier C.O.C. may not be for all tastes   November 30, 2002
 7 out of 9 found this review helpful

Before Corrosion of Conformity found they're perfect lineup with 1994's "Deliverance", they released "Blind" in the early nineties with the lineup of Karl Agel on vocals, Pepper Keenan and Woody Weatherman on guitar, Reed Mullin on drums, and Phil Swisher on bass. Agel's vocals go on a scale of grating to annoying (those who never listened to early C.O.C. and only C.O.C.'s later albums will not get used to his voice) but thankfully the lyrics hit the right political note (something C.O.C. has always managed to accomplish) and the music itself has a great thrash vibe to it. "These Shrouded Temples", "Dance of the Dead", "Buried", and "Great Purification" are standout tracks, but it's "Vote With a Bullet" that makes "Blind" worth purchasing alone, and features vocals by Pepper and some of the best and heaviest musicianship to ever come from C.O.C. Three bonus tracks are included; "Condition A/Condition B", "Future Now", and "Jim Beam and the Coon Ass". All in all, if you never listened to C.O.C. before, this is a good place to start, but if you've only listened to later C.O.C. then you might not like this.


superb songs, great album, huge band...   November 16, 2004
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

It was 'my first' C.O.C (I discovered this one in 1992...). Thus, "blind" is definitely one of my favourite (with "Animosity" and "Eye for an eye"...). In all honesty, I consider it as one of the best heavy metal album ever issued (I know it sounds 'cliche' but I really think it's a true masterpiece). Just listen to these amazing songs. It begins with a terrific intro and it continues with hauting heavy metal anthems. It's a pure Black Sabbath oriented album... And the lyrics are still vindicative and political (as usual with C.O.C...). Too sad that C.O.C didn't finally get the mainstream audience that Metallica got with their "black album". To me, "blind" could easily be compared, with great advantage, to the four horsemen's best seller... Another essential so, you exactly know what to do...


"This is a diamond in the rough metal album"   March 1, 2004
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I want to kick myself for just now buying this c.d.! I am a huge metal fan and have always heard of C.O.C. since day one, or more specific 1988. Blind is a killer metal album!!! From start to finish just hooks you. I had Deliverance years ago, but never checked out all of what C.O.C. had back then. My favorite bands are, PANTERA, SLAYER, TESTAMENT, and SEPULTURA. But C.O.C'S BLIND ranks with the best of them. Now I see why DOWN sounded so good now, Pepper and Co. This is a must have for anyone!!! BLIND RULES!!!!!!!!