Despite a revolving door of band members and trouble with record labels, ‘80s heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity proved to be just that - as anti-conformist as it gets. The North Carolina band produced several hit albums and songs through the ‘80s and ‘90s, ignoring any internal disagreements they faced to record the kind of punk metal mothers are scared of and angsty teens thrive off.

Corrosion of Conformity (better known as C.O.C.) is the brainchild of guitarist Woody Weatherman, formed in 1983 around an aggressive base and politically-infused lyrics. C.O.C. made their grand debut with the '83 album Eye for an Eye, which featured then-members Reed Mullin (drums), Eric Eycke (vocals) and Mike Dean (bass). Eye for an Eye scored big with fans, but by the band's 1985 release Animosity two more members and an increasing fan base eventually led to a spontaneous combustion after 1987's Technocracy. Dropped by their label Death because of instability within the band, C.O.C. took some time off to assemble a completely new band. The new and improved C.O.C. featured Weatherman, Pepper Keenan (guitar), Mullin, Karl Agell (vocals) and Phil Swisher (bass), and the new band created a completely different sound in the ‘90s, shifting from hardcore to a more mainstream alternative metal sound.

The new band's first release, 1991's Blind, was a phenomenal album that once again drew in a massive fan base. C.O.C.'s 1994 release Deliverance featured the return of original bassist Mike Dean, and Corrosion of Conformity continued to enjoy the successes of their new sound through the ‘90s, especially with the 1996 album Wiseblood. In 2000 America's Volume Dealer was released, and after a five-year hiatus C.O.C. came back stronger than ever, releasing the smash album In the Arms of God. The album went straight to number one on the Top Heatseekers chart, proving to the band's longtime fans they weren't finished quite yet.