Sludge metal veterans Corrosion of Conformity are preparing for an ambitious 2026, with plans confirmed for a conceptual double album and a major U.S. co-headlining tour. In a new interview on “The Sonic Road Podcast,” bassist Bobby Landgraf provided the first concrete details regarding the long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s No Cross No Crown, revealing that the band has recorded enough material for a sprawling dual release tentatively scheduled for late March or early April via Nuclear Blast.
Speaking to host Beau McGranahan, Landgraf disclosed that the band entered the studio with a surplus of material, leading frontman Pepper Keenan to pitch the expanded format to their label.
“We probably did 15, 16, maybe even more, songs at the writing session, so it came time to record and we just did it all,” Landgraf explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “And Pepper‘s got a really good relationship with the label. They trust him. He [said], ‘We gotta make this a double record.’ They’re, like, ‘Okay.’ I don’t recall ever hearing a pushback story from the label.”
According to the bassist, the album is not just a collection of songs but a structured artistic statement designed for immersive listening.
“Pepper has a brilliant concept for the record. For each side, it’s different. The songs on this record go together, the songs on this record go together. And it’s a very conceptual record,” Landgraf noted. “[It’s got] beautiful artwork… And it will be a serious headphone record. You’ll wanna sit at home and put phones on. Don’t rip off the record by just hearing it on your telephone or your white earbuds.”
The sessions saw the return of acclaimed drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic), who previously performed on the band’s 2005 album In The Arms Of God. The recording process, primarily held at Keenan‘s home studio in Mississippi, was described as an intense period of isolation and creativity.
“When I was standing there to Stanton Moore and we had two weeks of living together at the house and just being in each other’s heads and there was nowhere to go — there’s nowhere to go get in trouble; you’re just there working on the stuff,” Landgraf recalled. “I learned so much from Stanton — to be a bass player, to really hit the right spots and to catch that one… Stanton, I believe, really helped me elevate my bass game.”
The production, helmed by longtime collaborator Warren Riker, captured a raw and spontaneous energy. Landgraf noted that the team “recorded every mistake, every goof-off, every mess-around thing, and some of the stuff came right off the floor.”
In a surprising twist, additional guitar tracking took place at a private studio in Miami owned by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, a connection facilitated by Gibb‘s son, Steve Gibb (formerly of Black Label Society and Crowbar).
Musically, the double album promises to diverge from standard rock tropes. Landgraf hinted at a diverse soundscape that includes “little interlude stuff, Pink Floyd-y stuff in the middle of songs, a narration and talking and some sci-fi.”
“Usually — I don’t know; I’ll just say the words AC/DC, and every song’s gonna kind of have a thing to ’em. This is not that at all. You never know where you’re going for the next song. Pepper did that by design,” he added.
Following the album’s release, Corrosion of Conformity will hit the road. Landgraf confirmed that the band is tentatively scheduled to tour the U.S. with Clutch in April 2026, with a European run to follow in June and July.
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