American metal stalwarts Corrosion of Conformity have thrown fans a curveball with a loose, live-in-the-room rendition of Free’s ‘Fire And Water’. The impromptu take on the 1970 rock staple was born in the studio while the band were laying down tracks for their as-yet-untitled new album, due in 2025.
The performance marks the first instalment of the Riffissippi Studio Jam Sessions – a series of recordings where the band pays tribute to some of their musical heroes in a stripped-back, jammed-out format.
Guitarist and vocalist Pepper Keenan revealed the cover happened organically after drummer Stanton Moore stumbled upon Free for the first time.
“When we were tracking this record, we had a really cool setup,” Keenan explained. “We’d hang in the big room with everything mic’d, spinning records on a turntable between takes. One day I pulled out a Free album and ‘Fire And Water’ came on. Stanton jumped up and said, ‘Who the fuck is that!?’ – he’d never heard it before. We were shocked but also kind of excited.”
Keenan initially hesitated at the idea of taking on Paul Rodgers’ iconic vocal performance. “I said, ‘That’s Free, man. That’s holy ground you don’t mess with.’ But Stanton charted it out like the drum wizard he is, and someone told me, ‘Just sing it like you.’ So we did, and it turned into this really fun break from the album sessions. It’s nothing too serious – just some fellas leaning into it and loving the rock.”
The result is a raw and earthy interpretation that stays true to Free’s original spirit while carrying the swampy grit that has defined Corrosion of Conformity for more than four decades.
Fans can check out the performance on YouTube here, or stream the single here.
Formed in 1982, Corrosion of Conformity have long carved their own path in heavy music. Their sound has shifted and stretched across styles – from the early crossover thrash days to a sludgy, Southern-tinged take on metal that has become their trademark.
The band’s catalogue spans ten studio albums, including 2018’s No Cross No Crown, their first full-length in over a decade with Pepper Keenan back in the fold. That record, produced by longtime collaborator John Custer, delivered the group’s highest-ever chart success – landing at #67 on the Billboard 200, #12 on the Top Current Albums chart and #3 on the Top Hard Music Albums chart.
Since then, the band have continued to tour globally, cementing their reputation as one of heavy metal’s most enduring forces.
At present, Corrosion of Conformity are midway through a North American run, playing alongside Judas Priest and Alice Cooper, two acts who helped pave the way for heavy music as we know it.
For Keenan, Moore, guitarist Woody Weatherman and bassist Bobby Landgraf, the jam sessions offer a chance to let off steam and connect with the music that inspired them in the first place.
“It was a reminder that sometimes you don’t have to overthink it,” Keenan said of their Free cover. “It’s about getting in a room, turning it up and just letting it flow.”
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