https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Corrosion\_of\_Conformity/Wiseblood/471124/:

“Wiseblood. What else can be said that already hasn’t been said about this behemoth of an album? Not quite sure, but I’m here to just do my best to reiterate and praise the eclectic pot of southern country doom brilliance that is this album.

This follow up to “Deliverance” raised the bar just a little bit higher and seemed to light a serious fire under Pepper’s rear end to write some absolutely crushing hooks and riffs. I attribute this “fire” to the white hot afterburn that came from Pepper’s heavy involvement in the classic Down album “NOLA” only just one year earlier. He seemed to have taken that serious momentum right into the writing and recording process of Wiseblood, and it 100% shows in every aspect possible. 

There’s really no need to go track-by-track here, as the album has no filler tracks whatsoever. The record and starts off with an absolute crusher with “King of the Rotten”, and then ends with, what is quite possibly, the greatest Tony Iomi tribute riff ever as “Bottom Feeder” sounds like it could’ve easily been on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath or Master of Reality. Gotta love Pepper’s obsession with Sabbath, as he’s been quoted in many interviews saying Iomi is a direct influence upon him playing crushingly heavy riffs, just like every metal guitarist ever. 

To me, this is the apex of southern country doom metal, hands down. There are other excellent doom/sludge metal albums that were released around this time by Crowbar and others, but Wiseblood just hits the nail on the head with every single track. This album truly showcases all of Pepper’s influences on prominent display, not only out in the open, but executed insanely well on a level no one was expecting at the time, or even now, for that matter. 

What do you get when you mix the best aspects of both Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ozzy era Black Sabbath, a very slight pinch of Hardcore and copious amounts of country grown marijuana in a sizzling crock pot?? The undisputed masterpiece known as Wiseblood, Corrosion of Conformity’s definitive album and crown jewel in their amazingly eclectic and crushing discography. 10/10, obviously.”

Corrosion of Conformity: “The Door” (1996)