CORONER

It´s noteworthy than even though Coroner were already established in their classic trio lineup on "Death Cult", Ron Royce had not yet started to sing, and therefore the vocals on this demo are performed by Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost). His raw shouting/singing vocal style is a bit different from Royce´s ditto, but it´s approximately in the same ballpark, so they arguably suit the music well.

Stylistically this is relatively similar to the technically well played speed/thrash metal style of "R.I.P.". The recording quality is just not up to par with the subsequent studio release, which is of course only natural. The instrumental "Aerial Combat" drags a bit and is a bit uneventful, but the other tracks are of a good quality and it´s no surprise that Noise Records handed Coroner a contract soon after they heard the demo. So upon conclusion "Death Cult" is a good quality demo which had the effect a good demo should have. Introduce a band to the world and subsequently result in the band getting a label contract. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

I'd suggest making this the last Coroner album you try out, because it's eclectic to the point where it's doubtful you'll dig the entire album from beginning to end, but it's worth it to see them dabbling in all the different directions they might have taken the project had they resolved to pursue one of them above the others.

"Grin" further explores the colder and more clinical sounding thrash metal style of the predecessor, but adds a repetitive industrial element and generally features less focus on technical thrash metal playing and a little more focus on groove (although Coroner are of course as well playing as ever, and there are still quite a few technical details to be found on the album). "Grin" features a bleak atmosphere, and the Tom Morris produced, Morrisound Studios recorded production, suits the material perfectly. The sound is a bit dry, but it´s both powerful and detailed.

The album opens with the short intro "Dream Path" and then "The Lethargic Age", which to my ears is a pretty bad choice for a first track. "The Lethargic Age" is one of the least powerful and least interesting songs on the album, but once "Internal Conflicts" kicks in, things begin to look a little brighter. The rest of the tracks on the album are a bit up and down in quality and catchiness, but "Grin" is generally a good quality release by Coroner. Other than "Internal Conflicts", I´d mention tracks like "Serpent Moves" and "Paralized, Mesmerized" as some of the standout tracks on the album. The tracks are generally pretty long, most of them ranging from 6 to 8 minutes of playing time, but the new repetitive element of the band´s sound makes this necessary.

As always the musicianship is on a high level. Marky Edelmann is a skilled drummer and he plays some pretty interesting rhythms on the album. Lead vocalist/bassist Ron Broder occasionally sounds a bit more restrained when singing on "Grin", than his more raw vocals on the preceding releases, but his vocals are more powerful on some tracks than on others. Guitarist Tommy Vetterli plays some creative thrash/heavy metal riffs and some absolutely brilliant guitar solos.

So upon conclusion "Grin" isn´t as different sounding from the preceding part of the band´s discography as many fans make it out to be. The overall atmosphere is a bit darker/bleaker and there is an emphasis on groove here not heard on previous releases, but at the end of the day this is still unmistakably the sound of Coroner. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

Stylistically "Mental Vortex" is quite different from "No More Color (1989)". The material on the 8 track, 47:30 minutes long album is still technical thrash metal, but the pace has generally been lowered and the tracks on "Mental Vortex" are predominantly mid-paced and heavy, and features fewer fast-paced sections than the case was on the predecessor. It´s audible that Coroner at this point in their career felt they needed to experiment and develop their style a bit more drastically than they had done between the first three releases (not that there wasn´t great development of sound between those releases too) and paired with the general change on the thrash metal scene in those years, "Mental Vortex" is very much an album of it´s time. Coroner have not "softened" their sound or have begun to incorporate alternative metal elements like some of their contemporaries did in those days, so it´s more a matter of songwriting approach and a refusal to be labelled "just" a thrash metal act. Their brilliant cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" by The Beatles is an example of that. There´s an occasional dark, almost dreamy psychadelic touch to some of the tracks, which is a new element too, but Coroner don´t go overboard with those ideas.

"Mental Vortex" features a detailed and powerful, but also pretty sterile, sound production, which has robbed Coroner´s music of the organic touch it possessed on the previous releases (I´m not surprised that the album is produced by Tom Morris). It´s still a professional and well sounding production job, but it´s just very different from the sound on the predecessors. The playing is as always on a very high level. Especially guitarist Tommy Vetterli delivers one killer riff after another, and his solo work is extraordinaire (and often neo-classical influenced). Sometimes the technical shifts in rhythm sound a bit forced and awkward, disrupting the flow of the tracks, but other times those sections work pretty well.

In addition to the above mentioned cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", highlights include "Son of Lilith" and "Semtex Revolution", but "Mental Vortex" is pretty consistent in both quality and style. So upon conclusion it´s another high quality release by Coroner. It doesn´t exactly reach the heights of "No More Color (1989)", which was always going to be a difficult task, but it´s still an interesting release in its own right. It shows development and reeks boldness, which are parameters I value greatly, so while this is not what I would call Coroner´s best release, I still think a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fully deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

On "No More Color", Coroner continues the technically well played thrash metal style of "Punishment for Decadence (1988)", but add a few more progressive ideas and a generally more adventurous approach to the compositions. None of the aggression or rawness of the predecessor is lost here though, and "No More Color" is still a pretty intense thrash metal album. The band are incredibly well playing, and there are some jaw-dropping moments featured on the album. It´s especially the guitar playing by Tommy T. Baron, which is out of this world. His tone, his dexterity, his speed, and his choice of notes are very effective and quite tasteful. Marquis Marky and Ron Royce deliver very convincing performances too and the latter´s quite distinct vocal style provides that part of the band´s music with something unique. He has a talking/singing raw vocal style, featuring an understated aggression, that´s rather unconventional.

The material on the 8 track, 34:21 minutes long album is relatively varied, while still staying within the band´s core style. So while the music features quite a few adventurous/progressive ideas and sections, it´s not like Coroner suddenly shifts into jazz rock/fusion mode or they play extented instrumental sections or anything like that (although some of the guitar solo sections go through several tempo/section changes). Everything is neatly arranged and fits well within the band´s technical thrash metal style. While I think of the whole album as one long highlight, I´ll mention tracks like "Read My Scars", "why It Hurts", and especially "Mistress of Deception" as standout tracks.

The whole thing is packed in a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly. Every instrument is placed perfect in the mix, which results in a sound which does the music as much justice as possible. The guitar tone is fierce, the bass has a great powerful sound, and the drums feature a powerful organic sound. The vocals are placed slightly low in the mix, but that´s always been Coroner´s style, and once you get used to it, it only adds to the uniqueness of the album.

Both "R.I.P. (1987)" and "Punishment for Decadence (1988)" are great albums, but to my ears Coroner were only honing their skills and songwriting craft on those two releases and ultimately just warming up to this beast of an album. "No More Color" is intense aggression, technical superiority, and songwriting originality in one package, and there´s really nothing like it out there. Coroner hit gold here and I consider "No More Color" a technical thrash metal masterpiece. A 5 star (100%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)

Stylistically the music on "Punishment for Decadence" continues the technically well played thrash metal style of "R.I.P. (1987)". Ron Royce delivers another snarling vocal performance, with his oddly "laid back" vocal style. Sometimes it almost sounds like he talks instead of sings. His vocal style suits the music perfectly though, and the above description is definitely not meant as a critique, just an attempt at describing a relatively unique sounding vocal style. The instrumental part of the music is also quite spectacular for the time. Royce bass playing is unfortunately lost in the mix, but Marquis Marky´s slightly fusion influenced drumming is a great asset, and even more so Tommy T. Baron´s guitar playing. His skills are considerable and in addition to his powerful riffs, his solos are incredibly well played.

The material on the 10 track, 38:54 minutes long album is also relatively well written. I say "relatively", because when the album has ended, it´s not all tracks I´m able to remember. "Masked Jackal", which the band also made a promotional video for, is one of the most catchy and memorable tracks on the album, but the instrumental "Arc-Lite" also stands out. Coroner´s cover of "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix stands out too, but not in a particularly positive way. So it´s a bit up and down with the quality of the material. "Punishment for Decadence" is still overall a solid release though.

Featuring a sound production which is decent but still leaves a bit to be desired, my overall impression of "Punishment for Decadence" is a bit mixed. To my ears it´s not the giant step forward from "R.I.P. (1987)" one could have hoped for, but it´s not a step down either. I´d put it pretty much on par with the predecessor in regards to the overall quality of the release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved. The signs of greatness are here in abundance, but the final product just lacks that last thing to make it reach the excellent level.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives)