Monday 9 February 2009

Coroner - Punishment For Decadence (1988)


The early thrashing of this Swiss trio never went unnoticed, but like all talented musicians, particularly the '80s Euro-thrash brigade, the band went on to far stranger realms. This being the band's second release after 'R.I.P.', they voyage into a darker and lightly more intricate brand of thrash. For many at the time this would've seemed like a no-thrills style of metal, but dig deeper into the vault and you'll discover a complex and diverse array of riffs, percussion and the Tom G Warrior-style vocal sneer of Ron Royce. Incredibly underrated, Coroner thrashed with the best, delivering an often warped and deep style of thrash. Clever indeed as the trio embark on a number of weird tales, from the melancholic, drug-induced yarn of 'Skeleton On Your Shoulder', and political stance of 'Masked Jackal', all arranged and belted out with speed, precision and that European emotion.


Coroner always had the ability to lace each record with a grey and unnerving splendour, these guys were mixing and fusing awkward styles long before some of the more progressive death metal acts. I've seen some reviews class this as old-school thrash, but that's hardly the case when you consider there aren't many bands as yet who've managed to better, or replicate Coroner's vast craftmanship. Truly stunning to hear such variety within a thrash framework, and a million miles away from the likes of Metallica etc, yet evidence that the thrash genre has always been far more diverse than given credit for.


7.5/10

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