manuscriptreplica
04-26-2004, 08:21 AM
(Technical Thrash Metal) Coroner – Punishment for Decadence
Coroner:
Tommy T. Baron – Guitars
Ron Royce – Bass, Vocals
Marquis Marky – Drums
http://www.remnantsofreason.com/images/coroner_pfd.jpg
Released: 1988
1. Intro
2. Absorbed
3. Masked Jackal
4. Arc-Lite
5. Skeleton on Your Shoulder
6. Sudden Fall
7. Shadow of a Lost Dream
8. The New Breed
9. Voyage to Eternity
10. Purple Haze (Hendrix)
Finally, a Coroner review! This is the Swiss trio’s 2nd album, following their amazing debut, R.I.P. I will review this first because I feel this is their most accessible album, and has their only released song, Masked Jackal. What is ‘technical’ thrash metal, you are asking? There are SOME complex rhythms involved, but it is mostly because of Baron’s unbelievable lead guitar work. He is easily one of the best thrash guitarists, ever. He could incorporate melody, whilst soloing at unreal speed. Take the instrumental ‘Arc-Lite’ for example, as allmusic.com describes ‘a spellbinding workout of Yngwie Malmsteen-like speed and dexterity'. Whilst Baron is the clear stand-out of the group, let’s not forget Ron Royce's bass work. Take songs like ‘Masked Jackal’, especially the bridge part (3:04) is just insanely fast, and he is using his fingers! He fits in with Baron perfectly. The drummer, Marquis Marky, I feel, is the least talented of the group. While still being excellent, Coroner could have been that bit more with a better drummer (a Lombardo, for example). His drumming fits Coroner’s style very well though, he sits behind the bass and guitars well.
Coroner started off in 1985, Marquis Marky and Tommy Baron were roadies for avant-garde black metallers Celtic Frost. They were encouraged by CF frontman Tom G Warrior to start their own band, and they found Ron Royce, and made some demos, to which Warrior actually sang on one of their tracks.
Punishment for Decadence, I feel, after listening to only three out their six albums, feel this is their second best, after R.I.P. The lead work is incredible on this album, better than R.I.P.’s and Grin’s (the other Coroner I have) and has such songs as Masked Jackal and Skeleton on Your Shoulder, but the lyrics! They are indecipherable, not because he can’t sing, its because you can’t hear them! It’s like Metallica’s ‘...And Justice For All’, where there is no bass. Not as bad as AJFA, but it is similar. I don’t really mind however, as I’m not a big lyrics fan, but you are constantly straining to hear the lyrics. It is more refined than R.I.P., which is good, but I prefer more unrefined, raw metal. So it’s really a matter of opinion. It is still excellent, and is in my top 5 favourite albums of all time. Unfortunately, this album is hard to both 1. download, and 2. buy, so if you see it, and you like it, pick it up! You may not have the opportunity to get it again.
Intro :12, Absorbed 3:43
The intro is just a bit of wind and someone screaming, so I’ve integrated it with Absorbed. A complex riff matched with normal drumming setting up the chaos nice and early. The lyrics are introduced early, and you can hear how low in volume they are. At 1:40, Baron’s sublime lead work it put on show, incorporating both melody and speed into one of several amazing solos. If this song seems too technical and daunting, don’t worry too much, it is probably the most technical song on the album. The drumming is great on this album, the normal beats and polyrhythms he pulls off with the ride cymbal is excellent, and gives it a real technical feel. Good opening song, however, not the best song. Still great though!
Masked Jackal 4:46
Masked Jackal. Coroner’s most ‘famous’ song (e.g. If you search for Coroner in Kazaa for ten minutes, there may be 3 users with Masked Jackal!) they even made a video for it. It’s not hard to see why this is their most popular song. It’s got everything, great riffs everywhere, perfect lyrics (you can actually hear them a bit) and bits of progressive material everywhere (the random talking that goes on every so often) and of course, Baron’s leads. I especially like the build up riff to the chorus, and the whole bridge. Ron’s bass work really shines here, complimenting Baron’s lead work. And, previously mentioned, the fast bit at 3:04 is totally breathtaking. So much SPEED! Just an awesome song, if you are looking to get into Coroner, this is the song to do it with. It shouldn’t be THAT hard to find I don’t think.
Arc-Lite 3:20
Like R.I.P, track four has an instrumental (even though track 4 on R.I.P is an intro). While it isn’t as god-like as Nosferatu, it is just a complete, over the top, shred-fest. They don’t go so over the top that it is a wank-fest however. Baron once again somehow coins melody out of his shredding. Marky and Royce back up Baron perfectly. My favourite bit is 2:57 onwards, the whole band just goes completely nuts. This song shows how much talent the band does have, without all the technical wankery that other bands produce (*cough* DREAM THEATER!!! *cough*)
Skeleton on Your Shoulder 5:35
Starts with a synthed sound, and some acoustic work. and gets eventually heavy chords over the acoustic. This is probably my favourite song off the album. After the chords, it just gets extremely fast. It enters the fast bit with a typical Baron fill (descending picking) and basically plays variations of this fill all the way through the song. It’s pure joy to listen to. He even plays a pinched harmonic! What diversity! Yep, it’s great. There’s not much to say about this song, it’s their least technical song (still quite technical) and it rocks. It’s just fast all the way through the song, apart from a melodic solo over the acoustic again (3 guitar attack, baby!) Highly recommended.
Sudden Fall 4:50
Another technical song graces our ears in ‘Sudden Fall’. For only the second time, the lyrics are somewhat audible in this song. It starts with a riff that is in an unknown time signature to me, and Marquis does a great job keeping up with the riff. The verse is a bit better, it returns to the more handbanging friendly 4/4. The best thing about this song is not the audible lyrics, not the lead work, it’s the utter technicality that makes it so awesome to listen to. Just when it gets so technical you don’t know what going to happen next, it goes to a quiet, 4/4 bit that is easy to listen to, then explodes into yet another slower riff, with awesome lead over the top of another riff that somehow stays in normal time. It’s this kind of unpredictability that makes this band so awesome, yet they know when it’s too much, and slow it down, and make it more simple, or whatever. Just a great, technical song, that will leave your neck wondering where to headbang next.
Shadow of a Lost Dream 4:31
This song opens very well, into a great riff. It starts off slow with some awesome guitar work, and at about the :40 mark, it speeds up. It alternates between fast and slow throughout the entire song. It is another technical song, kind of, and a very good one at that. It can get tedious at times; you can really lock into the fast grooves, and suddenly it starts going 1. slow, or 2. technical on you. Again, multiple riffs are used, most notably the galloping riff (which I adore) at about 1:30. The instrumental bit is great, it alternates between all the riffs (mainly the galloping riff) while Baron does some amazing solos over the top. This song is kind of OVER technical, and as I said before, tedious. But it is a huge credit to the band to write this technical masterpiece, and they somehow pull it off.
The New Breed 4:52
Starts with a great riff, which enters the chorus. If you listen closely in the verse, you can hear Marky’s double kick going insanely nuts. This is a very listenable song, but is not my thing, really. It is kind of Industrial/Progressive style, which looks cool, but is not my thing. The stop-starty chorus is good, but the song really gets going when the instrumental session sets in (in other words: time for Baron to go nuts). It gets pretty technical at the end, a riff, and Baron filling in with leads, in all different time signature changes (one’s in 9/4, next one is in 4/4 etc.) And there's a solo bit where he just plays on his own for about 10 seconds: pure shredding bliss. This song manages to merge about seven genres, quite amazing, but apart from the middle section, probably my least favourite song on the album (but I still like it!)
Coroner:
Tommy T. Baron – Guitars
Ron Royce – Bass, Vocals
Marquis Marky – Drums
http://www.remnantsofreason.com/images/coroner_pfd.jpg
Released: 1988
1. Intro
2. Absorbed
3. Masked Jackal
4. Arc-Lite
5. Skeleton on Your Shoulder
6. Sudden Fall
7. Shadow of a Lost Dream
8. The New Breed
9. Voyage to Eternity
10. Purple Haze (Hendrix)
Finally, a Coroner review! This is the Swiss trio’s 2nd album, following their amazing debut, R.I.P. I will review this first because I feel this is their most accessible album, and has their only released song, Masked Jackal. What is ‘technical’ thrash metal, you are asking? There are SOME complex rhythms involved, but it is mostly because of Baron’s unbelievable lead guitar work. He is easily one of the best thrash guitarists, ever. He could incorporate melody, whilst soloing at unreal speed. Take the instrumental ‘Arc-Lite’ for example, as allmusic.com describes ‘a spellbinding workout of Yngwie Malmsteen-like speed and dexterity'. Whilst Baron is the clear stand-out of the group, let’s not forget Ron Royce's bass work. Take songs like ‘Masked Jackal’, especially the bridge part (3:04) is just insanely fast, and he is using his fingers! He fits in with Baron perfectly. The drummer, Marquis Marky, I feel, is the least talented of the group. While still being excellent, Coroner could have been that bit more with a better drummer (a Lombardo, for example). His drumming fits Coroner’s style very well though, he sits behind the bass and guitars well.
Coroner started off in 1985, Marquis Marky and Tommy Baron were roadies for avant-garde black metallers Celtic Frost. They were encouraged by CF frontman Tom G Warrior to start their own band, and they found Ron Royce, and made some demos, to which Warrior actually sang on one of their tracks.
Punishment for Decadence, I feel, after listening to only three out their six albums, feel this is their second best, after R.I.P. The lead work is incredible on this album, better than R.I.P.’s and Grin’s (the other Coroner I have) and has such songs as Masked Jackal and Skeleton on Your Shoulder, but the lyrics! They are indecipherable, not because he can’t sing, its because you can’t hear them! It’s like Metallica’s ‘...And Justice For All’, where there is no bass. Not as bad as AJFA, but it is similar. I don’t really mind however, as I’m not a big lyrics fan, but you are constantly straining to hear the lyrics. It is more refined than R.I.P., which is good, but I prefer more unrefined, raw metal. So it’s really a matter of opinion. It is still excellent, and is in my top 5 favourite albums of all time. Unfortunately, this album is hard to both 1. download, and 2. buy, so if you see it, and you like it, pick it up! You may not have the opportunity to get it again.
Intro :12, Absorbed 3:43
The intro is just a bit of wind and someone screaming, so I’ve integrated it with Absorbed. A complex riff matched with normal drumming setting up the chaos nice and early. The lyrics are introduced early, and you can hear how low in volume they are. At 1:40, Baron’s sublime lead work it put on show, incorporating both melody and speed into one of several amazing solos. If this song seems too technical and daunting, don’t worry too much, it is probably the most technical song on the album. The drumming is great on this album, the normal beats and polyrhythms he pulls off with the ride cymbal is excellent, and gives it a real technical feel. Good opening song, however, not the best song. Still great though!
Masked Jackal 4:46
Masked Jackal. Coroner’s most ‘famous’ song (e.g. If you search for Coroner in Kazaa for ten minutes, there may be 3 users with Masked Jackal!) they even made a video for it. It’s not hard to see why this is their most popular song. It’s got everything, great riffs everywhere, perfect lyrics (you can actually hear them a bit) and bits of progressive material everywhere (the random talking that goes on every so often) and of course, Baron’s leads. I especially like the build up riff to the chorus, and the whole bridge. Ron’s bass work really shines here, complimenting Baron’s lead work. And, previously mentioned, the fast bit at 3:04 is totally breathtaking. So much SPEED! Just an awesome song, if you are looking to get into Coroner, this is the song to do it with. It shouldn’t be THAT hard to find I don’t think.
Arc-Lite 3:20
Like R.I.P, track four has an instrumental (even though track 4 on R.I.P is an intro). While it isn’t as god-like as Nosferatu, it is just a complete, over the top, shred-fest. They don’t go so over the top that it is a wank-fest however. Baron once again somehow coins melody out of his shredding. Marky and Royce back up Baron perfectly. My favourite bit is 2:57 onwards, the whole band just goes completely nuts. This song shows how much talent the band does have, without all the technical wankery that other bands produce (*cough* DREAM THEATER!!! *cough*)
Skeleton on Your Shoulder 5:35
Starts with a synthed sound, and some acoustic work. and gets eventually heavy chords over the acoustic. This is probably my favourite song off the album. After the chords, it just gets extremely fast. It enters the fast bit with a typical Baron fill (descending picking) and basically plays variations of this fill all the way through the song. It’s pure joy to listen to. He even plays a pinched harmonic! What diversity! Yep, it’s great. There’s not much to say about this song, it’s their least technical song (still quite technical) and it rocks. It’s just fast all the way through the song, apart from a melodic solo over the acoustic again (3 guitar attack, baby!) Highly recommended.
Sudden Fall 4:50
Another technical song graces our ears in ‘Sudden Fall’. For only the second time, the lyrics are somewhat audible in this song. It starts with a riff that is in an unknown time signature to me, and Marquis does a great job keeping up with the riff. The verse is a bit better, it returns to the more handbanging friendly 4/4. The best thing about this song is not the audible lyrics, not the lead work, it’s the utter technicality that makes it so awesome to listen to. Just when it gets so technical you don’t know what going to happen next, it goes to a quiet, 4/4 bit that is easy to listen to, then explodes into yet another slower riff, with awesome lead over the top of another riff that somehow stays in normal time. It’s this kind of unpredictability that makes this band so awesome, yet they know when it’s too much, and slow it down, and make it more simple, or whatever. Just a great, technical song, that will leave your neck wondering where to headbang next.
Shadow of a Lost Dream 4:31
This song opens very well, into a great riff. It starts off slow with some awesome guitar work, and at about the :40 mark, it speeds up. It alternates between fast and slow throughout the entire song. It is another technical song, kind of, and a very good one at that. It can get tedious at times; you can really lock into the fast grooves, and suddenly it starts going 1. slow, or 2. technical on you. Again, multiple riffs are used, most notably the galloping riff (which I adore) at about 1:30. The instrumental bit is great, it alternates between all the riffs (mainly the galloping riff) while Baron does some amazing solos over the top. This song is kind of OVER technical, and as I said before, tedious. But it is a huge credit to the band to write this technical masterpiece, and they somehow pull it off.
The New Breed 4:52
Starts with a great riff, which enters the chorus. If you listen closely in the verse, you can hear Marky’s double kick going insanely nuts. This is a very listenable song, but is not my thing, really. It is kind of Industrial/Progressive style, which looks cool, but is not my thing. The stop-starty chorus is good, but the song really gets going when the instrumental session sets in (in other words: time for Baron to go nuts). It gets pretty technical at the end, a riff, and Baron filling in with leads, in all different time signature changes (one’s in 9/4, next one is in 4/4 etc.) And there's a solo bit where he just plays on his own for about 10 seconds: pure shredding bliss. This song manages to merge about seven genres, quite amazing, but apart from the middle section, probably my least favourite song on the album (but I still like it!)