Coroner
Punishment for Decadence

THE REVIEW

Dark and aggressive slashes, riffs soaked in venomous electricity, a gloomy and gruff singing style, precursor to a certain grind approach that was yet to come, robustly sharp melodies, and a continuous unrelenting delirium, guided by vigorously suffocating hammer blows... in short, a sort of dance that skins and wears you out from the inside, a mixture of corrosive thrash that rips, tears, and sweeps away in a damn bastardly way... every note a decisive, precise, and bloody chop.

This could be the unequivocal summary of "Punishment for Decadence," released under the aegis of Noise Records in 1988, the first stage in the musical growth of the Swiss band Coroner towards their natural evolution into that techno-thrash progressive sound with decidedly eclectic tones and self-wrapping, unsettling, and square atmospheres of their latest production.

Tommy Baron is the genius and dreamlike core around which the power of the Coroner concept is articulated and from whose fingers the flamboyant and cutting-edge power flows, an inexhaustible source of jaw-breaking flaming and extremely technical riffs but never self-indulgent that brilliantly interlock with Ron Royce's bass lines and the powerful, decisive rhythms of Marquis Marky – the visionary genius of the band – author of most of the band's lyrics and noir covers.

The tangible proof is already within earshot starting from the duo Absorbed and Masked Jackal, two bold and schizoid arrows that our Swiss trio skillfully shoots from their bow with devastating power, made even more fascinating by breathtaking tempo changes and the savory solos and decisive riffing that Tommy Baron deftly delivers.

The sound compactness that unfolds without frills glides away with incredible ease and without pause: from the exceptional instrumental Arc-lite with its Malmsteen-like flavor to the relentless Skeleton On Your Shoulder, a small brilliant splinter in its dark and cutting atmosphere with Baron and Royce in unison missing not a beat, to The Sudden Fall, another ruthless blow enhanced by the usual tempo changes and a solos-driven malice almost scientific, to the monolithic Shadow of a Lost Dream, backed by an impressive performance from the rhythm section and Baron's meticulous attention to rhythmic guitar construction, to the sick The New Breed, a furious and visionary ride with neoclassical inserts that Baron unfolds effortlessly, overwhelming like a torrential river, down to the rough, claustrophobic, and edgy Voyager To Eternity, maybe a step below the entire full-length package.

It's impressive that there are only three architects of such unstoppable sonic noise and equally impressive that behind so much solo work, there is only one guitar and that Baron does not make you feel the absence of a supporting rhythm guitar. As if to say, here I am, and I’m more than enough! Absolutely!

A separate mention is due for the concluding track Purple Haze by Hendrix, cheerfully and playfully covered, which undoubtedly strips away its blues and catchy aura to become a solid concentration of energy and metallized electricity reinforced by the final reprise with Marquis on double pedal fading out. A pleasant experiment and definitely impactful, even for someone like me who's a die-hard Hendrix fan - of the type "nobody plays Hendrix like Hendrix."

See Ya!