Search - Coroner :: R.I.P.

Let's ask Webster's what they think....

Eric H | Chicagoland | 11/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cor·o·ner (kôr-nr, kr-)

n.

1. A public officer whose primary function is to investigate by inquest any death thought to be of other than natural causes.

2. A three-piece thrash outfit hailing from areas generally populated by various germanic tribal peoples.



Either way you slice it, Coroners have interesting jobs. Everyone knows that metalheads like death, and not in an emo "please kill me I can't go on without my beloved ear gauges" way, but in a more "I hope you choke on your next meal you ass" manner.



So this band drops onto my lap like I just spilled hot coffee, and it burns just as much. It's fast, shreddy, thrashy stew with all the important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Plus it contains more then your daily requirement of awesomeness. Tight drumming, spectacular riffage, moreso spectacular leads, and haunting vocals combine to make a nice thrash soup for the soul. Plus, Coroner hits a sweet spot on my weakness for instrumentals.



I've always thought that instrumentals really force you to bring your A-game. You cannot simply churn out a verse/chorus/verse format because there are no vocals to carry the song. So it forces your musical chops to shine through perfectly. It's nice to hear a good 2-minute lead or a riff that keeps kicking ass undistracted.



You have classical-inspired leads and rhythms that make this band stand out from the rest. My only complaint is that the bass could've cut through a bit more, but I can't really be too upset about this, because it's good enough to earn a presidential pardon for kicking ass.



Generally, people often call the triplet of Kreator, Destruction, and Sodom as the "Unholy Trinity of German Thrash Metal". Personally, I'd like to recommend to the Heavy Metal Senate a motion that would retroactively promote Coroner as an honorary member of that body. Numerical continuity be damned (implying four bands can't be a trinity, for those who don't understand that statement)!



All said, R.I.P. is an amazing piece of thrash metal music, especially as a first album. I'll be reviewing Punishment for Decadence shortly, so expect more eerily amused grins coming out of this satisfied metalhead.



I award Coroner the best seat in the classroom and five gold stars, plus it gets first dibs on what they want during playtime."