A Devil’s Dozen – Coroner

After many moons sitting upon the desk of editor Zach Duvall, it’s time to tell the local coroner to bust a U-turn—this installment of the Devil’s Dozen is, in fact, alive and well. While comatose for a brief stint, this piece comes at an opportune time. We’re just months away from the first Coroner album in more than 30 years. Within the confines of the Last Rites HQ, we’re waiting with bated breath. And you can bet your sweet cheeks one of us will have a quality review when the time comes.

But for now, we’ll laser-focus on the back catalogue of one of the innovators of tech-thrash.

The Coroner lore dates back to the early 80s. OG roadies for the legendary Celtic Frost, the band recruited one Tom G. Warrior for vocal duties on their demo Death Cult. Of course, Mr. Warrior had other obligations. Bassist Ron Broder took the vocal reins for the Swiss band’s subsequent releases: R.I.P., Punishment for Decadence, No More Color, Mental Vortex, and Grin. By his side? Tommy Vetterli and Markus Edelmann. The result? Well, it’s what we in the metal scene deem “legendary.”

Each record encompasses something unique. From the aggression on R.I.P. to the groovy/industrial Grin, Coroner has always had a knack for using their stellar musicianship to create earworm tunes even in the most technical settings—a feat in and of itself. Moreover, for those first five LPs, the band maintained a steady focus on the holistic listening experience. The records sound cohesive; each song meshes well with its predecessor/successor. Although, according to some recent quotes from the band, the soon-to-be-released record will adhere to a more song-focused approach. Nonetheless, those first five stand the test of time for their grandiose nature.

There is no shortage of classics throughout the Coroner discography. It’s nearly impossible not to feel that rush of pure adrenaline when “Semtex Revolution” kicks in or the urge to put on your dancing shoes when “Internal Conflicts” breaks down. Without continuing to pummel the deceased horse over the noggin with a sledgehammer, these dudes are purely badass musicians. And while some folks may find that boring or that technical prowess takes away from the character of a band, Coroner is a reminder that learning theory, diving into classical music and plucking and hammering your instrument until your fingers leak crimson may not be the worst idea.

Today, Coroner maintains a cult following. Perhaps they never truly received the recognition they deserved. The real kicker is their sound could have reached mountainous heights had they not stepped into the shadows in the mid-90s, assuming they’d have continued following a more industrial/groove metal-centered path.

Such is life.

Circling back to that new record, whether or not it lives up to the legendary status of their prior releases, their legacy is forever etched in stone. So, without further ado, we present a devil’s dozen brought back from the dead time and time again. These are 13 essential offerings from the one, the only…CORONER. [BLIZZARD OF JOZZSH]

REBORN THROUGH HATE

[R.I.P., 1987]

If you were to be unfamiliar with R.I.P. by Coroner in 2025 and hit play for the very first time on “Reborn Through Hate,” it would be understandable for you to think you were listening to an instrumental demo for a modern record. Ultimately, the tone and lengthy stretch of music that opens the song sans vocals sounds precisely like its release date of 1987, but brings a technical precision less common for that era.

The song hits every key item for peak 80s thrash:

• Pinch harmonics? Check.
• A galloping rhythm? Check.
• A shredding solo? Check.
• Riffs that jump across enough of the fretboard to make your fingers want to call you an asshole? Check.
• Gang shout vocals in the chorus? Of course, you idiot. CHECK!

While the exceptional riffs and hooky chorus are the main attraction here, Ron Royce’s persistently fluttering bass and pack-a-day Tom G. Warrior-esque gasping-for-air vocals help take the whole affair to another level. The galloping sections that sound like Iron Maiden on fast-forward certainly aren’t hurting anything either. There is a quirk, however, where a significant portion of the opening is copied and pasted into the second half of the track in a way that would have you thinking this specific song was solely responsible for latter-day Vital Remains’ approach to songwriting. Rudimentary structures aside, the viciousness and technicality mean “Reborn Through Hate,” well, RIPS. [SPENCER HOTZ]

DIVINE STEP (CONSPECTU MORTIS)

[Mental Vortex, 1991]

Mental Vortex was the final of Coroner’s three all-killer no-filler tech-thrash masterpieces, and it hits hard from the get-go with the opening track “Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis),” which showcases the band’s now-signature style of intricate lightly-dissonant guitar work layered over Mark Edelmann’s impeccably tight rhythmic base. Vetterli throws down another masterclass in hooky riffing, with Royce’s vocal line mirroring the pedal point riff throughout the verse and dancing around some palm-muted runs in the bridge, before the whole thing breaks down into a brief dreamy middle-section that musically encapsulates the lyrical theme of dying and crossing into whatever comes after, returning after only a minute or so departure into a fresh, chugging riff and another strong Tommy Vetterli guitar lead. A dash of epic synth strings push that final verse (really a repeat of the first) and chorus that much higher, closing out an absolutely epic tech-thrash song on an even higher plane. Say what you want about where Coroner went after Mental Vortex – opinions on the industrial-tinged, nu-leaning Grin are certainly divided – but for this album, they were still dialed in, and this first track lays it all on the table. [ANDREW EDMUNDS]

MISTRESS OF DECEPTION

[No More Color, 1989]

You’d be challenged to find a record with greater combination of techy goodness, infectious riffs, and sheer rippery than No More Color. The record is, to put it lightly, supremely kickass. But part of that techiness is the ability to go heavy on the shred, and “Mistress of Deception” is some seriously shreddy (and gloriously catchy) thrash.

It might start with a rolling fill from drummer Marquis Marky, but this tune absolutely belongs to guitarist Tommy T. Baron, who starts doing tricky fretwork things during the first verse and never looks back. After a particularly venomous chorus – “Mistress of deception / daughter of death!” – Baron launches into a shredfest of epic proportions. Listen carefully and you’ll realize it’s both Baron and bassist/vocalist Ron Royce going nuts during this passage, but soon after Baron recaptures the focus with solos both subdued (after the song opens way up) and fiery (after the thrash kicks back in).

It’s a sophisticated performance in what was at that time one of Coroner’s most advanced songs, but this being No More Color, the band leaves time to mosh. After the second chorus, instead of re-upping on the shredfest, Coroner instead hammers you with mid-paced thrash before getting a little jazzy/playful and bringing it all back around again to the verse and chorus (and yes, the shred). There’s a little something for everyone in these five glorious minutes, be you a Guitar Center geek, prog/tech freak, or good old fashioned, dirtbag mosher. “Merciless, invincible!” [ZACH DUVALL]

WHEN ANGELS DIE

[R.I.P., 1987]

“When Angels Die” stands out on an album full of awesome, even if it’s not obvious why. It’s full of killer riffs and drums, the bass lines rule, and the vocals are rough and rad which, of course, is also true of the other seven songs. “Angels” feels different, though, maybe because it was written so effectively to reflect a pervasive anxiety of the time. You can feel the simultaneous awe and dread, for example, that might come with a world-ending event, even without knowing this is a song about nuclear holocaust.

All three players are in lockstep pretty much throughout as they blast a trench through the foundation in sections that successively scrape and ring (what would become a trademark sound), rip and tear, drive and pound, and swiiiiiing a few times, tracing the shock, confusion, concussion, and disorientation that would (will?) surely come with the razing waves of a megaton detonation. The dissociated respite implied by a chanted vocal chorus is cruelly short-lived, ushering in 30 seconds of fiery solo in a section all its own. You can imagine the poor soul bearing witness, staggered and stuporous, awed by the dreadful beauty of a nuclear sunset, whispering with his final breath, “Bitchin.” [LONE WATIE]

SKELETON ON YOUR SHOULDER

[Punishment for Decadence, 1988]

“Skeleton on Your Shoulder,” creepy, huh? That’s precisely the vibe from the start on this classic from Punishment for Decadence. A brief acoustic intro slowly builds to triplet riffs and eventual key and tempo changes throughout its duration. One moment it’s 170 BPM, the next it’s 145, then 181.

Slabbed in the middle of their 1988 classic, it’s five and a half minutes of Coroner at their very best—catchy and technical—and an epic crusade on the back of ’80s thrash. However, “Skeleton on Your Shoulder” is also an example of the band exploring the limits of what thrash could be—similar to their peers in Watchtower and Voivod—blending progressive elements into its construction. Sure, it isn’t the most technical Coroner tune, but the point I’m trying to make here, friends, is that it perfectly encompasses the paradoxical experimental yet traditional aura. Not to mention, it features one of my favorite leads in their discography.

So, have fun revisiting this one. “Skeleton on Your Shoulder”: it’s here to please; it’ll bring you to your knees! [BLIZZARD OF JOZZSH]

PALE SISTER

[Mental Vortex, 1991]

Now, stay with me here…

“Pale Sister” is the tech thrash equivalent of Mercyful Fate’s “Nuns Have No Fun.”

No, the two songs don’t sound much alike, but both paint the requisite pessimism we as metallers are required to attach to the idea of leading a vestal life devoted to religion, and both additionally approach said narrative from an almost deranged sense of glee. Seriously, hit play on “Pale Sister” and you… Well, you’ll immediately get hit in the face with one of the oddest riff patterns on the whole of Mental Vortex—a run that really shouldn’t work, but it’s attached to a groove that’s so steeped in swaggering happiness that you almost can’t help but picture Vince McMahon happily strutting into some ring. That joyous groove is the crux of “Pale Sister,” as it sort of is for Coroner in general, but it feels extra next level when nailed to a theme that involves a potentially conflicted nun “with wounded knees… and the musty scent… of incense in her hair / Captured by the barbed hook… of eternal devotion.” Then again, welding that sort of unabashed joy to tech thrash that twists, turns, climbs, dives, punches and glides through umpteen time and tempo shifts has always been Coroner’s specialty, and if you can walk away from that stretch of absurdly cheery leads “Pale Sister” drops just before its halfway point without grinning like a devil, you just might be the un-funnest SOB swirling around the ol’ vortex. [CAPTAIN]

SPECTATORS OF SIN

[Death Cult, 1986]

Tom G. mother-f’n Warrior! As we discussed earlier, the former roadies recruited the Celtic Frost frontman for their 1986 demo Death Cult. With Thomas Gabriel behind the mic, it does sound like a more technical Celtic Frost at times—he even throws in his patented “OOGH”—but while there’s that glaring similarity, “Spectators of Sin” still sounds like Coroner. Sure, they were still fine-tuning their sound, leaving opportunities to unveil a plethora of surprises up their sleeves for the remainder of their career. But, man, this track sure does kick all kinds of ass, even if it is Coroner at their most primitive. It’s also yet another reminder of just how influential Celtic Frost was on the entire 80s extreme music scene. We owe a lot to those lads.

If you’re a die-hard Coroner fan, I’m sure you’ve heard this one. If not, well, you’re in for a treat. It won’t be the most groundbreaking thing you’ve heard this year, but it will be one of the coolest. The emergency response call ends in a “666” before that killer guitar tone drops in—legendary shit. [BLIZZARD OF JOZZSH]

FRIED ALIVE

[R.I.P., 1987]

Good morning, chowhounds, and welcome back to “He’s A Real Ham n’ Egger”, your FAVORITE reaction channel this side of the griddle. On this week’s edition, Isaac slurps down his first ever “Fried Alive” by Swiss tech thrash jumbos, Coroner! He’s buttering up the headphones right now – let’s tune in…

“Hmm. I swear I buttered up these cans…this track is desert dry. Oh well, as long as it rips. (audible, punchy bass lines) Hey! It rips! OK, so the Genius info says this is from their debut album released in 1987. Holy shit, 1987?! That’s…sick. Yeah, this is definitely sick. (time passes and Isaac’s gradually and continually distorts, slack-jawed and squinty-eyed) Wow, so I just hit about 2:50 in the track and they are going OFF. This is like…super technical but tasteful? Is it elegant? Leave it to the Swiss to make elegant, techy, tasteful thrash in goddamn 1987.” (classic thrash punch-out finish and gang vocal teabag).

“Well, yeah. I was expecting greasy but this, fellas, was FIRE. Plenty of groove changes and technicality without sacrificing the bone-headed fisticuffs of your average thrash group. Yeah, I’d eat at Coroner again. This one gets 4/5 coffee-stained napkins. LIKESHARESUBSCRIBE.” [ISAAC HAMS]

READ MY SCARS

[No More Color, 1989]

The first ten seconds or so of “Read My Scars” feels like a horror movie scene to me. Jolting, percussive riffs split by silence that feels longer than it is. Like flashes of a silver edge against the shadowy shapes of a midnight alley, a wet toothy grin there then gone. That’s a good lot of the song’s charm, actually, how it plays to those base emotions the way a soundtrack can.

There’s just so much suspense throughout, from those opening seconds to the wailing guitar line presaging Ron Royce’s opening words, “My cries echo on a naked wall.” Frenetic riffs and drums alternating between sharp strikes and rolling volleys symbolize the conflict behind the harrowed figure’s hands on the album cover.

The solo section is the song’s centerpiece and it is remarkable, just an incredible musical portrayal of manic maelstrom, what it might feel like for that paranoid schizophrenic trying desperately to keep it all together, to keep us safe from him. There is a very slight resolution, though it’s still chaotic, tenuously held. Uh-oh, here comes the pain.

Of course, we find comfort in making entertainment of such experiences, distancing ourselves from the fear it might happen to us, but heavy metal relates more honestly than a lot of communities and “Read My Scars” is a great example. [LONE WATIE]

INTERNAL CONFLICTS

[Grin, 1993]

Coroner’s Grin, their “final album” until they finally release another this fall (we think), represented both an evolution and devolution of their sound. The riffs were less complex and the thrashing subdued compared to earlier records in favor of something far groovier, but the time signature trickery and general proginess in the song structures was as prevalent as ever. There’s a reason it’s a little divisive among fans.

But, it definitely has its fans (hello) and more than a few standout tracks. One of these is “Internal Conflicts,” which succeeds largely by being a song of contrasts. It’s a huge slab of groovy riffs, driving (and sometimes tricky) rhythms, Tommy T. Baron shred, and Ron Royce vocal vitriol, but it’s in how it combines all these things that it rises to greatness. It uses repetition as a tool, but because it features crescendos and dynamic shifts, never quite fully repeats itself. Some passages give extra space and atmosphere for Baron’s soloing, but others are made extremely knotty and heavy by Marquis Marky’s relentless drumming and those little extra rhythmic touches. And yes, it features infectious groove riffs that would make Pantera jealous, but it also manages to stay true to Coroner’s progressive sensibilities through its complex structure. Not even a touch of jumpdafucup could erase Coroner’s sophistication. [ZACH DUVALL]

MASKED JACKAL

[Punishment for Decadence, 1988]

“Masked Jackal” from 1988’s Punishment for Decadence tells the tale of a demagogue peddling false promises to gain power. “Worshiped By The Masses, Leader With Ulterior Motives” goes the chorus, and I think it’s fair to call such a tale timeless. Coroner’s tale, at least, has a happy ending, with the leader being shot to death on live television.

The frenetic nature of thrash doesn’t always make it best suited to conjuring a sinister vibe, but Coroner does yeoman’s work accompanying this sinister tale with complimentary music. A set of riffs not-exactly mid-paced, but restrained by Coroner’s standards begins the tune: a driving and insistent pulse interspersed with undulating melody. Though the tempo may be relatively moderate, the band’s trademark combination of precision and intensity is still evident: there is very little breathing room between notes, and riff transitions are quick and seamless.

Of course, a band like Coroner can only be reined in for so long, and so it is no surprise that the band cuts loose in “Masked Jackal’s” mid-section with not one, but two immaculate solos from Tommy T. Baron. The song then reaches its climax at 3:04 with a melodic riff so fast and furious it would give Yngwie Malmsteen sore fingers. One could say the band was showing off, but why listen to Coroner if not to be dazzled?

In the end “Masked Jackal” succeeds for all the typical reasons that a coroner song succeeds: grim, thought-provoking lyrics, clever composition, and absolutely brilliant playing executed with blistering intensity. [JEREMY MORSE]

SEMTEX REVOLUTION

[Mental Vortex, 1991]

Look, here’s a silly and unscientific way to think about Coroner: album length. R.I.P. came in just under 40 minutes: long enough to settle into a statement but not long enough to linger. Punishment and Color each trimmed things down to a tight and savage 34-35 minutes. With Mental Vortex, Coroner started to stretch, and get (perhaps self-consciously) serious. Then with Grin, we’ve ballooned out to nearly an hour. Like I said: silly, right? This doesn’t automatically tell us anything. And yet, and yet…

Anyway, hello: “Semtex Revolution”! The short version: it kicks ass! The slightly longer: the year is 1991, and although we know Coroner is not a death metal band, the warm-toned funk moves that they heave and push against their otherwise woozy staccato tech-thrash means it kinda makes sense to notice that, hey, this was swimming in the same stream as Unquestionable Presence, Human, and Testimony of the Ancients. If you sit and dissect the structure of the song, even though it A-B-A-Bs itself seemingly halfway through the alphabet, it all flows with an internal logic that you can recognize even if you can’t precisely name it. Best of all might be a gorgeous and unexpectedly elongated guitar solo in the midsection, but it’s so nestled in tasteful acoustics, nervy rhythm work, punchy shout-along verses, and a feeling of hairpin dread that no single piece eclipses another. Hell of a band, hell of a song. [DAN OBSTKRIEG]

DIE BY MY HAND

[No More Color, 1989]

Let’s start off bold, kids: “Die By My Hand” is not only one of Coroner’s best songs, it’s one of the best thrash metal songs ever written, by anyone at any time anywhere. The opening number to Coroner’s third album (the middle in their trilogy of solid-10/10 tech-thrash killers, 1989’s blistering No More Color), “Die By My Hand” is a perfect summation of the power of this Swiss trio, all technical riffing atop a rhythmic interplay so tightly wound that it feels less intricate than it really is. Vetterli and Royce weave spiralling runs atop Marky’s primal rhythms, building from a rolling tom and bass intro, and all of it spins up into that instant-hook chorus, damned near impossible not to shout along with, custom-made for fists in the air. That chunky slashing verse riff is irresistible, and Vetterli’s lead break is impressive, and the whole of it is top-tier… but it’s really always all about that chorus, the stabbing high notes bolstering Royce’s Tom G. Warrior-esque snarl… Sing it with me now “Die! By! My! Hand!” And that’s why this is one of the best thrash metal songs ever written by anyone at any time anywhere. [ANDREW EDMUNDS]