Reviews list for Coroner - Mental Vortex (1991)
Coroner are one the most underrated bands in metal. Every album they released was gold and Mental Vortex is one the many highlights of their too short career. This album fine-tuned what was already a great technical thrash metal sound and upped the song writing to near perfection. At first listen, it would be easy to write these tracks off as being simplistic as they are generally mid paced, easy listening style thrash metal. But there are a whole bunch of jaw dropping riffs and Tommy's lead work is second to none (and I mean that!). The solos on this album are some of the very finest I've ever heard, managing to be technically genius while completely memorable and unobtrusive to the solid tracks beneath. I can't praise him enough, so I'll stop trying.
Opener Divine Step is the fastest track on the album and gets the blood pumping immediately. A multitude of cracking riffs get things underway and the album never really drops the ball until I Want You, which is incredibly a Beatles song. It's not that this track is bad either, as Coroner manage to give it a total overhaul in darkness and heaviness. It just stands out like a sore thumb as being a completely different mood to the rest of the album, which is why I generally hate covers. Other highlights are Son of Lilith, Semtex Revolution, Metamorphosis and About Life. Not to be missed if you enjoy technical thrash metal that's not afraid to explore the slower, less chaotic realms of the genre.
I can't quite think of any other band in the thrash metal genre that has the flow of Coroner? Certainly without any elements of groove metal being incorporated at least? The technical yet scathing delivery of Mental Vortex is both entertaining and innovative in equal measure. Progressive structures, catchy riffs, grim and gnarly vocals and deft musicianship all tick boxes on this release. Whist not my favourite Coroner release, Mental Vortex gets fair amount of air time on Radio Macabre over the course of a year.
I think its popularity with me is largely around the accessibility and energy of it. The riffs feel like they have real meaning and feel behind them, the leads exude passion and emotion and yet at the same time the whole thing just comes across as so sensible. There's an order to proceedings here that allows all individual elements to breathe without ever becoming showy or flashy. They even do a decent job of covering The Beatles I Want You (She's So Heavy). The restraint shown is down to the professionalism of the artists involved. That knowledge of when to let rip and when to hold back and nurture a track is rare and the maturity really shines through on this their fourth full length offering.
Prior to this the band had built a solid discography, developing their technical and memorable sound since the early eighties. By the time 1991 came around Mental Vortex realised all the experience and maturity you would expect in a band that has been releasing material for nearly a decade.
My only quirks with it are that it feels like a bit of slog to start, with both the first two tracks touching the seven minute mark I do drift a bit initially. Overall though it is a fine example of a band hitting their stride and the music showing this.