Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Coroner - R.I.P. (1987)
I've been a big fan of technical/progressive metal for almost 6 years now, but never really the old 80s thrash metal. Of course, sometimes exceptions are made because the progressive elements I really enjoy spice up the thrash. That's certainly the case for Coroner! In my previous Coroner reviews, I've mentioned that this band is never really my favorite because of the experimentation weighing heavily against the heaviness it should've had, especially in Mental Vortex, but now I can reconsider that initial thought and finally see that they're one of the most influential Swiss extreme metal bands besides Celtic Frost. Lots of heaviness and Ron Royce's harsh vocals can be found in R.I.P.!
What I like about this band is how it stands out against the typical standard thrash metal bands, such as its unique style. Their instrumental ability helps them become superior compared to other bands in the 80s thrash scene and would give them greater impact in their later albums, all starting in 1987 with this album R.I.P. There's quite a lot of awesome material in here; 13 tracks (including 5 instrumentals) in 45 minutes!
Unusual for a thrash album, the "Intro" is a piano instrumental that kicks off the album which is enjoyable and their own original work. It really has a sinister mood before the raw darkness... The metal action begins with the classic "Reborn Through Hate", still played live since their recent reformation. This song shows how incredibly talented this band is in true aggressive technical thrash metal. I love it! This is followed by another favorite "When Angels Die" with great riffs and chorus both catchy as f***. The choirs are unexpected but bring a unique aspect. It's awesome how the band focuses on inspiration instead of the brutality of other thrash bands. There's another classically-influenced "Intro", followed by... "Nosferatu", an instrumental piece of technical thrash violence, showing the band what a blast they're having without ever f***ing around.
"Suicide Command" stands out in heavy thrash pleasure with prominent bass. "Spiral Dream" has absolutely furious tempo. The album's title track has another classically-influenced intro with a depressive mood before switching an intense f***ing heavy with nice guitar riffs and melodic bass groove. You can hear more of the bass that's high in the mix in the next track "Coma". Same with "Fried Alive" where the bass flawlessly follows the guitar melodies in a smooth pattern. More of the killer technical thrash is there to please me more than Metallica!
Then the next thing present is another little synth "Intro"... And finally, "Totentanz" is another song of technical thrash violence to end the aggression in a powerful bang. And the album ends with an "Outro" that is another thrashy instrumental, this time with sinister keyboards.
Overall, "R.I.P." is a h*ll of a killer album and probably my favorite one of the 80s thrash metal scene, with a primitive feeling that's never bad. Of course, they would become more progressive in subsequent albums which I didn't approve of at first but now I possibly might! I would later have to review the remaining Coroner albums; Punishment for Decadence and the (gulp) mechanical-groove-infused Grin to confirm the band's "favorite" status for myself. But for now, enjoy this early tech-thrash recommendation!
Favorites: Reborn Through Hate, When Angels Die, Suicide Command, R.I.P., Fried Alive, Totentanz