Despite Dissonance Theory (Century Media Records) being Coroner’s first album in 32 years, there is little effort to ride the coattails of former glories and revisit what they did on masterpieces like “Punishment For Decadence”; instead, they have updated their sound to smooth out any of the wrinkles from the eighties to present something very vital for 2025. This means some things have changed. Tommy Baron and Ron Royce return without Marquis Marky behind the kit, a change that is more pronounced when you are a trio.
Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. It’s not until “Crisium Bound” that they dip into their classic Thrash feel. Instead, what we are given might be better than a trip down memory lane, as they have balanced all the sides that set them apart from other bands, like their prog leanings and odd touches of thinking man’s atmosphere. At the time, it felt like they were on a more sci-fi Voivod-like trip. A significant difference lies in how forward Royce’s vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, having certainly grown more confident in his approach. You can hear how they influenced bands like Meshuggah and Mastodon on the song “Symmetry,” which races at a more Thrash speed, but there are some subtle time changes. It has a cool, darker shift in mood that the song winds around to.
On songs like “The Law” and “Transparent Eye,” they prove they are not running dry on catchy riffs. It is stunning how ahead of their time they were, as they are just perfecting what they were doing, and it fits perfectly with the mood of 2025.”Trinity” with a progressive mood coming into the forefront against the winding chug of guitar, as the drums hold down the groove. The guitar solos are more tasteful than what you expect from a Thrash album in 2025. It takes a few listens before you pay attention to the lyrics. There seem to be fewer metaphors and more storytelling than what they did on “Masked Jakals.” Most of the songs have an end-of-the-world theme, which is the kind of energy we need from more Metal bands.
“Renewal” leans more into the frenzied Speed Metal side of things. It does rein it into more of a groove, but if you need your Thrash on the faster side, you are the audience for this song.
Otherwise, it might make you dizzy. There is even a keyboard solo in the last song, which sounds more like they are jamming off the vibe of the previous song. They have continued to perfect what they do, as these guys are not content to live on nostalgia and seem to have even more weight and depth today.
Buy the album here:
https://coronerofficial.bandcamp.com/album/dissonance-theory-24-bit-hd-audio
9 / 10
WIL CIFER
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