Coroner : "Dissonance Theory"

The band's first album in 32 years. Things are different in many ways, though they do not sound like they are in their 60s. Weirdly, Marquis Marky is not behind the kit, leaving Ron Royce and Tommy Baron as the only original members who feel more pronounced as a trio. Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. It's not until "Crisium Bound that it really feels like they are dipping into the kind of thrash that drove albums like their classic "Punishment for Decadence". But it all works as it finds a balance of 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 a more sci-fi Voivod-like trip

This is not them trying to recapture their 80s sound. Nor should they. A big difference lies in how forward Royce's vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, certainly having grown more confident in what he does.  You can hear how they influence bands like Meshuggah on the song "Symmetry," which races at a more thrash speed, but there are some subtle time changes. I like the darker shift 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" finds a more 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. I have not paid a great deal of attention to the lyrics, but this one seems to be about the end of the world, which is the energy I 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 uare the audience for this song. Otherwise, it might make you dizzy. There is even a keyboard solo in the last song, whcih sounds more like they are jamming off the vibe of the previous song. I will give this album a 9.5 and see how it grows on me; they are perfect where they came from to sound more vital today. 

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