helterskelter.ca

CORONER
1988 - Punishment For Decadence.
1989 - No More Color.
1991 - Mental Vortex.
1993 - Grin.
way more Helter Skelter.

August 1, 1988 - 2023: 35 years of: Punishment For Decadence.

Europe's second strike.

The speed is fast and the mosh is aggressive, yet the 1985-86-87 speedmetal race was over ...the pace was now morphing into new territories. Once again led by Swiss Gods CELTIC FROST, the other Swiss roadies of CORONER were also plotting a new punishment ...for thrashmetal.

As soon as "Absorbed" blasts off, the elevated musical craftsmanship is evident. Raw and unregulated, "Shadow Of A Lost Dream" cleverly brings power and prowess, as also exhibited on "Voyage To Eternity". Wicked riffs after wicked riffs keeps us in-awe, as "Skeleton On Your Shoulder" creeps in, while the Hendrix-cover in "Purple Haze" is a fun outlook on the immortal-classic.

The video-single for "Masked Jackal", might be 1988's best underrated thrashmetal display. Intricate mid-part blues-lead breakdown bursting into a speed-rage, the track has since become a fan-favorite and band-signature. A perfect cut.

Following their explosive 1987 R.I.P. debut-LP, the trio would rapidly push the thrash-agenda into new terrifying textures of off-set extreme metal, all built on jazz-vibed rhythms. Digging further into explorations, the experimentations would bloom into 1989's none monochromic: No More Color LP.

*
Masked Jackal = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2OIlzqmn58
Punishment For Decadence = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWv-5UH3ZOE&list=OLAK5uy_moFgtawgzmPv8Ot1IlkvhtOgK6yVG2QQo
Live in Switzerland in 1988
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F700h4o_Pc

September 18, 1989 - 2019: 30 years of: No More Color.

Fine, classy and precise ...just like a Swiss watch.

CORONER never disappoint, never. Part of the Second Wave of the Euro-thrash movement, the trio were in constant competition with the bigger acts: CELTIC FROST, KREATOR and SODOM ...yet they managed to create a (death) cult following that matches the band's technicality.

Right from their first LP, 1987's R.I.P., the Zurich-boys displayed crafty musicianship that would evolve with 1988's Punishment For Decadence and fully bloom with 1989's magnum opus: No More Color.

The onslaught opens-up with "Die By My Hand" and right after the first 90seconds, we know that this is a very mature band and that this LP will be an amazing ride. "No Need To Be Human" is a mid-pace piece that leaves no stone unturned, the track is supported by a pure commanding thrashmetal riff. Perfection is unlocked with the blistering "Read My Scars", picture a snippet of what RUSH in 1975 would be as a thrashmetal band ...yes it's that good !

On the flipside, the fast and punchy "Tunnel Of Pain" shamelessly tears everything apart, while the final cut, the mesmerizing instrumental epic track "Last Entertainment" is a progressive trip into metal's deepest region.

Sadly CORONER never gain massive sales or much approval from the industry. While the metal spotlight was always on the SLAYER's, METALLICA's and TESTAMENT's of the era, the Swiss-trio were left aside but developed their own brand of prog-thrashmetal, a style now worshipped by a whole new generations of thrashers.

It is a fact that the subpar artwork-cover and little / limited support from Noise Records didn't do much to push this release higher, yet No More Color is far from being monochrome, as the multiple colorful shades of the metal spectrum are used and abused throughout this explosive LP: a true thrashmetal gem !

*
No More Color = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGLbxT8E0Wo
Interview in 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDvvleXbNwo
Live in East-Berlin in 1990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc16Ga3x0l4
some guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIF3hUdhX_M

August 12, 1991 - 2021: 30 years of: Mental Vortex.

One of the last shiny jewel on the thrashmetal-crown.

1991 is a pristine year for deathmetal, the new wave in metal brutality, but some 80s thrash-merchants still had a word to say in the calendar-year that broke down all the rock-barriers.

CORONER was never part of any scenes per say, as their evolution exponentially exploded with their 1988 Punishment For Decadence LP. Another plateau was reached with 1989's cornerstone bombastic No More Color LP prog-thrash powerhouse ...and now, the re-evolution of smart thrashmetal is at hand. The psychotic operation mindcrime of perfect metal proportions: Mental Vortex.

The fast beat and time-signature gets revamped on the heavenly opening of "Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis)". Intelligent metal with rich fluent guitar-lead, courtesy of underground shredder Tommy T. Baron. The off-set juggernaut rhythms of "Pale Sister" cracks the brain wide-open, while the clinical surgical-steel precision of the explosive "Semtex Revolution" could very well be one of the best thrashmetal track of the entire decade.

More metal wisdom is put to tape on the driving "Son Of Lilith" and the megatonic mutating monstrous "Metamorphosis", where once again, the magic of Mr. Baron hypnotizes. The added BEATLES reprise "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a clever metal take on an already melodramatic classic.

A major miss-step in the album's promotion as "I Want You" was chosen for an MTV-video. Good track and interesting angle, but this inadvertently shuns light on the stellar material included within this 47mins metal-mayhem musicianship masterpiece.

Sadly already deep into the undergrounds of Europe, the mighty CORONER never gained mainstream, yet alone lukewarm-metalhead awareness. This gem-band was and is still today, one of the best kept secret progressive-thrashmetal has ever possessed. Swiss by origin, underground by faith, CORONER's discography still dazzles the mind and the impeccable Metal Vortex is their crowning achievement ...until the upcoming 45° turn on the 1993's jazz-thrash tour-de-force Grin CD.

"We have to see, we have to know..."

*
I Want You (She's So Heavy) = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcy8cqKQw8w
Mental Vortex = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s32m2XjP-k0&list=PLlTSqF66IqjX_i53jaWFRweUtugCrPEYw
Interview for German TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DejORVq9qg
Live in Detroit in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTrnOh5x2kw
some guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLxdQB_eqo4

June 1, 1993 - 2023: 30 years of: Grin.

Perfection.

1993: thrash ain't dead, it just went deeper within the underground. Following the perfect 1991 Mental Vortex CD, the perfect trio would release the epitome of metal perfection. Eons away from the Black Album, the CORONER's report is clear: this unit is thrash / fusion metal perfection.

After the tribal-intro of "Dream Path", the atmosphere swallows us deep into "The Lethargic Age". Cold and calculated, this metal-mission is of the highest standards. More magical riffs attack on the fast "Internal Conflicts" and the power-punch of "Serpent Moves". The top production and pristine pacing, places this band, once again, in a league of their own.

Crushing the decibel-meter with "Status: Still Thinking", the mean riff-o-rama is of the deadly kind. Tommy T. Baron's guitar-playing and effects are pure metal gems, while the still hypnotizing bass-playing and vocals of Ron Royce, redefines intelligent thrashmetal engineering as a whole.

The arenarock flavor of "Paralyzed, Mesmerized" ain't no sell-out attempt, but a clever listenable hard-metal exhibition. Providing more technically perfect rhythms, the 8:24sec of "Host" is an intricate outlook on extreme metal with modern industrial off-set patterns.

The metamorphosis is complete.
This could've been the future of thrashmetal.

Part of Thrash-Metal's Second Wave, the European Chapter, CORONER's career was never blessed with commercial appeal or commercial rewards. The industry drastically changed in the mid 90s, but ironically, their unique blend of solid craft stood the test of time, in this crowded scene.

Following a 1995 compilation-CD, CORONER would disband shortly ...to make a live comeback, a decade and a half later, in 2010, to fans and critics appraise. At press-time, the current 2023 Swiss-trio, minus original Atomic-clock drummer Marquis Marky, are putting the final touches on their first material in over 28 years.

*
Grin = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qco1sXLDXi0&list=OLAK5uy_kzMLmFKSnLxPggqk7mYXN1noHRoayeBME
Live in Germany in 1993
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kquQ_wCfY5E
some guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS8spXtTJtA