Punishment for Decadence (Punishment For Decadence - Coroner)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Punishment For Decadence - Coroner
Date:	12/06/08 (11 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great guitar performance from Tommy Vetterli.

Disadvantages: Still fairly standard thrash.

The most disappointing and ironic thing about these 'technical' metal bands is how similar they all tend to sound, at least in their application of the same guitar style in a misguided bid to appear distinctive. Fortunately, Coroner came early on before the movement really took off, and the fine performance of Tommy Vetterli dominates the proceedings, only sounding generic when taken out of historical context. Vetterli is given the instrumental 'Arc-Lite' to really show off his lead skills, but every song is full of great, unpredictable guitar sections.

Ron Broder's vocals are satisfyingly evil, keeping Coroner quite rightly aligned to the darker side of thrash, and the gloomy production quality enhances this wicked atmosphere further. With its predominantly fast pace, catchy choruses and enjoyable solos that never outstay their welcome, there's no reason that this album shouldn't be easily enjoyed by a fan of Slayer or Testament, while those with a taste for the progressive should still find much to appreciate. The only song that doesn't really work is the ill-advised cover of Jimi Hendrix's 'Purple Haze.'

1. Intro
2. Absorbed
3. Masked Jackal
4. Arc-Lite
5. Skeleton on Your Shoulder
6. Sudden Fall
7. Shadow of a Lost Dream
8. The New Breed
9. Voyage to Eternity
10. Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix cover)

Summary: Coroner's second album (1988).