Dissonance Theory

The Swiss thrash trio Coroner produced five albums (and a self-titled odds-and-ends farewell compilation) in their initial run, evolving from 1987’s ambitious and flashy (with occasional Popol Vuh-esque intros and interludes) R.I.P. to 1993’s grimy, industrial-tinged Grin. Then they faded away. But in 2010, they reunited and began playing live, and now, more than 30 years after their last album, they’re fully back. Bassist/vocalist Ronald Broder has a hoarse rasp close to that of Celtic Frost/Triptykon’s Tom Gabriel Fischer, and it’s only grown harsher with age; at times, he sounds like Motörhead’s Lemmy in his latter years, with more precise enunciation. Guitarist Thomas Vetterli is a brilliant player; his ability to shift seamlessly between crunching thrash riffs, shredtastic solos, and the occasional jazz/ambient interlude puts him somewhere between Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and the Rollins Band’s Chris Haskett. Drummer Diego Rapacchietti is a new addition, having replaced founding member Markus Edelmann in 2014, and his tribal pounding fits right in. Because they were off the scene for three decades, Coroner have no embarrassing attempts to grapple with alternative rock, nü-metal or dubstep in their catalog, so all they had to do to return as heroes was pick up where they left off, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. The songs on Dissonance Theory are a direct outgrowth of the band’s previous work. They gleam like a Terminator skeleton, marching inexorably forward, the occasional instrumental flourish going off like fireworks in a dark tunnel.