The Swiss thrash trio Coroner were originally road crew for Celtic Frost. They eventually formed their own group, recording their demo Death Cult in 1986 with Tom G. Warrior of Celtic Frost on vocals. Their first full-length album R.I.P., released in 1987, featured bass player Ron Broder on vocals and he assumed the role for the rest of the group's existence.
The group released several albums through to 1993, ending with a greatest hits collection, Coroner, in 1995. Lack of media exposure brought this band to disbanding in 1995 — and to their farewell tour consequent to their self-titled album in January and February 1996.
In March 2005, talks of a reunion were in the works, but later retracted. The main reason was that neither Marky, Ron, nor Tommy had the time it would require to do this properly, and also that none of them liked to, quote, "reheat things, except spaghetti sauce." However, in June 2010, Coroner eventually decided to reunite and play at the Hellfest Summer Open Air 2011 edition. Asked if the band were planning to write a new album, guitarist Tommy Vetterli replied, "you know, making a new album is kind of difficult... (Pause) Well, you never know. Maybe after four or five shows we'll get into it and say, 'Hey! Let's do an album!' Nobody knows what's going to happen. We don't have a master plan".
Musically, Coroner evolved from a speed metal band with gothic and classical overtones like Celtic Frost and Bathory into a technical-based band. Coroner's first album, R.I.P., was based on neo-classical lines and was technical and classically influenced.
The second album, Punishment for Decadence, saw a progression into a more complex sound with a unison of bass and guitar. Tempo changes interspersed mid-paced sections and the odd slow passage between the faster passages started to emerge. Lyrically, Coroner began to write about themes such as politics and personal introspection.
No More Color was produced by Pete Hinton and the band. Coroner's music became more technical on No More Color as the guitar work was characterized by intricate modes and arpeggios, solo work that was chromatically colorful, as well as the de rigueur crunchy chords and speed runs; the drumming went beyond the 4/4 time of Coroner's two previous albums to incorporate odd time signatures which became their trademark. Ron Royce's bass playing is also worth a mention as having an advanced three-finger technique which enables him to double the rhythm line as well as perform more intricate riffs. Prime examples of this are the opener "Die By My Hand" with its vicious riffing and the harmonic minor inspired riff in the middle of "Mistress of Deception". There is an altogether dark mood on this album that could be classified as death metal yet spans many influences from other metal genres. The closer "Last Entertainment" is a prescient take on TV.
Mental Vortex continued the evolution over No More Color. Continuing with the previous album's technical formula, the speed metal formula was re-integrated into Coroner's sound on this album but with a tone that made it sound not at all like R.I.P. or Punishment for Decadence. There were slower songs but none of the songs on Mental Vortex stayed the same speed for very long. The songs on Mental Vortex ranged from four to eight minutes. Overall, the tone was a shift from the thrash/technical of No More Color which showed them gravitating towards their opus Grin.
Grin saw a much more industrial sound and was a natural progression from Mental Vortex but was different from most of their previous material. It involved a much more reflective guitar riff and underlying bass line. It was slower and more refined in its metal sensibility. Brooding guitar over Royce's bass produced an almost hypnotic trance-like sound on some tracks.
Their eponymous album, Coroner, was a compilation which contained unreleased material and a selection of hits from previous albums.
The band appears on Brütal Legend with the song "Skeleton On Your Shoulder".
Current line-up:
Ron Broder (as Ron Royce) – vocals, bass
Marky Edelmann (as Marquis Marky) – drums
Tommy Vetterli (as Tommy T. Baron) – guitars
Former members:
Chris Vetterli - Bass
Oliver Amberg - Guitar
Peter Haas - Drums
Guests:
Tom G. Warrior (Thomas Gabriel Fischer) - vocals (Death Cult demo)
Gary Marlowe - ambient synthesizers and keyboards (Punishment For Decadence album)
Discography:
R.I.P. (1987)
Punishment for Decadence (1988)
No More Color (1989)
Mental Vortex (1991)
Grin (1993)
Compilations
Coroner (1995)
The Unknown Unreleased Tracks 1985-95 (1996)
Singles
"Die By My Hand" (1989)
"Purple Haze" (1989)
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" (1991)
Demos:
Death Cult (1986)
R.I.P. demo (1987)
Punishment for Decadence (1988)
Split Releases:
Doomsday News III - Thrashing East Live (1990, split album with Kreator, Tankard and Sabbat)
Videography
No More Color Tour '90 - Live in East Berlin (1990, VHS)
"Masked Jackal" (music video)
"Last Entertainment" (music video)
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" (music video)
R.I.P
Coroner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Surrounded by darkness
And I really don't know
Is this reality? Or is it just a dream"
Smell of death morbid smell, what else can it be?
No anymore, my lips are blue. Nothing
Walls are moving, deep inside, I don't care about death
Everything I needed before, is unimportant now
I don't need no prayers now, just give back the light
I won't cry not anymore, nobody can give me help
Rotten flowers between my hands, remembrance of my life
Tears are rolling it's time to say goodbye
Death brings a smile and R.I.P.
Forgotten time, forgotten sense, my mind is paralyzed
Rats and worms, left as friends. They're eating me away
Spider webs on my hands, all wrapped up in chains
I am sure I'll see again, your days are numbered too
The lyrics of Coroner's song R.I.P. are about the acceptance of death and the inevitable reality of mortality. The opening lines "now I lay here, surrounded by darkness, and I really don't know, is this reality or is it just a dream?" highlight the confusion and uncertainty often associated with dying. The singer is surrounded by the smell of death and the only company they have are the worms and rats that are slowly eating them away. The singer's mind is paralyzed, as they reflect on their life and the unimportant things they once cared about.
The lyrics suggest that the singer has come to terms with their impending death and no longer fears it. Death brings a smile and the final sentence "I am sure I'll see again, your days are numbered too" suggests a belief in reincarnation or an afterlife. The use of "R.I.P." as the title echoes the sentiment of the song - rest in peace, a wish for a peaceful afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I lay here
I am lying here, possibly dead
Surrounded by darkness
I am in a dark place
And I really don't know
I am uncertain
Is this reality? Or is it just a dream
I am questioning whether this is real or just a dream
Smell of death morbid smell, what else can it be?
I can smell death all around me, nothing else can produce such an odor
No anymore, my lips are blue. Nothing
I am no longer alive, my lips have turned blue and there is nothing more to it
Walls are moving, deep inside, I don't care about death
I can feel the walls moving, but I am not concerned about death
The sun's far away, no hope any more, no chance, I can't get out
I am in a hopeless situation, with no chance of escape
Everything I needed before, is unimportant now
All the things that mattered to me before, no longer matter now
I don't need no prayers now, just give back the light
I have no need for prayers, I just want to see the light again
I won't cry not anymore, nobody can give me help
I have stopped crying, and no one can help me anymore
Rotten flowers between my hands, remembrance of my life
I am holding rotten flowers, which serve as a reminder of my life
Tears are rolling it's time to say goodbye
I am shedding tears, it's time for me to say goodbye
Death brings a smile and R.I.P.
I am happy to embrace death, and wish for rest in peace
Forgotten time, forgotten sense, my mind is paralyzed
Time and sense are forgotten, my mind is numb and unresponsive
Rats and worms, left as friends. They're eating me away
Rats and worms are my only companions, and they are devouring my body
Spider webs on my hands, all wrapped up in chains
My hands are covered in spider webs, and I feel trapped in chains
I am sure I'll see again, your days are numbered too
I am confident that I will see others again, as their time is also limited
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CH BRODER ROLAND, MARKUS EDELMANN, ROLAND CH BRODER, THOMAS VETTERLI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Xtreme Underrated Music (Ignat Stamaton)
1. Intro 00:00 instrumental
2. Reborn Through Hate 01:23
3. When Angels Die 06:15
4. Intro (Nosferatu) 10:57 instrumental
5. Nosferatu 12:08 instrumental
6. Suicide Command 15:43
7. Spiral Dream 20:02
8. R.I.P. 24:07
9. Coma 29:43
10. Fried Alive 33:58
11. Intro (Totentanz) 38:38 instrumental
12. Totentanz 39:30
13. Outro 43:42 instrumental
Xtreme Underrated Music (Ignat Stamaton)
1. Intro 00:00 instrumental
2. Reborn Through Hate 01:23
3. When Angels Die 06:15
4. Intro (Nosferatu) 10:57 instrumental
5. Nosferatu 12:08 instrumental
6. Suicide Command 15:43
7. Spiral Dream 20:02
8. R.I.P. 24:07
9. Coma 29:43
10. Fried Alive 33:58
11. Intro (Totentanz) 38:38 instrumental
12. Totentanz 39:30
13. Outro 43:42 instrumental
Clyde White
Say what you will this band should be bigger their so good one of the best
Osvaldo Marzioni
👍
hvitekristesdød
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
RedLaserFox
Thanks Ignat 🤘
timbuk1
This is one of the main albums that blew my mind back in the day along with Morbid Angel's Alters of Madness, D.R.I.'s 4 of a Kind and Sacrifice's Forward to Termination.
Rey Calamaan
Definitely an album where no track skipping occurs. This ones a burner from start to end!
Benjamin Colon
Epic. Takes me to high school years. So good. Such underrated band
Xtreme Underrated Music (Ignat Stamaton)
Yeah..i hope to release the new album this year...
Fredrik Radsby
Pure magic.. Nothing before or after this album has ever never sounded like this... A graal in speed metal/thrash history.. A must in your collections..