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)
Sirens
Coroner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we were dancin' on bridges
High above rivers of tears and
The lightness of innocence gave us wings
We were sleepin' covered
By darkness' black velvet
So far from coldness
Where is the place
I used to hide
Where are the hearts
Once given to me
And I can feel it now
The white cold hand
For the first time I'm getting hurt
By the thorns of the roses in my hand
Time is returning to its realm
And it's slowly melting away
Like deep red wax
Leaving pools of blood
Where is the place
I used to hide
Where are the hearts
Once given to me
And sweet voices, turn into sirens
Foretelling, the presence of death
The lyrics of Coroner's song "Sirens" depict the nostalgia of the past, particularly in relation to a time of innocence and freedom. The opening lines, "Oh how I lived the game / When we were dancin' on bridges / High above rivers of tears" reveals a carefree attitude, characterized by the youthful activity of dancing on bridges. This innocent escapism is then juxtaposed with the looming presence of death, as the "sweet voices, turn into sirens" that "Foretelling, the presence of death". The lyrics suggest a loss of the past, the singer reflecting on the darkness and uncertainty of the present, and the painful reality of the present that contrasts with the freedom and vitality of the past.
The darkness of the present is emphasized by the imagery of darkness and coldness ("We were sleepin' covered / By darkness' black velvet / So far from coldness / So far from light"), and the pain of the present is expressed through the metaphor of thorns in the singer's hand, as the singer recognizes the impermanence of happiness and the inevitability of suffering.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sirens" convey the weight of nostalgia and the loss of innocence, as well as the contrast between the lightness of the past and the darkness of the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh how I lived the game
The singer loved the thrill of life and all the good and bad that came with it.
When we were dancin' on bridges
The singer reflects back to times of happiness and uninhibited behavior.
High above rivers of tears and
Despite the turbulent emotions in life, the singer and companions always kept their heads held high.
The lightness of innocence gave us wings
The innocent and carefree nature of the past provided a sense of freedom and buoyancy.
We were sleepin' covered
The artist recalls times of shelter and security.
By darkness' black velvet
The comfort and warmth of the dark was a welcome relief from the harshness of the world outside.
So far from coldness
Amidst the darkness, there was always a sense of warmth and comfort.
So far from light
Despite the solace found in darkness, there was always a sense of longing for light and all the positivity it brings.
Where is the place
The artist wonders where a specific, comforting place has gone.
I used to hide
The artist remembers a time where they felt the need to hide from the troubles of the world.
Where are the hearts
The singer wonders where certain people they cared about in the past have gone.
Once given to me
These individuals were important to the artist and were once in their life.
And I can feel it now
The singer is suddenly struck by an intense emotional feeling.
The white cold hand
This feeling is akin to an icy grip on the singer's heart and mind.
For the first time I'm getting hurt
This feeling is a deep hurt the singer is experiencing for the first time.
By the thorns of the roses in my hand
This pain is caused by something beautiful and seemingly harmless -- like the thorns of a rose that it grasping.
Time is returning to its realm
The artist feels time is becoming consistent again, rather than moving fluidly.
And it's slowly melting away
Time is fleeting and moving away from the singer.
Like deep red wax
Time is moving away and leaving a mess behind, like melting wax.
Leaving pools of blood
The remnants of time’s movement manifested in the form of blood symbolizing remnants of pain.
And sweet voices, turn into sirens
The happiness and joy of the past have left and given way to sirens singing a call of warning.
Foretelling, the presence of death
These sirens are a warning for an impending death or sense of doom to come.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARQUIS MARKY, RON ROYCE, TOMMY T. BARON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind