Monday, July 20, 2009

Coroner - Mental Vortex (1991, Swizterland) Progressive Thrash Metal/Industrial Metal


This is where the revolution came, gone are the fiddly tech approach of the past, this version of Coroner is regimented, syncopated and pummelling (and still fast). It's also a much darker more mature sound with more tasteful solos and lead guitar work. Every track on this album is very very solid, although opener 'Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis)' is easily one of the best, it would be competing only with masked jackal as my favourite Coroner track.

One of the best things Coroner do is covers, their cover of Purple Haze is truly unique and awesome but they totally outdid themselves with their cover of The Beatles' song 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' to close the album. It's pretty much the perfect cover when you think about it, it shows the song in a whole new light whilst remaning faithful to the original and manages to recreate and sustain much of the dark mood generated on the album in such a way that it's almost as if Coroner themselves wrote the song. On top of that emotion of the original is still there and further adds to the complexity of the song. It's one of those ones you really need to listen to quite a few times in order to fully digest just what the hell is going on and what the hell you think of it (although to be fair many closed minded beatles purists would not approve). And frankly for a band like Coroner to do a beatles cover and to take it seriously takes a whole lot of balls.

Mental Vortex is a pretty intense listen, but it's also a very personal and rewarding one and amongst all the metal albums I listen to it and the final Coroner album stand out in that regard. This is an absolute must in the Coroner catalogue.

Tracklisting:

1 Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis) (6:22)
2 Son Of Lilith (6:53)
3 Semtex Revolution (5:30)
4 Sirens (5:35)
5 Metamorphosis (5:32)
6 Pale Sister (4:55)
7 About Life (5:18)
8 I Want You (She's So Heavy) (7:14)
Written-By - Lennon-McCartney

Download Here: (Coroner - Mental Vortex, 256kbps)

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