Band:	Coroner
Album:	R.I.P.
Style:	Technical thrash metal
Release date:	1987
Guest review by:	Joey Jo Jo

01. Intro
02. Reborn Through Hate
03. When Angels Die
04. Intro (Nosferatu)
05. Nosferatu
06. Suicide Command
07. Spiral Dream
08. R.I.P.
09. Coma
10. Fried Alive
11. Intro (Totentanz)
12. Totentanz
13. Outro

These former Celtic Frost roadies never got too much recognition from the metal world for their music, which was years ahead of its time. Perhaps having Tom G. Warrior do vocal tracks for their famous demo had them in the shadows of the famous fellow Swiss band. As far as Coroner's debut "R.I.P." goes, it lacks direction generally. Although straight forward and aggressive, one would get the feeling of blank spots here and there, and especially with all that talent going around. The classical and atmospheric intros are done quite nicely, but seem very out of place. The stuff here is pretty fast and has a monstrous plodding sound, with plenty of great and powerful leads.

There is a "galloping" feel here that adds much aggression and brutality, but can take some time to get used to since it is an odd and not very common trait. The rhythm section is great and pulls no punches on tracks such as "Reborn Through Hate" and "When Angels Die". The instrumental opus "Nosferatu" is armed to the teeth in rage and adrenaline is the highlight, being the fastest and most aggressive thing on here. The vocals seem to resemble that of Kreator's, but do not take away from their surroundings and stay on the same level.

Tommy Baron can be argued to be the best guitar player in metal, but his insane shredding and great riffs do not save "R.I.P." from being monotonous and feeling disorientated. This can be a very fun album if played periodically, but can also be tedious if overdosed. This is not a bad debut at all since it shows the great potential and presence that Coroner have. They surely worked with it on later releases and have made some great stuff while showing a more mature side than here.