Review by Felix on December 9, 2019.

Coroner are the prime example that good music is not enough to be really successful. They never had an aura like Celtic Frost, they never hailed the doctrines of the underground like some of their further label colleagues, for example early Kreator or Deathrow. Adding insult to injury, they also lacked an impressive image, and this was surely a reason why I never became a Coroner maniac, even though I admit that it should only be the music that counts. But here comes the next "problem": I never appreciated their form of thrash in the same way I loved the more rumbling approach of other hordes of the eighties. The style of the Swiss trio was a little bit too technical for my rather primitive music taste. Moreover, I must confess that I liked both the music and the clichés of the metal scene, but Coroner avoided a lot of stereotypes. That's actually a good thing, but my ignorant mind did not realize this actually laudable act of individuality. However, when I listen to an album like No More Color today, I cannot identify an extra portion technicality. I must have been totally confused during my adolescence - too many pretty girls I did not kiss...

In 2018, I am listening to pure thrash metal. Of course, there are some bulky riffs, for example during the verses of the opener or in "D.O.A.", but the listener is not confronted with an overwhelmingly big number of technical gimmicks. To prevent any doubts, let's say it clearly: you will not find arrogant demonstrations of musical skills for the sake of itself. The trio concentrates on the songs - and the results are amazing. "Mistress of Deception" combines crystal clear riffs with pretty discreet oriental tones, tracks like "Why it Hurts" are also mainly shaped by the (surprisingly straight) riffs. But Coroner also intersperse interesting breaks that enrich the respective song without hurting its flow ("Tunnel of Pain", for example). The song-writing mirrors the maturity that the band had achieved in 1989 and it marks the main advantage of the album, because the production leaves room for optimization. The guitars sideline the vocals. Therefore, the voice remains pretty vapid and fails to put its stamp on the compositions. This minor flaw aside, the album is properly recorded. It does not lack strength or vitality.

Coroner try to find the right balance between individual tracks and a homogeneous overall impression and they are pretty successful in doing so. The material boasts with constancy. In addition, it does not suffer from meaningless or boring sections. Even rather solid but not outstanding songs like "No Need to Be Human" are based on a more than sufficient idea. In alignment with the missing image of the band, the songs are presented in a bone-dry manner and this could be the reason why they lack this touch of extravagance that ennobled some compositions of their compatriots called Celtic Frost. But Tom Warrior's cult club is probably not the right benchmark, although Coroner's first steps were influenced by the role models from Switzerland. It makes more sense to recommend this album to these guys that like to listen to works such as Deathrow's "Deception Ignored" - with the difference that Coroner have done a better job. Nevertheless, this album is comparable in terms of style with No More Color, which shines with a simple yet impressive artwork as well. In hindsight, it remains a riddle why the Swiss dudes did not get more famous. The somewhat apocalyptic closer with its flickering synthesizers, the great guitar work and the spoken lyrics shows their potential for the last time while offering a symbiosis of outro and regular song. Indeed, with regard to this competent line-up, I guess it was only the eye-catching image that was missing.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

Review by Felix on December 8, 2023.

Armnatt’s „Eternal Flame“ was their third full-length and the first one that did not clock in after 25 or 26 minutes. Oh no, the album is a quantity monster. It offers opulent 30 minutes of music. This indicates either a lack of substance or an affinity for short, nearly punk-like infusions of hatred. Honestly speaking, to me it seems to be a mix of both. On the one hand, the pretty crude and unatural sound with a lot of reverb on it, cannot discover how primitive some guitar lines are („Dark Moon Rising“). With a sound reduced to the essentials, this would be typical fast-paced punk. And when we speak of punk, the lack of substance is not too far away, or is anybody out there of the opinion that this genre has a more solid basis than metal? Ridiculous. Punk is the art to make a lot out of nothing and it wastes no thought about building a resilient foundation.

In view of the obscure and nearly surreal production, the material suffers from an overdose of artificial aroma. Maybe the band has had more good ideas than I am able to realize, but everything gets lost in the foggy void the sound creates. Of course, there are some cruel shrieks and the instrumental section is not lacking in destructiveness. But the more I hear, the more I understand the concept of the minimalist playtime. This monotonous music of the category “lumberjack gone insane” gets tiring quickly. The sum is less than the addition of its single parts. Each and every of the (seven) regular tracks has a certain charm, no doubt about it. If the album had been released in the mid-eighties, maybe we would praise it as the punky black metal brother of Bathory’s debut. There is this raw and unflappable attitude that combines both works. However, “Eternal Flame” was released in 2021 and from my point of view, this was a more or less senseless action.

Anyway, those of you who like a badly produced version of bands like Impaled Nazarene that spit on any form of atmosphere for the benefit of musical destruction will probably (but only probably!) like this explosive noise collection. I appreciate the fact that the band does not focus on commercial success and I am sure they wanted to enrich the extreme metal scene. That’s good. But this alone does not necessarily lead to a strong album. Sometimes the result is completely mediocre. As much as I regret it, “Eternal Flame” is the evidence.

Rating: 5 out of 10