Released in 1988, "Punishment for Decadence" is still the standard bearer for technically proficient thrash and in my opinion the best European thrash release of the 80s. Miles ahead of their peers in terms of musicianship and lyrical content, Coroner's second record displayed melody, harsh grooves, and enough speed to satisfy any thrash craving. "Skeleton on Your Shoulder" and "Absorbed" demonstrate how to perfectly blend proficiency with memorable songwriting, making this album digestible and enjoyable despite completely mind blowing. Guitarist Tommy T. Baron's solos on this album are some of the best in thrash history, especially on tracks like "Masked Jackal" and "New Breed" which showcase the band's capability to warm the listener up before taking them on a whirlwind of progression. That was one of Coroner's best traits, their songs were constantly forward moving and avoided stagnation at all costs, something that many progressive and technical bands fail to achieve.
"Skeleton On Your Shoulder"
1988 was a pretty pivotal year for thrash metal as "...And Justice for All" and "So Far, So Good, So What?" represented thrash metal at its musical apex and in the midst of a period when bands were taking the genre to its musical limit in terms of technicality and intricate songwriting. Likewise, the infant genre of death metal was challenging audiences' ideas of extremity with records like "Leprosy" by Death and "Malleus Maleficarum" by Pestilence. In a nutshell, "Punishment for Decadence" was one of thrash metal's swansongs before the genre faded into obscurity. Although not the most commercially successful, it would prove to be extremely influential on many emerging bands such as Gorguts and Suffocation who in the coming years would challenge the limitations of their musical genres in a similar vein as "Decadence..." did. If you're looking for an important piece of thrash history, I highly recommend picking this up. If you have this gem and you've forgotten about it, here's your reminder.
- Joe