pleasantly surprised by the Coroner album after being dissapointed by the first single (Renewal), which is definitely the worst song on the album imo.

the beefed up production makes it hard to equate it to Coroner's cold sound, but the riffs, arrangements, and especially the solos are generally masterful here.

Looking forward to giving it more spins.

I think I have listened to Dissonance Theory enough times to know where it stands with me. I initially got a big rush at hearing new Coroner material that was not Grin Part 2 or worse. I am glad the new album style fits between Mental Vortex and Grin. That's really more than I was expecting for any new material from the band.

That said, it is a huge step down from Mental Vortex, which is a huge step down from the first three albums. So I am glad Coroner is still active. I bought the CD and a bunch of merch to support them. But I don't think Dissonance Theory will be added to my regular Coroner playlist in the long run.

I don't really take the time to analyze albums much anymore, but the brief thoughts that have come to mind are:

So cool to hear Ron's vocals in new material again. He sounds great. The lyrics, however, have taken a huge hit.

I am glad the music is still recognizably Coroner and not generic aggro chug that many reformed thrash bands come up with (hi, Dark Angel).

I don't have much to say about the guitarwork. This bothers me. When I am noticing the cool drumming more than the riffs in a Coroner tune, I am not getting what I want from the band.