Review Summary: Warning: Contagious material lies ahead. Approach with care or prepare to be addicted.
What’s exactly a transitional album? Just by reading the term, you start to think about that middle record that isn’t quite like the rawer and honest good old times, or as developed as the newer, refined material; ending as just “that” record that is somehow cool, but doesn’t deliver the goods as before and after its inception. You’ll be posed to think this is the case here, but that line of thinking is the most far for the truth though you’ll have today, because No More Color is the transitional album that breaks the mold. How?
By combining the BEST parts from their previous output (1988´s
Punishment for Decadence ), giving their sound a better production, and a more cohesive songwriting that lacked before (and will soon be the main ingredient found in 1991´s
Mental Vortex ), Coroner creates one addictive formula that has the unusual (maybe quasi impossible) ability to cater to new consumers AND allows itself to be carefully dissected by more experienced and demanding users.
The first time examining the composition, Ron Broder vocals are going to stick as the first and maybe the deadliest of the ingredients. His harsh thrash vocals have a sharp RASP end that are just not going to amaze you, being understandable and having a tremendous range for thrash metal; but they also leave you wanting for more, scratching that internal curiosity that all dependent chemicals create. His chills on the first track,
Die by my hand , are quickly replaced by more laidback and even more vicious vocals on the two next tracks,
Read my scars and D.O.A , and even on the processed and more synth-mixed closing track,
Last Entertainment you won’t be nothing less but impressed on his diverse delivery. His Bass skills are no joke either, having a superiorly advanced three fingers technique, highly audible and contagious sound, and own diverse lines, which not only create a backbone for the music, but manage to even steal your attention from it, even on the most important moments of the record.
Marky Edelmman drumming is without a doubt the catalyst on the mix, delivered in a high-quality concentration : His drum parts are absolutely delicious, well thought and most important; self-restricted, making the rhythm part of the band by far the most dangerously obsessive. Don’t be surprised if you found yourself humming the bass and double bass parts on the song climaxes, like his machine-gun drumming on
Read my scars, or his intrepid parts on
Why it hurts . Another facet that makes his contributions extremely contagious is the lyrics. Edelmann creates quite possible the most human and society dissective / introspective lyrics you´ll ever are going to listen. Just pick one song, and prepare to be completely blown away by topics like personal burdens / depression (
Tunnel of Pain), critiques to the T.V and how it manages to control our minds (
Last Entertainment ), or the amazingly reflective
Read my Scars. Coupled with Broder vocal delivery, THIS IS the album that you´re going to hum, sing, think and crave until it’s engraved in your brain.
I decided to leave the most enslaving part for the end, and the one you should be most worried about
: Tommy Vetterli guitar playing. Nothing is going to prepare you for his dazzled, twisted, retorted, bent and flex way of riffing; and that’s what’s going to honestly, make you completely helpless addicted to the album. His playing is impeccable in every song, and not only he manages to find the perfect riff for every occasion (
Mistress of Deception, Tunnel of Pain ), and how to control them (never letting his amazing skills go outta hand, something that plagued the previous album), but his ability to solo is what sets his part of the mix unquestionable as the most corrosive. Pinpointing one of them is just not fair to explain how he makes every song unique, independent, and miles above of what your perception of thrash or progressive music is, but his silent solo on
D.O.A, his amazing picking on
Read my Scars, and his fierce tonality on
Die by my Hand are going to hook you up worse than any other substance you´ve tried so far.
Bearing a transitional title that is no indication of its highly contagious nature,
No More Color manages to have its own mix of potent and powerful music, extremely talented musicians playing at their peak, and a dose of originality and delivery not found on his age and subsequent decades. Be careful: this chemical is highly addictive and even a minor dose is going to make you crave for more. But with quality as pure and uncompromised as this, dependence is the best option when dealing with this hidden gem.
Recommended tracks:
All of them are unique, recommended and different enough, but my greater fixation is towards:
No need to be Human
Read my Scars
D.O.A
Tunnel of Pain
Last Entertainment
