Though anyone screaming from the rooftops that ‘metal is dead’ or ‘metal died in the 80s’ needs to take a hike, there is truth to the idea that the genre has fallen into some overly familiar trappings over the years: really, how many times have you heard the same riffs recycled again and again by band after band? Every so often though, we get to enjoy an album that isn’t just good, but one that completely rejuvenates its genre. For thrash metal— one of the longest standing and most revered styles around— that album is the new one from Coroner. Thirty-two years in the making, ‘Dissonance Theory’ somehow exceeds every lofty expectation placed upon it.

Yes, you read that correctly: Coroner’s last album, ‘Grin,’ released all the way back in 1993. If you were to assume that the band might be sounding tired or aged in the modern day though, you’d be well off— the three-piece’s return to the studio falls right in line with that of Julius Caesar, triumphant and worthy of celebration as it is. ‘Dissonance Theory’ wraps itself in some of the most devilishly arresting production of the year, lurching from the groaning ambience of opener ‘Oxymoron’ into wave after wave of rip-roaring thrash action. Ron Broder’s bass is like a caged beast, growling as it does beneath every riff: the way the grim textures Coroner choose to employ settle in against the stark clarity of Tommy Vetterli’s guitar lines speaks to a record not just well-mixed, but completely well-constructed. It seems obvious that the group haven’t just resurrected their old sound, but dragged it kicking and screaming into the modern metal landscape— the mournful piano that closes out ‘Trinity’ and the outlandish organ inclusion on ‘Prolonging’ are just some of the inspired touches that set ‘Dissonance Theory’ apart from the competition.

Coroner have taken a similarly scorched-earth approach to songwriting this time around, incorporating a massive range of contemporary influences along the way. Nonetheless, this is still a thrash album through-and-through, and any fans who were worried that the group may have mellowed out or changed direction should feel nothing but relief when ‘Consequence’ kicks into gear. This is drummer Diego Papacchietti’s first studio appearance with the band (though he’s been an active member for more than a decade at this point) and he hits just about every note you’d want him to, filling the record with pounding double bass and drum fills stuffed with vehement aggression. Those blistering performances serve a deserving collection of songs, full of striking riffs and dizzying turn-arounds. ‘Symmetry’ comes racing out the gate with some dazzling technical flourishes, guaranteed to make your neck ache just hearing them— even more absolutely monstrous is lead single ‘Renewal,’ which is nothing but a five-minute exhibition of pure thrash metal mastery in every aspect. Time waits for no man, but neither have Coroner spent the past three decades sitting idle: ‘Dissonance Theory’ is the sound of a group both hungry for recognition, and completely assured of their own brilliance.

If anything, the greatest criticism to be levied against this remarkable comeback record is that Coroner’s explorations of new and exciting ideas almost seem to eclipse their familiar trappings. The group firmly refuse to abandon thrash metal, and it’s not hard to see why when they execute it so flawlessly— nonetheless, the feeling remains that the band are merely teasing something even grander with this release. ‘Dissonance Theory’ explores some frightfully visceral psychedelic passages, sprinkled in amongst the barbaric chaos: the phrygian note choices of ‘Crisium Bound’ and ‘The Law’ are nothing short of chilling, lulling us into a false self of security before yet more screeching guitars come our way once more. Even when the volume is turned to the max though, the band can be heard pushing themselves time and time again to create something new, something intriguing. The way Vetterli’s twisted scale runs melt into Deafheaven-esque chord voicings is guaranteed to catch you off guard, bringing a layer of nuance and surprise you just don’t hear in modern thrash metal— the atypical hooks of ‘Consequence’ and crushing heft of ‘Sacrificial Lamb’ are no flukes, but accurate primers for this ever-evolving album.

Listening to ‘Dissonance Theory,’ it really does feel like those thirty-two years must’ve been filled with Coroner album after Coroner album, all building up to this magnum opus. The record is filled with phenomenal guitar work, both conventional and greatly abstract, winding across a set of tracks filled to the brim with enough ferocity to get your blood pumping, and enough variety to keep you utterly hooked. This is undoubtedly the strongest thrash metal album of the year, because it dares to push the genre’s envelope— with passages reminiscent of everyone from Gojira to Fear Factory to TOOL, ‘Dissonance Theory’ will definitely not have you in two minds over its sheer quality.