Coroner celebrate metal in Brooklyn (recap, photos)

Tours in which the-headliner-plays-that-one-album-you-love have been driving a healthy volume of shows these days. But there’s an equally exciting form of tour that’s been picking up steam in the metal world. I call these tours bands-that-should-be-household-names-that-are-now-celebrating-X-years-of-undeniable-inspiration. For the sake of simplicity, let’s call these Tours for the Real Heads (TRH). The latest THR hit Brooklyn on Friday, March 7th, when Coroner waltzed into town in celebration of their 40 year legacy. Now before you angrily scroll to the comments section and tell me that Coroner is a household name, hear me out. First: there is no comments section. More importantly, your hypothetical indignance proves my point – you’re one of the Real Heads. Coroner should be absolutely massive in the US, but they’ve never gained quite the same following here that they have in their home turf of Europe (yes, I know Switzerland is not part of the EU, stop proving you’re a Real Head in geo-politics, too).

To make this tour extra applicable to TRH fashion, Coroner also brought along living legends, Deceased, thrash/death pioneers who are similarly celebrating their own 40th anniversary. If you aren’t familiar with Deceased you need to change that ASAP and put on their latest album Children of the Morgue, a 2024 release that’s every bit as ripping as their first full length, 1991’s Luck of the Corpse. However, if Deceased is not a familiar name in your metal repertoire, I can hardly blame you. They’re about as “cult as a metal band gets,” but that doesn’t diminish the massive influence they’ve had. Bandleader King Fowley has spent 40 years pouring his heart and soul into this outfit, and to see the crowd just as ravenous for Deceased as they were for our brethren from Switzerland made this a true one for the Real Heads. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s take it back to the beginning of the night which kicked off with Brooklyn locals, Sarmat. Self described as Sci-Fi/Jazz influenced metal, Sarmat were a sight to behold as they set up for sound check. Five scruffy men with exuberantly colored instruments and one clean shaven trumpeter, it was clear this would be a little different. Watching the various hands of all stringed musicians glide miraculously in lockstep as the shades-wearing drummer wailed away in perfect rhythm, it wasn’t just different, but epic. Trumpet isn’t a new concept in metal, but to hear it so gorgeously mixed into their overall ethos is not something you typically expect to see on a bill with Deceased and Coroner. Okay, maybe with Coroner. Sadly their soundcheck ate into their overall set time and they were cut off after only two songs. A short coup ensued in which the band attempted one more song, but the crowd was understanding if not disappointed when Sarmat packed up shop to ensure they didn’t eat into the other bands’ sets. Class acts, I tell you.

Deceased was up next and the boys were nothing but good vibes on stage. Lead singer (and studio drummer / bassist) King Fowley bopped around during set up, laughing with fans and posing for shots with guitarist Mike Smith as he set up his rig. One thing I’d like to take a moment to point out: Mike played with only two pedals, and one of them was a tuner. The other, a classic delay. To look back on that and think about the absolute perfection they emanated onstage with such simple tools; it the sign of a confident and deft artist. I loved watching drummer Amos Rifkin sprinkle what I believe was sage onto his kit and meditate in the minutes before the show.

These are musicians who all work in their own unique way in order to create a cohesive and singular sound. The moment their set kicked off the pit exploded. I was forced to cuddle my camera and keep it from slamming against the stage monitor. Young thrashers owned the pit with arms around each other, spinning with hands locked in a death pact as King screamed through a Spirit Halloween mask. It was beautiful. Les Snyder on bass and Shane Fuengel on accompanying guitar provided gruesome back up vocals as Mike Smith absolutely shredded on his gorgeous white Gibson Flying V. Forty years in and they sound just as good as their 1980s demos (with higher fidelity, of course).

When Coroner took the stage the crowd changed with the Older Heads joined forces in the pit. It seemed that there was a significant portion of the crowd that had been waiting all week for this very moment; the rippers from Zurich were here to deliver. Opening with “Internal Conflicts” from their last full length, 1993’s Grin, the pit similarly exploded with new faces. Tongues lolling out of mouths, dozens of hands playing air guitar, I couldn’t help but erupt with a massive grin to see the crowd of men in their fifties smashing into each other with the same wanton disregard as the younger heshers for Deceased.

Coroner’s forty years of precision have not deteriorated in the least, and to remember that the band only consists of three musicians is a good example that complex sounds need not come from complex structures. Rob Royce flashed endless smiles between his throaty growls, and Tommy Baron’s excellent measures were perfectly matched with a headbanging reminder that he’s the only member left with hair. But I want to take a moment to call out drummer Diego Rappachietti, an absolute beast who’s wonderful expressions perfectly matched the fervor with which he delivered on drums.

With an encore including one of my favorite Coroner tracks, “Reborn Through Hate,” Corner thanked the crowd and hopped off stage to take selfies with the fans. Few things make my heart sing as much as hearing grown men fight over who gets to take a picture with their metal hero first. “No, use my phone, it has a better camera!”

Check out Adam Schwartz’s photos of Coroner, Deceased, and Sarmat live at The Meadows in Brooklyn, NY in the gallery below.

Sarmat:

Deceased:

Coroner:

Coroner setlist:
Golden Cashmere Sleeper, Part 1
Internal Conflicts
Serpent Moves
Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis)
Semtex Revolution
Tunnel of Pain
Status: Still Thinking
Drum Solo
Metamorphosis
Masked Jackal
Grin (Nails Hurt)
Encore:
Reborn Through Hate
Die by My Hand

Check out fan-filmed videos:

For more info: https://www.coroner-reunion.com/