Coroner

Less a greatest-hits set than an odds and sods collection, this eponymous release was compiled nearly a year after Coroner's breakup. Forced by record company Noise to honor their contract, the band's original members temporarily reunited under less than cooperative circumstances (drummer Marky Edelmann was especially difficult, forcing the recruitment of a replacement for some tracks), and it's no small wonder that anything resembling a complete career wrap-up was achieved. Along with one or two highlights culled from each of the band's five studio albums, Coroner offers a wealth of new material, most of which ("The Favorite Game," "Shifter") shows a natural progression from the group's groundbreaking final album, Grin. Other new material like "Gliding Above While Being Below" and the two-part "Golden Cashmere Sleeper" is even more experimental, bringing Joe Satriani's soaring guitar tapestries to mind. Several remixes are also included, along with the trio's thrashy take on the Fab Four's "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" (depending on who you ask, a triumph or a bludgeoning) and Hendrix' "Purple Haze" (in an incredibly funky and stripped-down, previously unreleased live radio performance). Ultimately, Coroner doesn't do the trick as a one-off introduction to the risk-taking Swiss thrashers, but it serves as wonderful treat for committed fans looking to tie up all the loose ends in their collections. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia|