Coroner's Office is an album by the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 death metal

Death metal

Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....

 band Post Mortem. The album was their debut LP and is notable for its influences on the genre.

Recording Process

After rehearsing together for several years, Post Mortem entered Baker Street Studios in Watertown, Massachusetts to record their debut LP. The songs they recorded for the album were so old that the band did not even play many of them live anymore. While recording the songs, studio owner Roger Baker was convinced the band was creating a new sound in the genre. Most of the songs on the album were recorded relatively quickly and the cost for the entire album was only $900. The album was released in 1986 and became relatively popular to the underground scene.

Track listing

1. "Armies of the Dead" - 1:09

2. "Waiting for the Funeral" - 3:04

3. "Ready to Die" - 2:15

4. "No Time" - 5:06

5. "Concealed" - 3:05

6. "(It Was) Just A Thought" - 5:49

7. "Syncopated Jazz" - 0:38

8. "Soupy Sales" - 0:13

9. "Coroner's Office" - 1:20

10. "Death to the Masses" - 5:33

11. "I Want to Die" - 12:25

12. "Run Amok" - 0:44

13. "Caveman" - 6:54

14. "Organized Crime" - 2:35

15. "Fetus Man" - 2:27

16. "Quietus (Charnel House)" - 6:21

Bonus tracks

17. "Waiting for the Funeral (No Intro Edit)" - 2:33

18. "Run Amok (Edit)" - 0:42

19. "Armies of the Dead (No Feedback Edit)" - 1:09

20. "Waiting for the Funeral (Live in 87)" - 2:36

21. "Death to the Masses (Live in 87)" - 4:54

Reception

After its release, Coroner's office generated a significant buzz in the underground community. It is estimated that nearly 20,000 copies of the album were distributed. Now the album is considered a sort of cult classic that influenced a lot of later artists in similar genres. One author summarizes the album's influence by saying that it, "is now as remembered for its unusual styling and flirtation with jazz and punk as it is as an overlooked death metal cornerstone." Overall, the album garnered generally positive reviews, but failed to make the radar of any large publishers.

Criticism

While touring, the band received significant criticism over the role of experimental and classical music in their songs. Fans reacted poorly to the live performances of some tracks and the experimental direction the band was heading.

Re-release

In 2011 it was reported that the album will be re-released under the New Renaissance Records label as a CD. The album has been digitally remastered and will include the The Missing Link EP, as well as new artwork and liner notes. The release date has not yet been confirmed.