Category: Uncategorized

Coil – Backwards [2015; Cold Spring]

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A reconstruction/continuation/adaptation of a 1993 demo tape by the same name, this ‘official’ rendition (released after the deaths of all of the band’s founding members) shares just a handful of tracks with the original leaked version, as some of the songs ended up portioned off into The Ape of Naples.  The result ends up feeling more than a little patchwork, but as a scattered collection of Coil tracks, it’s not outright bad.

The usual attentive meshing of assorted synths and effects with analog instruments is present throughout much of the album, and the few tracks retained from the ‘93 tape (usually with new titles) have been audibly polished up, though some of the alterations are likely to rub long-time devotees the wrong way.  Emulated percussion is allowed to run rampant in parts, samples of exotic instruments are looped and chopped, with the vocals receiving the same treatment in spots, and a vaguely dance-inclined atmosphere makes for an odd but interesting fit with the mostly harsh timbres. 

Unfortunately, the momentum of the album is uneven and jerky, with abrupt changes in tone, mood, and energy making it difficult to establish a listening groove.  Though it is nice to have the material released in a more widely-available form, the presentation still leaves something to be desired.

Here’s the alternate cover art.

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Coil – The Unreleased Themes for Hellraiser [1987; Solar Lodge Records]

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This collection leads with its name-sake, three pieces intended for use in the 1987 Hellraiser film before Christopher Young took over its scoring duties.  Blending a range of piano-like synth voices with heavy electronic percussion, the “Hellraiser” cue opens with an establishment of the brooding undertones which persist in “The Box Theme”, as that piece adds in more lingering low tones and the clinking of a malfunctioning music box.  “Main Title” revisits the instrumentation from “Hellraiser”, pushing it to a more driven pace and harder energy, with faint lulls drawing in touches from “The Box Theme” as well.

The remainder of the record is a tour through music Coil produced for use in commercials for assorted companies and products, including “Liqueur”, “Video Recorder”, “Accident Insurance”, and so on.  As might be imagined, these pieces, aside from having very short durations, are also much more friendly in tone, though they retain the synths and experimental flavoring.  Presumably, they were also created around the same time as the Hellraiser themes, as some of the instrumentation sounds near-identical at times (the piano of “Perfume” being one of the more easily identified instances).  Something of a dig, as it’s targeted towards Coil completionists, but it does offer up a nice deep look into their material and quick-form composing techniques of the time.