Coil spent the next period of its existence exploring visual media. In late 1984 they recorded a rendition of Tainted Love (originally recorded by Gloria Jones, but made popular by Soft Cell in the 80s), producing a widely banned, hallucinogenic video clip featuring Marc Almond as the Angel of Death; despite considerable controversy at home, the video ultimately found its way to the archives of the Museum of Modern Art. After spending several years working with filmmaker Derek Jarman on the feature The Angelic Conversation, Coil issued a remixed edition of their soundtrack. Following 1986’s Nightmare Culture, a collaboration with Boyd Rice produced as split release with Current 93, Christopherson and Balance invited Stephen Thrower to join the group in a full-time capacity. As a trio, they recorded 1986’s LP Horse Rotorvator, introducing orchestral, jazz, and middle Eastern textures into the mix; this album included The Anal Staircase.
In 1987, Coil issued The Unreleased Themes for Hellraiser, a collection of atmospheric gothic instrumentals commissioned for but ultimately cut from the Clive Barker horror film, followed by compilation album Gold Is the Metal (With the Broadest Shoulders), a remixed history of the group’s first several years of work. Unnatural History, another career overview, effectively ended the first phase of the band’s career in 1990; when Coil resurfaced a year later with Love’s Secret Domain, their music reflected the strong influence of the acid house culture. Another long layoff brought on by financial difficulties ended in 1995, when the group - now consisting of Sleazy, Balance, and Drew McDowell - signed to Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records to release Backwards, an album which was never officially released, although it is available in a number of bootleg versions. Additionally, they recorded the LP Worship the Glitch, issued under the name ELpH, and in 1996 cut A Thousand Lights in a Darkened Room as Black Light District.
1998 marked a significant stylistic shift for Coil, as the group moved away from the industrial dance sound they pioneered in the first half of their career towards what Balance referred to as "Moon Musick". This began with the release of four seasonal EPs throughout that year, coinciding with the equinoxes and solstices; this marked the group making further forays into ambient and neoclassical styles. Lyrically, there was a push towards naturalistic, pagan imagery, and an emphasis on free form, improvisatory chants. All four of these releases were later collected and released as Moons Milk (in Four Phases) in 2002. Coil also put out a purely drone based project, Time Machines, under that alias the same year.
In 1999 Coil started to work with Thighpaulsandra, and with him released the chilling Musick to Play in the Dark, a dark, meditative work featuring mostly intoned vocals from Balance, and exploring deeper electronic textures and pitches. A second volume followed in 2000. After years of refusal to do so, Coil started to perform live again in 1999. They released a number of albums containing the various shows they did in the period 2000 - 2004. Coil have released a lot of material in very limited editions, and have distributed certain records only at concerts. In 2003 they started a project to re-issue these tracks. Amidst their sporadic touring, and growing internal tensions within the group, Black Antlers was released in 2004, consisting of many of the songs played in concert at the time. This would prove to be the last studio recording put out in Balance's lifetime.
Jhonn Balance’s long-time struggle with alcoholism led to his death on 13th November, 2004. He fell from the second floor window at his home, while drunk, and died a short time after. Coil’s last live performance took place at Dublin’s City Hall on 23 October 2004 and is expected to appear on the forthcoming DVD box set “Colour Sound Oblivion”. A number of songs that were (as good as) ready were released in autumn 2005 as a last farewell to Jhonn.
Peter Christopherson passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 25, 2010. Instead of sending flowers in memory of Peter Christopherson, people were asked to donate money to help children affected by AIDS in Thailand, the country he loved and died in.
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Fire of the Mind
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Does death come alone or with eager reinforcements?
Death is centrifugal
Solar and logical
Decadent and symmetrical
Angels are mathematical
Angels are bestial
Man is the animal
Man is the animal
The blacker the sun
The darker the dawn
Flashes from the axis
Flashes from the axis
On the hummingway to the stars
Holy holy, holy holy, holy oh holy
Holy holy, holy holy, holy
Holy holy, holy holy, holy
Man is the animal
The blacker the suns
The darker the dawn
The lyrics of Coil's song "Fire of the Mind" seem to be exploring themes of death and the nature of existence. The repeated question of "Does death come alone or with eager reinforcements?" suggests a contemplation on the possibility of death coming unannounced or being surrounded by other deaths, either literally or metaphorically. The following lines build upon this feeling of uncertainty, followed by the assertion that death is "centrifugal" - suggesting an outward force or motion. This is paired with the descriptions of angels as "mathematical" and "bestial," which juxtaposes the religious connotations of angels with something primal and instinctual. These lines evoke a sense of confusion around the nature of death and what comes after it.
The last stanza of the song repeats the phrase "The blacker the sun / The darker the dawn," which carries with it a sense of impending doom or a sense of an ending. This is further emphasized by the line "Flashes from the axis / On the hummingway to the stars," which paints an image of a journey towards an unknown end, full of flashes of light and sound. The repetition of "holy holy" also adds to the feeling of transcendence and a search for meaning in the face of the unknown.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fire of the Mind" are abstract and somewhat cryptic, inviting interpretation and reflection on concepts of death, existence, and spirituality.
Line by Line Meaning
Does death come alone or with eager reinforcements?
The singer ponders whether death is a solo event or if it comes with more intensity.
Death is centrifugal
Death has a forceful outward motion from the center.
Solar and logical
Death is a natural consequence, like the sun, and is guided by reason.
Decadent and symmetrical
Death has an orderly, balanced appearance but represents decay and decline.
Angels are mathematical
Angels have a mathematical precision, a rational and logical design.
Angels are bestial
Angels have some animalistic, instinctive qualities as well.
Man is the animal
Humans are animals who possess reasoning abilities.
The blacker the sun
The more darkness there is in the world, the more the consequences for our actions will reveal themselves.
The darker the dawn
When night is the coldest and darkest is when we can finally see the coming of the dawn, the parts of life that we were previously unaware of.
Flashes from the axis
Insights into the nature of life can suddenly come from deep truths or beliefs.
On the hummingway to the stars
The jarring, humming journey towards something greater: the stars.
Holy holy, holy holy, holy oh holy
An exclamation of reverence or praise, possible in reference to a divine force in the universe.
Contributed by Aria K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.