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.
http://www.thresholdhouse.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coil_(band)
Heaven's Blade
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's blood in the sun
But I'm not afraid
I cut myself with Heaven's blade
Inside the wound I found my wings
And walked away from this human skin
To get inside and live with me for life
I stand before the sun
Rise up and see the shape of things to come
It's all the same
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
The opening lines of ‘Heaven’s Blade’ by Coil reference a strange, surreal image of there being blood in the sun. Despite the potentially terrifying or ominous implication of these words, the singer reassures the listener that they are not afraid. They then reveal that they have intentionally cut themselves with Heaven’s blade. This line is metaphorical and open to interpretation, but it seems to suggest that they have embraced something dangerous or powerful in order to become stronger or ascend to a higher state of being. This is reinforced in the next lines, where the singer claims to have found their wings inside the wound.
The second half of the song is more optimistic, with the singer calling on the earth to help them attain even greater heights. The lines “I asked the earth to open up the sky / To get inside and live with me for life” could be taken literally or figuratively – perhaps they are demanding access to the heavens, or perhaps they are calling on the forces of nature to guide them. Regardless, the final lines of the song reiterate the theme of self-harm to achieve transcendence. The simple, repetitive commands to “just cut yourself / with Heaven’s blade” indicate a willingness to take risks and suffer in order to grow.
Line by Line Meaning
There's blood in the sun
The world is full of violence and destruction.
There's blood in the sun
The consequences of human actions are pervasive and destructive.
But I'm not afraid
Despite the harsh realities of the world, the singer is confident and unafraid.
I cut myself with Heaven's blade
The artist has been initiated into a spiritual or transformative experience.
Inside the wound I found my wings
After undergoing the transformative experience, the artist has emerged with a new sense of identity or purpose.
And walked away from this human skin
The singer has rejected their old way of living and thinking.
I asked the earth to open up the sky
The singer desires a connection to something beyond the physical world.
To get inside and live with me for life
The artist wants this connection to be permanent and life-changing.
I stand before the sun
The artist is in awe of the power and beauty of the natural world.
Rise up and see the shape of things to come
The artist predicts that there will be great changes in the future.
It's all the same
Despite the changes that will come, life is ultimately cyclical and unchanging.
Just cut yourself
The artist is encouraging the listener to take part in the same transformative experience they have undergone.
With Heaven's blade
This transformation is spiritual or mystical in nature.
Just cut yourself
The singer continues their exhortation.
With Heaven's blade
They reiterate that this transformation is not physical, but spiritual.
Just cut yourself
The artist is now practically commanding the listener to take part in this experience.
With Heaven's blade
They continue to make it clear that they are speaking strictly in metaphorical or spiritual terms.
Contributed by Adrian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
yuri silve
There's blood in the sun
There's blood in the sun
But I'm not afraid
I cut myself
With Heaven's blade
Inside the wound I found my wings
And walked away from this human skin
I asked the earth to open up the sky
I asked the earth to open up the sky
To get inside and live with me for life
I stand before the sun
Rise up and see the shape of things to come
It's all the same, it's all the same, it's all the same
It's all the same, it's all the same, it's all the same
Just cut yourself
Just cut yourself
Just cut yourself
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
With Heaven's blade
With Heaven's blade
quantum.
I hope that most of Coil's music gets more than a million views in the future, they honestly deserve it.
Nayr Tnartsipac
Half of them are dead
quantum.
@Nayr Tnartsipac Both founding band members are dead...
Colin Russell
It'll happen. The future's a long time.
ٴ
I love the low quality drum beat it sounds really cool
Michael Charles Perna II
The wobble effect on his voice when he says "live with me for life" gives me chills.
foxugiso
2:33 I swear to god i've heard that melody somewhere else before i even heard anything by Coil and it's driving me crazy trying to remember
ٴ
3:50 until the end, chills in my heart area
yuri silve
There's blood in the sun
There's blood in the sun
But I'm not afraid
I cut myself
With Heaven's blade
Inside the wound I found my wings
And walked away from this human skin
I asked the earth to open up the sky
I asked the earth to open up the sky
To get inside and live with me for life
I stand before the sun
Rise up and see the shape of things to come
It's all the same, it's all the same, it's all the same
It's all the same, it's all the same, it's all the same
Just cut yourself
Just cut yourself
Just cut yourself
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
Just cut yourself
With Heaven's blade
With Heaven's blade
With Heaven's blade
Lulu
I've been listening to this, "Slur" and "Ostia(Death of Pasolini)" non stop now... might have something wrong with me.