Coil (1982–2004) was initially established in London in 1983 as an experime… Read Full Bio ↴Coil (1982–2004) was initially established in London in 1983 as an experimental solo outlet for ex-Psychic TV member John Balance, and became a full-fledged experimental sonic manipulation unit a year later following the arrival of keyboardist / programmer Peter Christopherson (Sleazy), a founder of Psychic TV as well as a member of Throbbing Gristle. After debuting with the 17-minute ritual recording How to Destroy Angels, Balance and Sleazy recruited the aid of Possession’s Stephen Thrower, J.G. “Foetus” Thirlwell, and The Virgin Prunes’ Gavin Friday to record their full-length 1984 bow Scatology, an intense, primal work of sculpted industrial noise thematically devoted to the concepts of alchemy and transmutation.

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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Titan Arch
Coil Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Crown the dark animal
Black Jackal crawling
Eternal returning
An end to the waiting
There are thrones underground
And monarchs upon them
They walk serene
In spaces between

At the head of the storm
Darkness is rising
In the Garden of Jaws
His wonds are shining
Angels take poisons
In rotting pavilions

Under shivering stars
The sickness is gilding.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Coil's song Titan Arch paint a picture of a dark, mysterious world full of hidden depths and enigmatic creatures. The opening line, "Crown the dark animal," suggests a kingly figure that is both powerful and dangerous. This figure is further described as a "Black Jackal crawling," which creates an eerie and unsettling image. The phrase "Eternal returning" suggests a cyclical pattern to the life and death of this creature, perhaps hinting at the concept of reincarnation.

The next few lines describe a world of thrones and monarchs, who walk serenely in the spaces between. These beings seem to hold power over the storm that is rising, and the Garden of Jaws is a place that radiates with a mystical quality. The line "His wounds are shining" suggests that even in this dark world, there is a sense of beauty and grace.

Towards the end of the song, the lyrics take a more sinister turn. Angels taking poisons in rotting pavilions under shivering stars builds an image of corrupt, immoral beings, and the idea that sickness is gilding is a clear indication of something that is decaying and ultimately doomed.

Overall, the lyrics of Titan Arch capture a sense of darkness and mystery, with a mixture of stunning, ethereal imagery and disturbing, unsettling themes.

Line by Line Meaning

Crown the dark animal
Enthroning the shadow self

Black Jackal crawling
The primal instincts clawing their way to the surface

Eternal returning
The cyclical nature of birth and death

An end to the waiting
Anticipation for a new beginning

There are thrones underground
Acknowledging the existence of the subconscious

And monarchs upon them
The ruling power of the subconscious

They walk serene
Confidence in one's inner power

In spaces between
The liminal space between conscious and unconscious

At the head of the storm
Taking control amidst chaos

Darkness is rising
The shadow self emerging

In the Garden of Jaws
The dangerous beauty of the subconscious