Coil "Astral Disaster" Threshold House LOCI CD14 1999 (72:22)
The
Avatars (3:02)
The
Mothership & the Fatherland (22:24)
2nd.
Sun Syndrome (4:17)
The
Sea Priestess (14:11)
I
Don't Want to be the One (5:48)
MU-UR
(22:40)
John Balance - lyrics, vocals, Obsidian Mirrors, Scrim Generators. Peter Christopherson - Macintosh, finger symbols. Drew McDowall - Moog & Thoughtforms. Thighpaulsandra - Mellotron, Hammond & synths. With Gary Ramon - guitar on "I Don't Wan't to be the One".
"Astral Disaster" was originally released in 1999 as part of a subscription only series in a ridiculously limited edition of 99 vinyl copies (I was not one of the chosen few). Now it has been re-released on cd via World Serpent with a few tracks re-done/extended/re-mixed, 1 extra track and fantastic digipack artwork by Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound) and photos by Coil. Unfortunately, this album still sounds unfinished to me and is no where near as enthralling as the album recorded after this one, "Music to Play in the Dark Vol. 1". "Astral.." is composed of 3 lengthy minimal pieces, 2 short synth pieces and 1 short song which further explore lunar magick. "The Avatars" and "2nd Sun Syndrome" are little more than aimless synth noodlings that aren't all that interesting in comparison to similar work from the recent past. "The Mothership & the Fatherland" is tediously long with a plodding beat, minimal synth pads, effected sounds here and there, some drifting female backing vocals and Balance quietly speaking in tongues near the end. "The Sea Priestess" features Balance's forthright spoken words over and through synths and effects with the most intriguing lyric: "if it goes any faster there will be an astral disaster." "I Don't Want to be the One" is a poorly recorded 'song' with Balance's vocals, guitar pluckings and swirling synth atmospheres ... not bad until Balance begins wailing in the final few minutes. "MU-UR" is similar to "The Mothership & the Fatherland" with the same sort of synth pads, drones and effected sounds floating about for 20+ minutes and a brief passage of Balance's vocals transformed into a female tone. All in all, this is the first time I can honestly say that I've been disappointed by a new Coil (or related) release. "The Sea Priestess" and "MU-UR" are my favorites and are really the only two that bear repeated listening. The rest of the album contains fragments of great ideas and sounds but fails to expand upon them properly to capture the 'magick' ... it simply doesn't meet Coil's usually high quality control standard. I'm surprised they bothered to re-release it on cd, especially after the release of MtPitDvol1. Up next is Musick to Play in the Dark Vol. 2, which I can only assume will continue the fully developed ideas that Vol. 1 began ...
Coil at Brainwashed
Where did I get this cd? - mail order via Riouxs Records.