Is this it,the best Coil record there is?Quite possibly.Although Volume 2 is also brilliant this has more variety.
It begins with dark,sweeping synth lines on 'Are You Shivering?' which are joined by stuttering vocals and dripping sounds before John Balance's trademark voice comes in,speaking of being 'drowned in gold' and 'dreams of vitality'.Supposedly,this song is about taking MDMA(a drug used in ecstasy)when your teeth chatter and eyeballs shake.The song finishes with the line that perfectly sums up the LP:
'This is moon musick,in the light of the moon'.
The second track is the majestic 'Red Birds Will Fly Out of the East and Destroy Paris in a Night',based on a Nostradumus prophecy.It's an instrumental,very dancey(in a Coil way)and clocks in at about 13 minutes.
Track three is 'Red Queen',a dissection of celebrity.It's a piano-led track with a sound that wouldn't be out of place in a classy bar.That is,until Balance's spoken vocals come in again:'what are you going to do,if they don't believe you?'.Another long track around 10 minutes.
The next track is 'Broccoli',an unusual song in that it feature Peter Christopherson on vocals.The feel is very minimal;low synths and melancholic backing vocals.The lyrics are Johns and talk about vegetables and death(in a non-morbid way):'wise words from the departing,always eat your greens.'
Track 5,'Strange Birds'is another lyricless piece apart from the one line:'one day your eggs will hatch,and some very strange birds are going to emerge.'The track has weird bird and animal calls mixed in with synths and drones.Always reminds me of a swampy rainforest.
The final track is the epic 'The Dreamer is Still Asleep'.It's lyrics centre on lucid dreaming and sleep,and according to Coil it's also about William Blake(the poet).
A music box melody intwines with a one-note bass line and ethereal backing vocals.The effect is beautiful,definatly musick to play in the dark.
Most of the tracks also have strange glitching clicks in bizarre(and perhaps random)rhythyms which add to the mystery.So,in conclusion,this probably is the best Coil record and(in my humble opinion)possibly the best record ever written.