Icon of Coil: album reviews and ratings

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Reviews & Recommendations

	Icon of Coil (IoC)

Artist Listing:

S - Z

Line-up:
Andy LaPlegua - Vocals, Lyrics
Sebastian Komor - Keyboards, Programming
Christian Lund - Keyboards

"No relation to fellow electronic act Coil, IoC was born in 1998 of Norwegian EBM veteran Andy LaPlegua & sounds quite close to neighbours Apoptygma Berzerk - hard & infectiously dancy. "

-- jen, netgoth.org.uk

"And if you think Icon of Coil sound suspiciously familiar - IoC are credited with the programming for Starsign on Apoptygma Berzerk's album Welcome to Earth. If EBM is your thing, Icon of Coil are definitely one to keep an eye on. They're also fantastic live - full of energy, and armed with some real dancefloor fillers."

-- remorse, netgoth.org.uk

Icon of Coil Discography - Album / CD Reviews

½ 2000: Serenity is the Devil
"Serenity is the Devil is a fresh revision of the current EBM and synth-pop trends. Packed with high-quality electronics that you expect to find on the dance floor, Serenity is the Devil adds new blood to the dominent EBM scene, while remaining true to its roots."

-- www.metropolis-records.com

"One thing I found about this disk is that it's actually a lot heavier than most current EBM. Unlike many electronic groups, the band has managed to use a variety of sounds to create a sort of feel that not only assaults the senses, but at the same time creates a mellow sort of calm, almost similar to groups like Haujobb. This album was as good to dance to as it was to fall asleep to, being serene yet hard."

-- Flipps, Dark Entries

¼ 2002: The Soul is in the Software
Track Listing: 01. Comment 02. Thrill capsule 03. Violations 04. In absence 05. Access and amplify 06. Everything is real 07. Other half of me 08. Love as blood 09. Disconnect 10. Simulated

"(...) Final track Simulated should be the next single, since it's great dancefloor material while at the same time being a good cut above songs like Access & Amplify. Also not beating about the bush, it starts out with a bassline very similar to Epicentre by VNV Nation, then cuts in with angry, political lyrics (an unusual theme for Icon of Coil) and builds to an aggressive and extremely catchy chorus, which embeds itself into your head at the first listen. I'm quite certain that clubs will soon be resounding to cries of "You think there is a God, you are only toys ... YOU'RE TOYS!"
While there are only a few tracks that are absolute killers, the others really aren't so bad and it is this fact which makes this album probably worth your money if you're a fan of boppy EBM music; particularly since Apoptygma Berzerk's pathetic last album has left a bit of a gap in this market, which Icon of Coil should more than amply fill."

-- Danilogv, rocknerd.org

½ 2004: Machines Are Us
Track Listing: 01. Comment vs.2.0 02. Remove/Replace 03. Consumer 04. Transfer Complete 05. Mono Overload? 06. Existence In Progress 07. Faith:Not Important 08. Shelter 09. Dead Enough For Life 10. Wiretrip 11. Android 12. Sleep:Less 13. Pursuit 14. Release The Frequency 15. SoundDive.
"In just a couple of years, Icon Of Coil have quickly risen to the top of the industrial/ebm scene. Their fast paced electronic music combined with the clear and catchy vocals of frontman Andy LaPlegua have earned them a solid place next to staple artists of the genre like VNV Nation and Covenant. While their lyrics still tend to be predictable and forced (typical themes of technology and Matrix-esque cliche's), there's no denying that their latest album, 'Machines Are Us', is packed full of high bpm hits that are sure to make their way into underground clubs everywhere. The stand-out tracks for me are Remove/Replace, Consumer, Existence In Progress, and Dead Enough For Life. Android seems an odd choice for a single due to it's break-beat nature and unorthodox arragements, but it's still a decent song. It's safe to say that if you own Icon Of Coil's previous releases, you will enjoy 'Machines Are Us'. Even for electro fans that have yet to discover the band, this is a great place to start."

-- technodemon, amazon customer review, 2/04

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Recommended Links:

The Official Icon of Coil web site
Icon of Coil on metropolis