The Coil of Sihn is an American band formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 2002 by Sihn Starr Rossi.
From the age of four to sixteen Sihn was abused and molested by many people, including members of his own family. With influences as diverse as Nine Inch Nails, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Judas Priest, ELO, Velvet Acid Christ, Marilyn Manson and Depeche Mode, Sihn dealt with his past by creating music, artwork, poetry, and prose.
Enter
Released in 2002. This twelve-song introduction to The Coil of Sihn was met with glowing critical praise. Brian Marek of Subliminal Banana had this to say:
"Sihn Starr screamed from behind a black veil while stripping away the layers of protection from his heart. Found sounds, movie dialogue, NIN-esque acoustic piano samples, menacing analog synthesizers. 'Three thousand guitars, they seem to cry, my ears will melt and then my eyes.' Brutality gave way to quiet menace and vice versa. Sihn Starr's voice has developed into an awesome instrument of guttural growls, whispered pleas and high (but virile), blood-curdling screams."
My World
EntertainmentDeath.com had this to say:
"...The Coil of Sihn are masterful in style, conception and execution. My world demonstrates that living is only the beginning, it is by truly surviving and enabling others to touch what they otherwise might be unable to that everything falls into place."
"I can't think of a single band that some close to putting the heart and soul into their music to such great effect as The Coil of Sihn."
Sid Andruska of Playback also had this to say:
"In comparison, My World, Rossi’s second album released in 2004, is an angry yetsentimental beast, exploding with emotion and memory. Tales of despair play out like a novel with a total of 22 songs. Here, Rossi’s vocals are more pronounced and guttural. Mirroring the vocal range of Goth legends, Fields of the Nephilim, Rossi’s voice detonates above a bed of synthesized beats, overshadowing voice clips, the background chorus, and all else that gets in his way. Center stage—his words and heartfelt screaming, along with an interesting twist: riddled throughout are recordings of actual voicemail messages from comrades, which give you a peek into his personal life. Most interesting, you can hear him press the “save” button for various ones, implying which messages were most special to him."
Through
Sid Andruska in the July 2005 issue of Playback Magazine had this to say:
"Rossi, frontman for COS, has released his third album, Through, which resembles a dark orchestra comprised of six macabre overtures. If you love the lowly crooning of the late Ian Curtis from Joy Division, you’ll enjoy COS; Rossi’s vocals are a dead-on match...Occasionally, he allows the music to speak for itself. In “HalfLife (30 Giger Clicks remix),” his vocals become faint, like a subliminal message or tiny ghost. Raw and compelling, the entire album leaves you wanting more, much like foreplay with no sex. Oh, the glorious torture!
COS’s sound, although unique by today’s standards, conjures fond recollections of early Ministry and KMFDM with hints of Nine Inch Nails throughout. The pulsating groove of synthesizer beats, blended with a cornucopia of voice clips from various movies, relay Rossi’s story, as if his life were a dramatic motion picture or a horror flick, depending on your perspective. The first song, “Trial,” is one such example, which begins with an audio clip of a woman tearfully recounting a brutal, sexual attack and all the repulsive details therein; her pain is foreshadowed by the eerie and tumid vibrations of Rossi’s background music. Not until the second song does Rossi unveil his lyrical genius. His creative reign over the entire album induces some extraordinary highs and lows, like riding the wave of a wild acid trip. Lay back and submit until the demons have left the room, and watch out for theflashbacks. Or so I’ve heard. Expect nothing less from this album."
