Customer Reviews

Serenity Is the Devil

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was perusing the used cd bins last weekend at my favorite record store when I found a copy of "Serenity is the Devil". I was surprised that someone would be willing to part with this cd, much less anything from Metropolis Records. I guess "what is one person's junk is another person's treasure", and "Serenity Is the Devil" is no exception to that rule. I got into Icon of Coil when I picked up their new album "The Soul Is in the Software", being a big fan of bands on Metropolis Records (KMFDM, VNV Nation, Project Pitchfork, Bella Morte, Diary of Dreams, Apoptygma Berzerk). I had no idea what I had in store for me today .... I didn't realize I would strike gold and find two albums by two Metropolis acts (Die Form and Icon of Gold). Anyways, being a big fan of Icon of Coil, I immediately bought the album (as well as Die Form's "Confessions"). I love Icon's brand of EBM/futurepop. It took me a few listens for their new album to grow on me but with "Serenity Is the Devil", I loved it immediately. "Serenity Is the Devil" didn't start off with fairly aggressive tracks like "The Soul Is in the Software" did. It was a smooth transition from a more mellower song such as "Situations Like These" to "Faction", a much more aggressive song. For me, the one song on this album that really stuck out for me like a sore thumb is "Everlasting", Icon's equivalent to VNV Nation's "Beloved" and Apoptygma Berzerk's "Until the End of the World". The melodies are just divine, and the lyrics are absolutely perfect in that same emotional sense that I get when I listen to "Beloved" and "Until the End of the World". There isn't one song on this album that I did not like or that required a few more listens to grow on me. I may like "Serenity Is the Devil" slightly more than their new album, the band can do no wrong with me. Just another awesome Metropolis band.

in stark contrast to some other albums i own such as Forever Slave - Alice's Inferno and Helium Vola (self titled), Icon of Coil's first full album hooked me instantly. unfortunately, it also released me pretty fast, like after the 8th or 9th time through the album, while the aforementioned albums continue to have a strong grip on me after initially weak impressions.

i have not really listened to this album since putting it down the first time, except to show my friends. in other words, staying power = 0.


however, while i was hooked, i really did enjoy their catchy, dancey beats that straddled the line between my most beloved genre of trance and one of my other favorites, industrial. probably their biggest weakness is the flatness of their vocalist, who fortuantely is not called on to perform much range or the whole thing could have turned rather ugly. as it is, his monotone droning probably comes close to actually detracting something from the music rather than adding to it. someone with a bit more charisma would be in order i think.

on the other hand, their female vocalist is quite gifted, and i would have liked to hear more form her.

most of the music, as i have said is dancefloor worthy, immediately catchy, and never memorable. however you will have fun for the first few weeks after you buy this, grooving in your car or humming under your breath at work. for that it is certainly worth a purchase. and the vocals really could be worse.. they could be apoptygma berzerk. now that guy really is awful.

4 stars for good entartainment, good female vocals and danceworthy beats.

If you are familiar with Combichrist, you would know that Icon of Coil is Andy Laplegua's other band. Icon of Coil is alot more polished than Combichrist's music but still as catchy and aggressive. It was through IoC I was introduced to Combichrist. Of all the IoC albums I have bought and/or heard, SERENITY IS THE DEVIL remains my personal favorite IoC cd. I recently bought another copy of the cd after having sold it 3-4 years ago. The music remains as fresh and exciting for me as it was when I first heard the album. For me what makes this album so memorable is the infectious pop hooks and pulsating dance beats. All of the songs are driven by a throbbing bassline that will make anyone want to get up and dance. The lyrics are reminscent of VNV Nation and Apoptygma Berzerk. There is lots of angst, joy, sorrow, and regret. Andy's familiar vocals are here but slicker. The only quibble I have with the album is repetition music wise as well as Andy's vocals but it all depends on what sort of mood I am in otherwise I love the cd. SERENITY IS THE DEVIL remains a classic EBM album in my cd collection.

Futurepop is the name given to a style of EBM that flourished around 2000, where harsh Industrial/EBM of the mid/late 90's style got injected with dramatic, melodic synths reminiscent of dark epic trance.

This CD is the second best example of the genre (with the best being "Empires" by VNV Nation). Some brilliant songs are on here, Regret being a standout, as is Fiction. Shallow Nation and Former Self are good too. Catchy melodies and nicely violent synth that set clubs ablaze. Well produced as well. The lyrics utterly suck but remember, they are Norwegian and the music more than makes up for it.

Andy LaPlegula and Sebastian Komor are brilliant programmers and craft exquisite music.

Let me start by saying I was amazed to find I loved every last song on this CD! I have been slowly growing my musical taste into more ebm (whatever you wanna call it) type stuff and Icon of Coil really helped push me further into this realm of music. As a DJ there are a ton of good songs on this disc for your dance floor.

Good dance floor tracks include:
Floorkiller (best dance floor song)
Shallow Nation
Activate
Regretwn
Everlasting
Former Self
Fiction

I would highly recommend buying this CD as both a music fan and a DJ. I would also recommend if you can find it, buy the CD Single for "Shallow Nation", it has a better version of both "Shallow Nation" and "Floorkiller" on it than this CD.

Simply put, Serenity Of The Devil is one of the best albums of the year. Songs - like Activate, Regret, Shallow Nation, Former Self and Floorkiller - are amazing, body-moving tracks. A must have for anyone who likes dance music, especially fans of the ebm/electro genre. If you like Apoptygma Bezerk, Covenant, VNV Nation, you will not be disappointed. An truly empressive debut album.

In Response to Pecos Bill's comments "I will say one negative thing, though: the people who claim Floorkiller is an awesome dance song, uh, did you guys even listen to the whole thing?"

I say; uh, have you even listened to the version on the Shallow Nation CD?? You know, the one played in the clubs!! That is the awesome dance version and anyone who knows about Icon of Coil knows this!!! Most definately a floor-filler not floor killer (sorry I just had to say that!!).

Excellent, diverse, addictive....

This is everything I like in a good techno group: very detailed, complex music with lyrics and vocals that range from "good" to "awesome". "Situations Like These" in particular is a new angle for Icon of Coil, featuring some beautiful female vocals. If that track was an experiment, I hope they do some more of it in the future. This group is pretty well in line in the likes of Covenant, Apoptygma Berzerk, Wolfheim and VNV Nation, so if you like any of those it's worth checking out.

On other IOC releases, I feel like they're consistantly good, never bad but never awesome, however this CD introduces us to some "awesome" intermixed with the "good". I liked that this CD has obviously put more effort into good lyrics and vocals and it paid off.

I will say one negative thing, though: the people who claim Floorkiller is an awesome dance song, uh, did you guys even listen to the whole thing? It is indeed a floor killer, best suited for the last song of the day when you're trying to get people to leave. It starts out as a super-awesome dance beat but about midway through it pretty much shuts down and turns into the most annoying no-beat noise you've ever heard, like 30 seconds of a white-noise/tone that pretty much says "go home" if it says anything...

yesterdy i bought this cd it's great very much Pop trance blend with EBM i really like it for me a Depeche Mode fan. a very Recomended cd for all the people who like EBM Synthpop and even Trance and all the people who like dance music

this cd used with the cutting age of Electronic music once again a very recomended :)

Icon of Coil are from Norway, and I found out about them through idly listening to an anonymous techno CD of various artists. The track "Shallow Nation" was easily the best track on that CD - a little reminiscent of Nitzer Ebb, but by no means so percussive as to be near the point of being atonal.

"Serenity is the Devil" is a very good CD indeed, and most tracks are well worth listening to (although a couple seem to be out of place). The most compelling aspect is the divergence in speeds, often starting slowly and building up to a crescendo of faster and faster beats. However, the lush bass treatments and the dark, portentuous vocals should also not be forgotten, and when combined it adds up to one of the best industrial CDs you will hear in a very long time.

Icon of Coil also are avid producers, and have remixed tracks for many other groups. That is no surprise - for this is a very well-done CD all around, and if they release remixes from it I would be very interested to hear those as well.