The first formal album by Coil announced its intentions clearly not merely by its title but by art in various editions and rereleases with an emphasis on buttocks and anuses. 1984’s Scatology was never meant to be easy listening as such, especially its lyrical and numerous subcultural themes, perhaps most memorably in the droning dark fantasia of “The Sewage Worker’s Birthday Party.” But in its sprawling experimentation, from aggressive noise and rhythms to unsettling near silence, it also showed that Coil wasn’t interested in simply pursuing one sole path, with the opening rhythmic loops of sampling in “Ubu Noir” slamming into the raging stomp of “Panic,” John Balance’s raspy vocals over a collaborative bed from both Peter Christopherson and album coproducer JG Thirlwell. Notable further appearances come from future member Stephen Thrower on clarinet on two songs, including the moody contemplation of “At The Heart Of It All,” Balance’s calm piano improvisation a further demonstration of Coil’s reach, and an eerie lead vocal turn on “Tenderness of Wolves” from the Virgin Prunes’s Gavin Friday.