The title Horse Rotorvator is explained in the liner notes as a device large enough to "plough up the waiting world," created from the bones of the horses of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Bay City Rollers this isn't. On the group's second full album, Coil continue the refinement of brute noise and creepily serene arrangements into a truly modern psychedelia, from tribal drumming and death march guitars to disturbing samples and marching band samples and back. Balance shares the same haggard, mystic vocal delivery common to fellow explorers of the edge like David Tibet and Edward Ka-Spel, but he has his own blasted and burnt touch to it all. His lyrical subjects range from emotional extremism of many kinds to blunt, often homoerotic imagery (matched at points in the artwork and packaging) and meditations on death. As a result the cover of Leonard Cohen's "Who by Fire" isn't as surprising as one might think. Past guest Marc Almond appears again on the track with backing vocals, as well as adding them to "Slur," which is composed of an unsettling mix of harmonica, bells, percussion and whatever else can be imagined. Other guests include Almond's then-musical partner Billy McGee, adding a haunting, sometimes grating, string arrangement to "Ostia," which is about the murder of radical Italian filmmaker Pasolini, and Clint Ruin, aka Foetus, adding his typically warped brass touches to "Circles of Mania." Paul Vaughan narrates the lyrics on "The Golden Section," creating a stunning piece that in its combination of demonic imagery and sweeping, cinematic arrangements holds a common ground with In the Nursery. All the guests help contribute to the album's overall effect, but this is Coil's own vision above all else, eschewing easy cliches on all fronts to create unnerving, never easily digested invocations of musical power. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
Coil (Main Performer), John Balance (Cover Photo), Peter Christopherson (Design), Tony Harris (Engineer), Danny Hyde (Engineer), Billy McGee (String Arrangements), Paul Samuelson (Engineer), Lawrence Watson (Photography), Clint Ruin (Brass Arrangement)
It was initially released in 1986 by Force And Form, K.422 and Some Bizzare (UK), Relativity Records (U.S.), Les Disques Du Soleil et de l'Acier (France) and Record Vox (Germany). Its UK edition was frequently reissued on CD by Some Bizarre without the band's permission, leading the band to self-release a remastered CD edition of the album in 2001, with the protest, "Stevø, Pay Us What You Owe Us!", printed in large text on the cover and also on the spine.
Although Coil did officially release this album on cassette, it was once again pirated in cassette form by both Stable Records and ArsNova Records which hail from Russia.
"On the Eve of the Apocalypse - (the air choked with horsehair) - the Four Horsemen betray their steeds - slitting open the animal throats - and in doing so release the Second Great Deluge - Horsegore - Infinite Divisibles Split - an infinity of open sewers - the Four then fashion an immense earthmoving device from the collective jawbones - The Horse Rotorvator - with which to plough up the waiting world - (ROTA turns through 180° to TARO) - wheels replace horses - Dark Horses Run - Dark Horses Run Deep - and Hell is paved with horseflesh... (we plough the fields and scatter Our Dead Steeds on the land)".
This text was reproduced in the insert for the CD reissue of the album.
Track listing
LP Release
Side A:
"The Anal Staircase"
"Slur"
"Babylero"
"Ostia (The Death of Pasolini)"
"Herald"
"Penetralia"
Side B:
"Circles of Mania"
"Blood From the Air"
"Who by Fire"
"The Golden Section"
"The First 5 Minutes After Death"
Cassette Release
Side A:
"The Anal Staircase"
"Silk"
"Babylero"
"Ostia"
"Acapulco March"
"Penetralia"
"Ravenous"
Side B:
"Circles of Mania"
"Blood From the Air"
"Who by Fire"
"The Golden Section"
"The First Five Minutes After Death"
"The Anal Staircase (A Dionysian remix)"
This is the listing for the 1987 cassette release on Relativity in the U.S. "Silk" and "Acapulco March" are the working titles for "Slur" and "Herald," respectively (taken from a pre-release demo tape). "Ravenous" and "(A Dionysian Remix)" are from The Anal Staircase 12" single, and are not listed on the tape card.
CD Release (ROTA CD1 version)
"The Anal Staircase" - 4:10
"Slur" - 3:30
"Babylero" - 0:51
"Ostia (The Death of Pasolini)" - 6:23
"Herald" - 1:03
"Penetralia" - 6:10
"Ravenous" - 3:26
"Circles Of Mania" - 5:01
"Blood From the Air" - 5:32
"Who by Fire" - 2:37
"The Golden Section" - 5:50
"The First Five Minutes After Death" - 4:45
Different releases of the CD have "Ravenous" as Track 12 instead of 7. Sometimes the listing on the cover and the actual running order differ as a result (for example, one ROTA 1 copy lists the tracks in the above order, but actually has "Ravenous" as Track 12).
