The Coil Of Sihn

The Coil Of Sihn was formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 2002 by trans-feminine artist Sihn Starr Rossi. Out of Rossi's handwritten journals came the concept that backdrops the music which is influenced by Nine Inch Nails, Judas Priest, Crass, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Depeche Mode, Black Sabbath and Electric Light Orchestra. The concept is an Earth-like world where those who are born marked for a Sentinel Path are tested in a place of trial and survival, The Coil, where freedom and destiny is only granted if you can escape.

"Enter", our 12 song introduction to The Coil Of Sihn was released in 2002. Brian Marek of the magazine Subliminal Bananna said:

"Sihn Starr screamed from behind a black veil while stripping away the layers of protection from her 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."

Of the song "Intricate Embrace", Entertainment Death magazine said:

"Intricate embrace is my favourite song on the album. While most songs use two very different pitches of vocal (something which may almost be considered a trademark feature), only a low sombre vocal matched to a piano accompanyment. It is very soft, and a clean drum beat carries the song. Yngwie Malmsteen-like classical leanings are evident in the closing piano, though expressed in a very different way."

In 2004, "My World" was released and followed up quickly the same year with a remix album of tracks from My World and Enter, "Through".

Sid Andruska of Playback magazine also had this to say:

"My World...is an angry yet sentimental 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 her way."

"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, especially in “Dream (Not a Monster remix),” although she doesn’t showcase her voice on all songs. Occasionally, she allows the music to speak for itself. In “HalfLife (30 Giger Clicks remix),” her 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!"

After an extensive regional touring, The Coil Of Sihn went back into the studio and released "These Closed Eyes" in 2009. This was the first time that Rossi worked with an sound engineer, Justin Fisher of SmithLee Studios in St. Louis and the local band Glitch Factor. The collaboration resulted in a theatrical based concept album based upon Rossi's abusive childhood.

Mark Kray of Heavy Metal Kitchen had this to say:

"The first track, "First Curse" is a horrid dramatization of a brutal physical and sexual attack that recounts one of Rossi's childhood memories; the second track Rossi unveils her lyrical genius. Her 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 the flashbacks. Or so I’ve heard. Expect nothing less from this album."

Sid Andruska of Playback had this to say:

"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 her life were a dramatic motion picture or a horror flick, depending on your perspective."

The Coil Of Sihn, after a 9 year hibernation, released "Covered In Blood And You" in 2018, a collection of 6 cover songs, with two tracks that are remixes.

Rossi says that fans should expect to see a release in 2021. Re-Enter My World will be a re-issue of 12 selected tracks from The Coil Of Sihn's first two albums, fully produced in studio with Justin Fisher. Then, a full album of new original songs, "Fall", will hit the digital marketplaces to add yet another word to the sentence that all the titles of the albums form.