How to Destroy Angels
Coil

Format: 12"
Year: 1984 (reissued in 1988)
Label: L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords - Belgium
Catalog #: LAY 5
Status: out of print

Tracks:

How to Destroy Angels - [MP3] [LOCI CD 2]
Absolute Elsewhere

Personnel:
John Balance
Peter Christopherson

Details:
This release is subtitled "ritual music for the accumulation of male sexual energy".

"How To Destroy Angels" was originally intended to be the b-side to the track "Silence & Secrecy" on a clear vinyl 12" released by Temple Records. This release was aborted, presumably due to Balance and Sleazy's departure from Psychic TV who ran the Temple label.

The b-side, "Absolute Elsewhere", is intended to be non-playable, and according to Coil:

first pressing had unplayable noise-filled grooves
second pressing had playable multi-layered music
third pressing had a smooth, grooveless surface as originally intended.

However, there's also evidence of two other versions existing (perhaps the 1988 edition?):

playable b-side with a constant tone for around 15 minutes.
playable b-side with a series of "test tones" in unconnected locked grooves

A pink vinyl edition exists, although it's unclear how many copies of this edition were pressed. This may be a bootleg.

First pressing included an A3 black & white poster.

This track also appears on the Unnatural History anthology in mono form, and various reworkings of the track appear on the How to Destroy Angels (Remixes And Re-Recordings) CD.

Vinyl etching:
Side A - SHUT UP! IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!
Side B - none

Images:
front cover
close-up of cover text
labels: side 1, side 2