Angelspit began as a duo, formed by members Destroyx/Amelia Arsenic (Amelia Tan) and Zoog Von Rock (Karl Learmont) after the two met on an online zine forum in 2002. The duo’s zine collaborations formed the lyrical inspiration for early releases. Their debut industrial EP, Nurse Grenade, was self-released for free in October 2004 and later remastered in 2007.
Angelspit’s debut album Krankhaus, a concept album with themes of grotesque horror and medical experimentation, was self-released in June 2006 to praise from critics, cementing them as an innovative up-and-coming act. A remix album, Krankhaus: Surgically Atoned was released in 2007, featuring remixes from acts like Combichrist. The band released their debut music video for the song “Vena Cava”, which provided striking, disturbing visuals for the album’s storyline.
Angelspit’s second album Blood Death Ivory was released in June 2008. It was considered a subtle evolution of their unique sound. A remix album, Black Kingdom Red Kingdom, was released in 2009, featuring remixes by acts like KMFDM and Ayria.
Angelspit’s third album Hideous and Perfect was released in September 2009, with praise towards its album artwork (which featured an unrecognizable Destroyx) and experimental and atmospheric soundscape. Two remix albums, Larva Pupa Tank Coffin and Carbon Beauty, were released in 2010 and 2011 respectively, each including additional original tracks by Angelspit.
Angelspit released their fourth album Hello My Name Is in October 2011. This album moved the band’s lyricism further towards the political, with a common theme being critique of corporate society. This was the last album to feature member Destroyx, who left in March 2014 to pursue other projects, including solo music under the name Amelia Arsenic.
Following Destroyx’s departure, Angelspit continued to make music, fronted by Zoog and taking a new focus towards collaboration with other artists and an ever-changing line-up of associated musicians. The band’s fifth album The Product was released in March 2014, and featured guest appearances from George Bikos, Miss Ballistic, Helalyn Flowers, Agent 13, Chant, and Teknocracy. In September 2015, Angelspit collaborated with The Gothsicles, under the name Hardcore Pong, to release a video-game inspired collaborative album.
Angelspit’s sixth album Cult of Fake was released in June 2016, reinventing the band’s sound and taking a larger inspiration from dance music. Its lyrics were the band’s most obviously political yet, with blunt critique of the American lifestyle, media, and the 2016 election.
Angelspit’s seventh album Black Dog Bite was released in September 2017. Its music was based on 90s cyberpunk and its lyrical themes included dystopia, consumerism, and futurism. Their eighth album Bang Operative, released in September 2019, continued these themes, creating a dark and lonely soundscape.
Angelspit’s ninth album The Ignorance Cartel was released in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by 2020’s political landscape, the album’s concept involves authoritarianism and mind-control. It features multiple guest appearances from Miss Ballistic and Ice Planet 9000, as well as appearances by Gasoline Invertebrate and Queen of the Static Opera.
Angelspit’s tenth album Diesel Priest was released in December 2021. The album received praise for its thought-provoking and deep lyrics, which continued to be inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated political landscape. Its lyrics critique America’s apathy towards violence, most notably in the single “Killed on Camera”. The album featured guest appearances from Gasoline Invertebrate, Miss Ballistic, MeteorEYES, Queen of the Static Opera, Ice Planet 9000, and May May Graves. Four remix albums were released for Diesel Priest, with three having exclusive original tracks.
In 2022, Angelspit has participated in two collaborative projects. The first, a collaboration with Ice Planet 9000, was the instrumental science-fiction concept album Sequence 1: Glass Jar, released in February. An associated audio drama was also included with digital purchases of the album. The second, a collaboration with Queen of the Static Opera, was the single “Breathing But Not Alive”, released under the name Venus of Gorgon.
Cold Hard Cash
Angelspit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On lolly boys in their cage
Empress tease, pink and rats
Breaking hearts to the bank
Keep the car running
The only thing you're wanting, is
Cold hard cash
Kaltes hartes bargeld
Lynch mob love, broken dolls
Float to the top, of the bowel
Taste in girls, young and smashed
Perversion lies, dormant
Mother dear mother, gotta keep gunning for
Cold hard cash
Alice in vulgar land
Make the mascara bleed
Cry victim cry victim cry
God knows it sells CDs
All dancing, loud singing
Not realize they're just play things
Split open laid to waste
Sprayed across your rock star face
Glamour glamour road kill, all you want is... Cold hard cash
The song "Cold Hard Cash" by Angelspit is a dark, provocative commentary on the entertainment industry's corruptive tendencies. The lyrics focus on the exploitation of vulnerable individuals and the objectification of human life in the pursuit of financial gain. The song begins with the depiction of a "lair queen" preying on "lolly boys in their cage," painting a picture of a BDSM culture rife with power imbalances and emotional manipulation. The "empress tease" described in the lyrics engages in similar behavior, "breaking hearts to the bank."
The chorus, "Keep the car running, The only thing you're wanting, is Cold hard cash," reinforces the idea that money is the only motivation for the individuals involved. The German phrase "Kaltes hartes bargeld" drives home the point that the pursuit of money has become dehumanizing.
The second verse further emphasizes this theme, describing a "lynch mob love" where "broken dolls float to the top of the bowel." The singers in the lyrics crave "taste in girls, young and smashed," revealing a desire for power over vulnerable victims. The bridge of the song interrupts the dark narrative with a critique of the music industry's tendency to capitalize on trauma and victimhood. "Alice in vulgar land, Make the mascara bleed, Cry victim cry victim cry, God knows it sells CDs."
Overall, "Cold Hard Cash" is a disturbing but insightful critique of the entertainment industry's exploitative tendencies.
Line by Line Meaning
Lair queen likes to prey
A dominant woman enjoys taking advantage of vulnerable men
On lolly boys in their cage
She preys on young, naive men who are trapped in their own circumstances
Empress tease, pink and rats
A seductive woman toys with her victims, exploiting their weaknesses
Breaking hearts to the bank
She profits off of emotionally destroying her prey
Keep the car running
She is always prepared to quickly flee from the scene
The only thing you're wanting, is
All she cares about is
Cold hard cash
making money through whatever means necessary, even if it means hurting others
Lynch mob love, broken dolls
A group of people enjoys destroying those who are already vulnerable and broken
Float to the top, of the bowel
The most disgusting and twisted individuals rise to the top of the social hierarchy
Taste in girls, young and smashed
They enjoy exploiting young girls who have already been through trauma and addiction
Perversion lies, dormant
Their twisted desires are always present, lurking beneath the surface
Mother dear mother, gotta keep gunning for
The person singing is compelled to continue pursuing
Cold hard cash
money gained through exploitation and destruction
Alice in vulgar land
A reference to the book "Alice in Wonderland," but in a twisted and obscene world
Make the mascara bleed
Encourages women to cry and smear their makeup to sell more records
Cry victim cry victim cry
Encouraging people to perpetuate their own victimhood for profit
God knows it sells CDs
Exploiting human suffering sells and makes money
All dancing, loud singing
People are distracted by the spectacle, not realizing they are being manipulated
Not realize they're just play things
People don't realize they are being used for someone else's profit
Split open laid to waste
Once they have served their purpose, they are thrown away
Sprayed across your rock star face
Their suffering is exploited and glamorized for others' benefit
Glamour glamour road kill, all you want is...
Exploiting and destroying people is done solely to gain
Cold hard cash
money and power through twisted and perverse means
Contributed by Aria M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.