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.
Maggot
Angelspit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black office, dead paper
Sacrificial sky scraper
Gestate incubate dig your own grave
Grinding groveling you won't be saved
VERSE 2
No surname
Bred to succeed and plunder
Cult of the worker bee deceived
Brainwash Karoshi breed
CHORUS
Eat it maggot
VERSE 3
Head devil, slave temple
Stuck inside the hate vessel
Mutate deviate churning bitter
Nitrate flagellate hell igniter
Pact writer, rank pity
Reaping execution money
Feasting at the boardroom alter
Carving up the slaughter
CHORUS
CHANT
Want it
Buy it
Use it
Fuck it
CHORUS
The song Maggot by Angelspit is a powerful commentary on the state of modern society and its focus on materialism and conformity. The first verse speaks of a bleak and soulless environment, referencing a "black office" filled with "dead paper." The second verse introduces the idea of people being reduced to mere numbers, bred to succeed in a system that values profit above all else. This concept of the "cult of the worker bee" is further explored in the chorus, with the repeated phrase "Eat it maggot" serving as a harsh indictment of those who have bought into this capitalist mindset. The final verse describes a world where those in power are willing to go to any lengths to maintain it, even if it means perpetuating a cycle of suffering and exploitation.
Throughout the song, Angelspit uses vivid, often grotesque imagery to convey their message. Words like "sacrificial" and "hell igniter" paint a picture of a society gone awry, while the chant of "Want it, buy it, use it, fuck it" speaks to a culture that values instant gratification above all else. Ultimately, Maggot is a call to action, urging listeners to reject the status quo and strive for something better.
Line by Line Meaning
Black office, dead paper
The mundane and lifeless work environment of an office.
Sacrificial sky scraper
Offices as towering graveyards, where people are worked to death.
Gestate incubate dig your own grave
The company creates a culture that makes people work themselves to death.
Grinding groveling you won't be saved
Despite the hard work, there is no possibility of attaining true success or happiness.
No surname
Employees are just faceless numbers or cogs in the machine.
Serial number
Employees are reduced to mere tracking codes or inventory.
Bred to succeed and plunder
Employees are bred to climb the corporate ladder and exploit others.
Cult of the worker bee deceived
Employees are brainwashed into believing that their lives revolve around work and that it's the key to happiness.
Brainwash Karoshi breed
Workers are brainwashed into believing they must work themselves to death and suffer from Karoshi, or death from overwork.
Eat it maggot
The system consumes and degrades people until they're nothing but maggots.
Head devil, slave temple
Executives at the top of the hierarchy rule over their employees like slaves trapped inside a living hell.
Stuck inside the hate vessel
Employees are forced to work in a toxic and abusive work environment where hate is the norm.
Mutate deviate churning bitter
The work culture changes and twists people, turning them into bitter and resentful beings.
Nitrate flagellate hell igniter
The work culture ignites people's anger and misery activating it like a nitrate fuel.
Pact writer, rank pity
Executives at the top made their fortune from cutting deals and are unmoved by the suffering they cause lower-level workers.
Reaping execution money
Executives profit from the exploitation and suffering of their workers.
Feasting at the boardroom alter
Executives celebrate their greed and power as if they are worshiping at a religious altar.
Carving up the slaughter
Executives mercilessly and systematically exploit and mistreat their employees to increase their profits.
Want it
The system encourages consumers to constantly crave more possessions.
Buy it
The system encourages consumers to purchase more and more possessions to fill this craving.
Use it
The system encourages consumers to use possessions and dispose of them when they no longer serve a purpose.
Fuck it
The system encourages consumers to discard possessions without concern for the environment or the impact on other people.
Contributed by Isaac H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.