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.
RED
Angelspit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cheated
You don’t get what you think you deserve
Coma
Devour everything to deaden the nerve
CHANT 1
Gotta cut a profit even if I cut a throat
VERSE 2
Perish
All that you build, will be destroyed
Stolen
All your value will crumble to void
CHANT 2
Nice guys get crucified gotta find a scapegoat
BUILD UP 1
White
Black
Gray
Red
VERSE 3
Status
Wither away inside your golden cage
Victim
Spend more, burry the rage
CHANT 3
Wanna get a payrise to justify my worth
BUILD UP 2
White
Black
Gray
Red
CHANT 4
White is the colour of purity
Black is the colour of execution
Gray is the colour of urban bland
Red is the colour of revolution
The song "Red" by Angelspit is an intense and powerful track that delves into the darker aspects of human behavior. The lyrics describe a feeling of being cheated out of something one thinks they deserve, leading to a sense of numbness or loss of feeling. The word "coma" is used to emphasize this feeling of being disconnected from oneself and the world. The use of the imagery of devouring everything to deaden the nerve is a metaphor for self-destructive behaviors that people engage in when they feel lost or disillusioned.
The chorus echoes the sentiment that even if one has to commit heinous acts to cut a profit, they will do so. This speaks to the cutthroat nature of capitalism and how in a society that places value on monetary success, people will go to great lengths to achieve it. The second verse describes how everything that one builds will be destroyed, and all that they've deemed valuable will crumble away. The chant following this verse expresses the idea that those who try to be nice in the world will be sacrificed, and the only option is to find a scapegoat to blame for their misfortune.
The build-up sections of the song list the colors white, black, gray, and red, with the word red being emphasized. This builds anticipation for the final verse, where the color red is defined as the color of revolution. The lyrics suggest that people who are trapped in cages of their making need to fight against the systems that oppress them, and the only way to do so is by inciting a revolt that burns everything to the ground. "Red" is a powerful song that speaks to the anger and frustration that people feel when they think they've been cheated out of what they deserve.
Line by Line Meaning
Cheated
Feeling let down or deceived
You don’t get what you think you deserve
Expecting something but not receiving it
Coma
Numbing oneself to escape reality
Devour everything to deaden the nerve
Engaging in destructive behavior to cope with pain
Gotta cut a profit even if I cut a throat
Prioritizing personal gain over anything else, even if it requires harming others
Perish
Facing inevitable destruction or failure
All that you build, will be destroyed
Acknowledging that everything one creates will eventually come to an end
Stolen
Having something taken away without permission
All your value will crumble to void
Realizing that one's worth can disappear in an instant
Nice guys get crucified gotta find a scapegoat
Feeling the need to sacrifice others in order to succeed, as being kind or honest can lead to failure
White
Representing purity or innocence
Black
Representing death or destruction
Gray
Representing monotony or emptiness
Red
Representing the need for change and rebellion
Status
Feeling trapped in a luxurious but meaningless lifestyle
Wither away inside your golden cage
Slowly losing one's true self while living in a privileged but confining environment
Victim
Feeling powerless and oppressed
Spend more, burry the rage
Trying to compensate for inner turmoil through excessive consumption
Wanna get a payrise to justify my worth
Feeling the need to prove oneself through external validation and material success
White
Representing purity or innocence
Black
Representing death or destruction
Gray
Representing monotony or emptiness
Red
Representing the need for change and rebellion
White is the colour of purity
Acknowledging the positive connotations of white
Black is the colour of execution
Highlighting the negative connotations of black
Gray is the colour of urban bland
Describing the dullness and sameness of modern existence
Red is the colour of revolution
Suggesting that change and upheaval are necessary for growth and progress
Contributed by Alaina C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.