By 2000, Archer and Lynch were moving the project in a darker electronic/dance direction, resulting in a self-released full length album entitled ‘Dragonfly’.
After a short hiatus from recording and a lengthy period of trial, error, and revision, and many regional live performances, Ego Likeness signed with Dancing Ferret Discs/ Noir Records for the release of 2004’s ‘Water to the Dead’. This album featured the band’s electronic roots while exploring a bit of a heavier rock
sound.
2005 saw the band tour Germany, Luxembourg, and the continental US with label mates The Cruxshadows, as well as performing at several festivals on the east and west coast, including Convergence 11 (San Diego CA), Dracula’s Ball (Philadelphia PA), Black Sun Festival I (New Haven CT), Freaks United (DC), Eccentrik Festival I (Raleigh NC), and others.
Their first album ‘Dragonfly’ was re-released on Dancing Ferret Discs in 2005.
In addition to The Cruxshadows, they have had the honour to share the stage with Voltaire, The Damned, Chris Connelly, Collide, Razed in Black, Bella Morte, Das Ich, Rasputina, The Start, Iris, Decoded Feedback, The Azoic, More Machine Than Man, In Strict Confidence, Combichrist, and many others.
They have also appeared on numerous compilation CDs, including several Asleep by Dawn releases and 'Where's Neil When You Need Him?' (a tribute to the work of author Neil Gaiman, DFD July 2006); released remixes for The Cruxshadows (Cassandra-Fortress in Flames), The Last Dance (Terribly When- Reflections of Rage), Thou Shalt Not (Inside of You, In Spite of You- The Projectionist), and Black Tape for a Blue
Girl (Tarnished- Scarecrow); and appeared on Voltaire's album Then and Again. EL has also been featured in publications such as Gothic Beauty, Outburn, ABD, Sideline and Sonic Seducer, to name a few.
Their third full length album, ‘The Order of the Reptile' (release date July 4th 2006, Dancing Ferret Discs) ventures back into the realms of heavy electronica, a bit of trip hop, and darkwave.
Archer and Lynch have been married since October of 1999 and currently live in Baltimore. Steven is also the creator of the atmospheric electronica project Hopeful Machines, and performs with the industrial/ power noise act Blind Till Now. All three members of EL, along with Alexx Lackey of echomatrix make up the experimental/ spoken word outfit The Trinity Project.
Former band mate Justin ‘Dingo’ Sabe also lives in Baltimore with a lovely belly dancer and some rather large cats. When not performing with EL, he spends his time on fire and robots and knitting, and can often be found at festivals that involve fire, robots, and/or knitting. He also plays the tuba and hopes to form a marching band in the very near future.
Current line up:
Steven Archer - Guitar/ Programming/ Music & Words/ Vocals
Donna Lynch - Vocals/ Piano/ Words & Music
Mike K. Johnson - Drums
Former members:
Justin 'Dingo' Sabe - Keytar/ Synths/ Noise
Official Site: www.egolikeness.com/
Steven also works on a solo project at www.hopefulmachines.net
Inferno
Ego Likeness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something uncontained
Breaks through the ice within me
This fire is to blame
Something's pulled me under
Feral and untamed
Never stopped to question
The nature of the game
Chorus:
My name is Loss of Conscience
My name is No Regret
My name is Nothing Matters
At least it hasn't yet
I wish intentions mattered
I wish I'd never seen
I wish the light had never
Made the truth so clear to me
Do our intentions matter
You'll wish you'd never seen
You'll wish the light had never
Blinded you so easily
Chorus repeat x2
The lyrics of "Inferno" by Ego Likeness seem to be about an internal struggle between the singer's desires and moral compass. The opening verse suggests that the singer is feeling something burning inside them, something wild and uncontrollable that has broken through the surface of their more reserved exterior. This "fire" that they feel is responsible for this out-of-control feeling that they are experiencing.
The chorus introduces a series of names, each of them representing a different aspect of the singer's personality. These include "Loss of Conscience," "No Regret," and "Nothing Matters," all of which suggest someone who lacks empathy, morality, or a sense of responsibility. It seems as though the singer is acknowledging that these are part of who they are, even if they wish they weren't.
The second verse begins with a wish that intentions mattered, suggesting that the singer feels powerless to control their own desires. They wish that they had never seen the light or experienced the truth, suggesting that they would prefer to remain in the dark about whatever knowledge has led them to this place. The final lines of the song suggest that others will soon understand the singer's experience, wishing that they too never had their perspective changed so drastically.
Overall, the song seems to be about a struggle between the self and the wider world, suggesting that morality is something that is difficult to maintain in the face of overwhelming desire or temptation.
Line by Line Meaning
Something burns inside me
There is a strong feeling within me that cannot be ignored
Something uncontained
This feeling cannot be controlled or contained
Breaks through the ice within me
It overpowers the coldness or numbness within me that I had previously felt
This fire is to blame
It is this intense feeling that is responsible for my current state
Something's pulled me under
This feeling has taken over me completely
Feral and untamed
It is wild and uncontrollable
Never stopped to question
I have never stopped to question or analyze this feeling
The nature of the game
Its true nature or purpose remains unknown to me
My name is Loss of Conscience
I am unable to feel guilt or remorse about my actions
My name is No Regret
I do not regret any of my actions
My name is Nothing Matters
I am indifferent to the consequences of my actions
At least it hasn't yet
So far, there have not been any consequences
I wish intentions mattered
I wish that what I intended to do would have an effect on the outcome
I wish I'd never seen
I wish I had not been exposed to whatever made me feel this way
I wish the light had never
I wish something had not happened that made me see things more clearly
Made the truth so clear to me
The truth has become clear to me and it is not what I had hoped for or expected
Do our intentions matter
Is what we intend to do important or significant in any way?
You'll wish you'd never seen
If you knew the truth, you may wish you had never found out
Blinded you so easily
It was easy to overlook or ignore the truth until it became too obvious to ignore
Chorus repeat x2
The chorus is repeated twice more
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.