"Shallow Nation", released early in 2000, sold out the first thousand copies after only two weeks in the stores, which resulted in a deal with the Norwegian record label Tatra Records. Around that time Tatra Records released the compilation "Sex, Goth & Electronics", to which IoC contributed an exclusive version of their song "Repeat It".
Before they started work on their second release IoC did programming for the "Apoptygma Berzerk" track "Starsign". Soon afterwards, they travelled to Germany, with live member Jon Holm, to support Apoptygma on their "Welcome to Earth tour 2000" at gigs in Frankfurt, Cottbus and Leipzig before going back to Norway to play together at Rockefeller in Oslo.
Audiences seemed to enjoy Icon of Coil's energetic and melodious sound fused with Andy's hypnotic voice and the band's success grew. "One Nation Under Beat" debuted in the top 20 on the DAC-chart (Deutsch Alternative Chart), stayed on the chart for eight weeks and peaked at number three.
In late spring of 2000 at a gig in Uddevalla, Sweden, Christian Lund joined the band as a live-member and went on stage with Andy and Seb for the first time. Along with being the vocalist for his "En Route" project, Christian had a background from a melodious EBM Fredrikstad-band called "Elected By Fear" where he played together with Fredrik Hansen from "Echo Image" (who also played at that gig) and Marius Johnsen from "Centravibe".
After the release of IoC's first full-length "Serenity Is The Devil" in November 2000, which reached number three on the DAC-chart, the band went to Germany together with "Beborn Beton". With nine gigs, positive feedback from the audience and very good reviews on the debut album, IoC gained a substantial following in the synth/industrial scene.
Shortly afterward, the album crossed the Atlantic and was released in North America by Metropolis Records. On March 29th, 2001, the band itself followed and boarded a plane to Chicago. They were on their own in a foreign country and on a tight budget. The band flew from city to city, slept in hotels and sometimes even in the homes of their promoters. The song "Situations Like These" from the (then) forthcoming "Seren EP" was played live for the first time to an incredibly enthusiastic and energetic American audience, which made the tour a big success. Then after playing at "Slimelight" and "Astoria II" (Electrofest) in London, the guys had a short break before they faced a festival-filled summer in Europe.
The summer kicked off with a successful show in Leipzig, Germany, at "Wave-Gothic Treffen". The following festivals included "CSD", "Zillo Festival", "Xtreaktor Festival", "Eurorock", "Infest" and ended at "M'era Luna" where the trio did a hard-hitting performance in the Hangar.
"Situations Like These" became a big club hit and the band was ready for a second tour (this time in a Nightliner touring bus) of North America with "VNV Nation". The leg began in Chicago on the 16th of November at a packed Vic Theatre, which set the standard for the rest of the 19 shows. Icon of Coil, VNV Nation and the rest of the crew continued up to Canada, down the east coast to Florida, through Texas to the West coast and Hollywood, where they did their 15th show in front of about 900 people at the Palace. The four-week tour ended in Edmonton, Canada with a great show and a huge after-party.
During their tours, the band found the time to write material for their April 2002 sophomore album, "The Soul Is In The Software", which stayed at number one on the DAC for a several weeks. IoC then performed at two more festivals: "The Dark Jubilee Festival" in London; and later as the Sunday-headliner for "Synthpop Goes The World" in Toronto, Canada, which turned out to be a very good but warm weekend and concert.
Icon of Coil came a long way in a short amount of time. For 2004 their third album, "Machines Are Us", continued the trend with pummeling beats, sympathetic vocals, anthem-like melodies, and sweeping synths. Careful not to be outdone or forgotten, Icon of Coil released "Uploaded And Remixed", which featured brand new mixes of songs from their first two records and two exclusive tracks, at the tail end of 2004.
Since then the band has been on indefinite hiatus, only performing a handful of live shows around the world, as Andy has been concentrating on his new band "Combichrist".
On a short reunion tour of Australia in November, 2011 the 3 members rekindled old friendships and the creative chemistry from the past came raging back. The single "PerfectSex" was released in August 2012, together with the announcement that the band is working on a new album.
Official MySpace page: www.myspace.com/officialiconofcoil
Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IconOfCoilOfficial
Activate
Icon of Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It looks the same, feels the same
Pointing at you again
Can't help myself asking you how?
Where is our path?
It's not a phase
It will come back again
As soon as you forget
The mind is a lack of existence
In time we'll heal all open wounds
Still we'll remain the puppeteers
Open up the doors, lock them up behind us
Blended by the winter light as the worlds collide
We'll feed the storm again
Beauty stole my sight
We'll fall into the same
Cycling game again
It's not a phase
Bring this world to an end
As the fractures strife your eye
We enjoy our masquerade
Through the days of convicted grief
The action slowly fades
As the countdown reach the end
And shimmering light starts to burn
We still remain the puppeteers
It's too late to make a turn
we'll feed the storm again
Beauty stole my sight
We'll fall into the same
Cycling game again
It's not a phase
Bring this world to an end
The song "Activate" by Icon of Coil can be interpreted as a commentary on the cyclical and repetitive nature of human behavior, as well as the self-destructive tendencies that we exhibit. The opening lines describe "mutilated images" that "look the same, feel the same", suggesting a sense of monotony and lack of progress. The singer asks where their path is, indicating a feeling of aimlessness and confusion. They express frustration with themselves for constantly returning to these patterns, asking "What is your excuse?" The final line of the verse, "The mind is a lack of existence", implies a dissolution of self or a feeling of emptiness.
The chorus shifts to a more ominous tone, with the singer suggesting that they and those around them are "puppeteers", controlling their own fate and that of others. They declare that "we'll feed the storm again", implying that they are aware of the destructive nature of their actions but will continue them anyway. The repetition of "It's not a phase, bring this world to an end" suggests a desire to escape this cycle of behavior, but a sense that it is impossible. The final lines of the chorus, "Beauty stole my sight, we'll fall into the same cycling game again", further reinforce the idea that humans are trapped in these patterns and cannot help but repeat them.
The second verse explores a sense of disillusionment and resignation. The singer describes a masquerade or facade that people put on, suggesting that they are not authentic or genuine. They describe their grief as "convicted", implying a sense of hopelessness or despair. The countdown reaching the end and the shimmering light burning could be interpreted as a metaphor for the end of the world or some other apocalyptic event, and the singer acknowledges that it is too late to turn back or change course.
Overall, "Activate" presents a bleak view of human behavior and the cyclical nature of our actions. It suggests a sense of frustration and helplessness, with the singer feeling trapped and unable to alter their course. The chorus in particular takes on an ominous tone, with the singer acknowledging the destructive consequences of their actions but feeling powerless to stop them.
Line by Line Meaning
Mutilated images
We are experiencing distorted and disfigured visuals
It looks the same, feels the same
Despite the chaos, it remains constant and familiar
Pointing at you again
Blaming or accusing you once more
Can't help myself asking you how?
I am compelled to seek an explanation from you
Where is our path?
What is the direction or plan for us
It's not a phase
This is not a temporary or fleeting situation
It will come back again
The problem will resurface once more
As soon as you forget
As soon as you let your guard down or become complacent
What is your excuse?
Why can't you do anything about it?
The mind is a lack of existence
The mind is a void or a nonentity
In time we'll heal all open wounds
Eventually, all emotional injuries will be resolved
Still we'll remain the puppeteers
However, we will persist as controllers or manipulators
Open up the doors, lock them up behind us
We will leave, but we will also lock the exit once we are gone
Blended by the winter light as the worlds collide
These different worlds converging at the same time appear as one with the winter illuminating them
We'll feed the storm again
We will inflame the issues and foster more trouble
Beauty stole my sight
Amazing qualities blinded me of what's important
We'll fall into the same
We will fall back into the same cycle
Cycling game again
Repeated circular patterns of action and reaction
Bring this world to an end
Put a stop to all of this
As the fractures strife your eye
As the rupturing shakes you to your core
We enjoy our masquerade
We delight in pretending and hiding behind our masks
Through the days of convicted grief
Through the period of condemnation and anguish
The action slowly fades
The activity gradually dwindles
As the countdown reach the end
As we approach the conclusion or final stage
And shimmering light starts to burn
The glowing light ignites into a flame
We still remain the puppeteers
We persist as manipulators, despite the situation
It's too late to make a turn
It is impossible to reverse or alter the course of events
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OLE ANDERS OLSEN, SEBASTIAN R. KOMOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AlwaysOnTheMove999
"everything happens for a reason, which is sometimes hard for us to see."
klendaju
Vamos a ver si queda claro. Hicimos una fiesta llamada Esto es EBM... Hice este logo para incluirlo en flyer... En la fiesta se pinchó EBM y muchos otros estilos, entre los que se encontraba el future pop... Decidí subir esta canción para enseñársela a un amigo, y aproveche para mostrarle el logo... Pero ni el logo tiene que ver con la canción, ni trata de definir el estilo de la misma. Hay quien prefiere poner fotos del grupo o la portada del disco. Yo puse eso por el motivo que he explicado.
¿Queda ahora más claro?
Néstor Osvaldo Alvarado Vergara
+klendaju Leyendo un poquito me queda bastante claro todo. Lo que no me gusta, es que la gente insulte a otra, casi como por una actitud de reflejo. Algo así como "[comentario con intención de corregir] + Insulto". Por lo que leo, nadie te ha preguntado como estuvo la fiesta, donde fue, y hace cuanto. ¿Tienes registros del evento? Saludos!
NICOLAI SCHUMAN
Exelente icon of coil
Francis Lucio
El tema esta muy bien ami me gusta aunque no sea EBM
GuerillaManifesto
Andy Laplegua strikes again!
Arc Blackheart
reminds me of the year 2000
Shane Brady
this reminds me of goth night...lol.
piercer75
Bandas que desarrollaron el inicio de cabaret voltaire,orange sector,ministry o nitzer ebb ya son demasiadas y realmente prefiero quedarme escuchando solo el inicio de los verdaderos pioneros del genero...Sorry
Gilad Shapira
Baast. fillen danke