In 1997 Andy LaPlegua established the project, "Icon of Coil", which was pr… Read Full Bio ↴In 1997 Andy LaPlegua established the project, "Icon of Coil", which was primarily a concept built around a logo, graphic design and music. Soon after the inception, the music turned out to be the most important part of the concept and LaPlegua invited Sebastian R. Komor, who he had worked with before on the project "Sector 9", (now called "Moonitor") in 1996, to work with him on the project as a live member. After just a couple of gigs and the release of IoC’s first single, "Shallow Nation", Seb became a full-time member.

"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

Come Alive
Icon of Coil Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We're wrapped in paper and it starts to burn
The tissue melts and the stomach turns
We come alive with our second skin
And we'll die just to feed our sins
Come alive

Ignore the laws
We protect ourselves

Behind this mask there is someone else
Making room for neon cages
I'm running blank for empty pages

Come alive
I can feel you too

I invite you to the land of my mind
Type command press starts and rewind
Gravity will give you a rain-check
Enjoy my frost
Conceive my snow

Come alive

I can feel you too
Come alive

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Icon of Coil's song "Come Alive" convey a sense of being trapped and struggling to break free from one's own destructive tendencies. The imagery of being wrapped in burning paper and melting tissue evokes a sense of discomfort and pain, while also illustrating the idea of shedding one's old skin and embracing a new identity. This new identity may not necessarily be positive, as the lyrics suggest that we may be driven by our own sins to the point of sacrificing our lives.

The lyrics also touch on the theme of disconnection and the importance of wearing masks to protect oneself. The line "behind this mask there is someone else" suggests that we may be hiding our true selves from the world, perhaps out of fear of rejection or judgment. The reference to "neon cages" speaks to the idea of being confined or limited in our choices, while the mention of "empty pages" suggests a feeling of being lost or lacking direction.

Overall, "Come Alive" presents a dark and introspective look at the human condition, exploring themes of identity, isolation, and self-destruction.

Line by Line Meaning

We're wrapped in paper and it starts to burn
We are confined by societal norms, and as we push beyond them, we risk facing the fiery consequences.

The tissue melts and the stomach turns
As we step outside our comfort zone, fear consumes us, but we must push beyond it to grow.

We come alive with our second skin
When we shed our old selves, and embrace new possibilities, we awaken and find our true potential.

And we'll die just to feed our sins
As we continuously strive to break free from our limitations, we often engage in self-destructive behavior, sacrificing ourselves for temporary pleasures.

Ignore the laws
We must disregard societal rules that hinder our growth, and pave our own path to self-discovery.

We protect ourselves
We build a defense mechanism to guard against criticism, but it only hinders our progress.

Behind this mask there is someone else
We hide our true selves behind a facade, but it only represses our authentic expression.

Making room for neon cages
As we seek to fit into societal expectations, we trap ourselves in a cycle of conformity, limiting our potential.

I'm running blank for empty pages
As we seek to express ourselves, sometimes our thoughts and creativity seem to run out, leaving us feeling empty and uninspired.

I invite you to the land of my mind
I welcome you to explore my thoughts, emotions, and imagination with me, as we collectively discover ourselves.

Type command press starts and rewind
We must press the buttons of our mind, and re-examine our past experiences, in order to create new possibilities for our future selves.

Gravity will give you a rain-check
The forces of the universe may hinder our growth, but we must learn to use them to our advantage, rather than seeing them as obstacles.

Enjoy my frost
Embrace the coldness of self-discovery, as it leads us to new beginnings.

Conceive my snow
Create the foundation for your new self, as you embrace this blank slate of self-potential.

Come alive
Wake up to your true potential, and find new life as we shed our inhibitions and embrace our potential.

I can feel you too
As we explore our inner selves, we connect with others on a deeper level, and awaken to the fact that we are not alone in this journey.

Come alive
Embrace your inner self, and awaken to the endless possibilities that await you.

Contributed by Gabriella P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS