"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
Confront
Icon of Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even they don't know
That they gave their best
When they gave up other beliefs
When they're on the top even though they got
More then much to give
Bit by snakes
But I won't give it up
Come down
Confront all my visions
Come down...
Can't wait for the signs to stop flashing in my head
Can't wait for the sounds to hold me back
How it felt through that time
I can't explain
But I hope you try to see
Seduce me
Hold and caress me
Come down
Confront all my visions
Come down...
I used to love to see the reflections of my shadows
Now it seems like a threat
We need less as we swallow each other
Still I'm hunting the demons...
Come down
Confront all my visions
Come down...
The lyrics to Icon of Coil's song confront (floorkiller remix by in) are about the struggle that comes with reaching success and fulfilling one's potential. The first verse describes someone who is pretending to hold something back, but in reality, they've given their best and have sacrificed other beliefs to get to the top. Despite being bitten by snakes, they refuse to give up.
The chorus is a call to action, urging the listener to confront their own visions and inner demons. The second verse references the overwhelming feelings that can come with success, with the signs and sounds constantly flashing and holding the singer back. They can't explain how they feel but hope that others can try to understand. The line "seduce me, hold and caress me" implies that they need something to ground them and keep them focused.
The third verse explores the darker side of success, where everyone is trying to outdo each other and greed takes over. The singer used to enjoy seeing reflections of their shadows, but now it feels like a threat. Despite this, they are still hunting their demons and pushing forward.
Overall, the lyrics to confront (floorkiller remix by in) are a powerful reminder of the challenges that come with success and the importance of staying true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone pretends to hold it back
Someone is trying to hide something, but they are not very convincing
Even they don't know
The person is unaware that they are not being successful in holding back
That they gave their best
They tried hard to keep it from being apparent
When they gave up other beliefs
To hide what they are holding back, they probably gave up something else that they believe in
When they're on the top even though they got
More then much to give
Despite having more to offer than what they are showing, they still seem to be at a higher place in the situation
Bit by snakes
Possibly referring to deceitful people in their environment
But I won't give it up
The singer is determined to continue despite these challenges
Can't wait for the signs to stop flashing in my head
The artist wants to rid themselves of constant reminders
Can't wait for the sounds to hold me back
The sounds around them are not helpful, and the artist wants to move forward without them
How it felt through that time
I can't explain
But I hope you try to see
The artist is unable to express how they felt at a particular time, but they want others to understand
Seduce me
Hold and caress me
The singer desires comfort and affection
I used to love to see the reflections of my shadows
Now it seems like a threat
The artist used to be okay with seeing the negative aspects of themselves, but now they seem to be more harmful than helpful
We need less as we swallow each other
As everyone becomes more competitive, the sense of community deteriorates
Still I'm hunting the demons...
The singer is continuing to work on overcoming their inner struggles
Come down
Confront all my visions
Come down...
The singer wants to address and face their problems
Contributed by Kaelyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.