"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
Everything Is Real _
Icon of Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Protects me keeps me safe
Wheel of fortune shapes the landscape
Record memories on tape
Still the thought of happiness haunts me
Like a lost soul in a house
Maybe one day it will catch me
Sequence my thoughts
'Cause nothing seems real
Keep my heart in steady beat as I download the end
Do you believe in anything
The pieces play a game
Do you believe anything is real
Struggle to harvest the seed that breeds shame
The pieces play a game
Do you believe anything is real
Tell me how it feels
I have no will, no soul, no courage
Only oil runs through my heart
Can't feel no pain
Can't feel sorrow and I've never experienced joy
How would it be to make a choice
Walking through the days of wonder
Confused I wait for death
Unable to lie to rest
sequensce my thoughts
'Cause nothing seems real
Keep my heart in steady beat as I download a soul
Do you believe in anything
The pieces play a game
Do you believe anything is real
Struggle to harvest the seed that breeds shame
The pieces play a game
Do you believe anything is real
Tell me how it feels
Now I know what it feels to hate
Destructive with intention
And I know the lust of love
And the pain that you've carried
My courage makes me bleed
My body is de-composing
My envy for a soul
Mistake
you would believe anything
The pieces play a game
You would believe everything is real
You struggle to harvest the seed that breeds hate
The pieces play a game
You would believe everything is real
Tell me how it feels (to have a soul)
The lyrics of Icon of Coil's "Everything Is Real" explore the theme of the fragility of existence and the search for meaning in an increasingly chaotic world. The song speaks about the searing pain that comes with trying to figure out what is real and trying to maintain one's grip on reality.
The opening lines, "Thousand rivers from the same tear/ Protects me keeps me safe" suggest that the singer is protected by something, but it is not immediately clear what that is. The next lines, "Wheel of fortune shapes the landscape/ Record memories on tape" implies an idea of fate, where everything is predetermined.
The chorus contains the lines "Do you believe in anything/ The pieces play a game/ Do you believe anything is real/ Struggle to harvest the seed that breeds shame" which questions the listener's faith and if they believe that anything they know to be true is actually real or just a game.
The lines, "I have no will, no soul, no courage/ Only oil runs through my heart/ Can't feel no pain/ Can't feel sorrow and I've never experienced joy" give a sense of emptiness felt by the singer which could be related to his doubts about reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Thousand rivers from the same tear
There are many different emotions that come from a single moment of sadness, but they ultimately protect and keep me safe.
Wheel of fortune shapes the landscape
The ups and downs of life determine the world around me.
Record memories on tape
Capture experiences on film, so I can always remember them.
Still the thought of happiness haunts me
Although I yearn for happiness, my search for it is like a ghost haunting me.
Like a lost soul in a house
I feel directionless and trapped, as if wandering aimlessly in an unfamiliar place.
Maybe one day it will catch me
Happiness seems elusive, but perhaps one day I will finally attain it.
And give me the skill to breathe
Finding happiness will bring me the necessary tools to fully live and breathe.
Sequence my thoughts
Order my thinking and focus on reality.
'Cause nothing seems real
Questioning the nature of reality and what is truly meaningful.
Keep my heart in steady beat as I download the end
Staying calm in the face of death, accepting it as part of life.
Do you believe in anything
Questioning what others believe in or follow.
The pieces play a game
Everything I see and experience is a part of a puzzle that constantly changes and alters the world around me.
Do you believe anything is real
Asking if there truly is anything that is objectively real or if everything is subjective and constantly changing.
Struggle to harvest the seed that breeds shame
Trying to find and address the underlying causes of negative emotions and experiences in order to overcome them.
Tell me how it feels
Requesting others to share their deeply personal experiences and emotions.
I have no will, no soul, no courage
Feeling completely devoid of agency, spirituality, and bravery.
Only oil runs through my heart
My being is mechanical and lacking true vitality or emotion.
Can't feel no pain
Feeling numb and disconnected from one's own body and emotions.
Can't feel sorrow and I've never experienced joy
Emotionally dead, incapable of feeling either positive or negative emotions.
How would it be to make a choice
Wondering what it's like to have the freedom to make decisions and shape one's own life.
Walking through the days of wonder
Nostalgically recalling a time of youthful curiosity and awe.
Confused I wait for death
Feeling lost and uncertain, waiting for the inevitability of death.
Unable to lie to rest
Unable to find peace and resolution in one's own mind and heart.
Now I know what it feels to hate
Having felt intense negative emotions, such as anger, hatred or disgust.
Destructive with intention
Intentionally causing harm or damage in response to strong negative emotions or desires.
And I know the lust of love
Feeling the strong passion or desire for romantic love.
And the pain that you've carried
Empathizing with others who have experienced emotional pain or trauma.
My courage makes me bleed
Facing my fears and taking risks can sometimes cause harm or damage to myself.
My body is de-composing
My physical being is deteriorating as I move closer to death.
My envy for a soul
Longing to feel the depth of emotions and experiences that come with possessing a soul or spirit.
Mistake
Realizing that all of my experiences and emotions may be flawed or misguided in some way.
You would believe anything
Questioning the beliefs and values of others that seem blindly accepted.
You struggle to harvest the seed that breeds hate
Trying to find and address the underlying causes of hatred and animosity in order to overcome it.
Tell me how it feels (to have a soul)
Curious about the visceral experiences that come with possessing a soul or spirit.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OLE ANDERS OLSEN, SEBASTIAN R. KOMOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind