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

Former Self
Icon of Coil Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

decisions are few, although I've found my peace avoiding the dark, caressing the sun despised by your touch prefer to be alone now lend me your soul it seems like I'm loosing mine And this ain't me hold my self down with a knife to my throat And this ain't me standing alone as the drugs starts to work filled by desire I'm calm as a storm like a state of mind it's someone you know too soon, too cold this invitation now lend me your soul I fall to damnation And this ain't me hold my self down with a knife to my throat And this ain't me standing alone as the drugs starts to work

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Icon of Coil's song "Former Self" seem to be exploring the theme of internal struggle and the search for one's true identity. The singer suggests that they have found a certain level of inner peace by avoiding negative influences and clinging to positivity, represented by "caressing the sun." However, they also explain that they feel "despised" by someone's touch, preferring to be alone instead. The singer is struggling with losing themselves, a feeling that is illustrated by the request to "lend me your soul."

As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more desperate, even going so far as to hold a knife to their throat in an attempt to hold onto some sense of control. They are struggling to find themselves and to reconcile the person they are with the person they want to be. The invitation to "now lend me your soul" suggests that the singer is willing to make some sort of sacrifice or deal for the sake of inner peace, though it ultimately leads to "damnation."

Overall, "Former Self" seems to be a powerful exploration of the search for identity and the struggle that can come with it. The imagery used throughout the song is evocative, painting a picture of someone who is attempting to navigate difficult emotional terrain in order to find peace.

Line by Line Meaning

decisions are few, although I've found my peace
I have limited options, but I have managed to attain inner peace

avoiding the dark, caressing the sun
I choose to stay away from negativity and embrace positivity

despised by your touch prefer to be alone
I don't like the way you touch me, and I'd rather be alone

now lend me your soul it seems like I'm loosing mine
I need your emotional support because I feel like I'm losing myself

And this ain't me hold my self down with a knife to my throat
This is not who I am, resorting to self-harm to cope with my emotions

And this ain't me standing alone as the drugs starts to work
This is not who I am, relying on drugs to numb my pain and loneliness

filled by desire I'm calm as a storm
I have intense desires, but I am still able to maintain a calm exterior

like a state of mind it's someone you know
My current state of mind is familiar to someone who knows me well

too soon, too cold this invitation
The offer is abrupt and uninviting

now lend me your soul I fall to damnation
I need your support or else I feel like I am doomed to fail

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OLE ANDERS OLSEN, SEBASTIAN R. KOMOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind