"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
Violations
Icon of Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got you this far denial makes it harder for the stars to shine
The things I thought I said were offending you
The things you did were offending me
The things you thought were offending you
The things I did were offending me
I burn beneath the ice the answers
Were never revealed to the human mind
You balance the gain to make you feel good
The things I thought I said were offending you
The things you did were offending me
The things you thought were offending you
The things I did were offending me
I can not walk alone like breathing under water
I can not walk alone like talking without a tongue
I can not walk alone like conscience without a mind
I can not walk alone
I freeze above a flame I never expected me to fall between
I drifted in the space between
Colours fade to white
And I feel lonely dressed in red, that's why
The lyrics to Icon of Coil's song "Violations" express a complex set of emotions, including frustration, hurt, denial, and loneliness. The singer seems to be addressing another person, whom they feel has offended them and with whom they have been somehow out of sync: "The things I thought I said were offending you/The things you did were offending me." This cycle of miscommunication and misunderstanding is painful and confusing for both parties, as they struggle to find a way to connect. The metaphor of "burning beneath the ice" suggests that there are unresolved issues simmering beneath the surface, and the singer feels trapped and unable to move on. They feel that they need other people to define them and keep them afloat, but at the same time, they are desperate to break free and find their own way: "I can not walk alone like breathing under water/I can not walk alone like talking without a tongue/I can not walk alone like conscience without a mind/I can not walk alone." The final lines of the song underscore the singer's sense of isolation and disconnection: "I freeze above a flame I never expected me to fall between/I drifted in the space between/Colours fade to white/And I feel lonely dressed in red, that's why."
Overall, "Violations" is a song that explores the difficulties of navigating emotional relationships and the pain that can arise when those relationships are out of sync. It speaks to the universal human experience of feeling misunderstood and struggling to find one's place in the world, while also hinting at the unique challenges that come with modern technology and communication.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate upon a star emotions got where you are remember feelings
I regret wishing for something that led to where you are now, but I still remember our past emotions
Got you this far denial makes it harder for the stars to shine
Your denial is hindering your personal growth, making it difficult for your potential to shine through
The things I thought I said were offending you
I realize now that my words hurt you, even though that was never my intention
The things you did were offending me
Your actions also hurt me, causing me pain and affecting me negatively
The things you thought were offending you
I understand that you also felt offended by some of my behavior or words
The things I did were offending me
I acknowledge that my own mistakes and actions also cause me hurt and regret
I burn beneath the ice the answers were never revealed to the human mind
I feel intense internal pain and confusion, unable to comprehend the answers to my questions
Sometimes the path feels just like a string you balance the gain to make you feel good
Life can feel predetermined and rigid at times, but you can still make choices that benefit your well-being
I can not walk alone like breathing under water
I need support and help just as much as someone underwater needs air to breathe
I can not walk alone like talking without a tongue
Going through life alone feels impossible, like trying to speak without a vital part of my anatomy
I can not walk alone like conscience without a mind
Being alone leaves me feeling lost and without any guiding principles, like a conscience without a brain to think and process
I can not walk alone
I cannot traverse this world without the help and support of others
I freeze above a flame I never expected me to fall between
I find myself in a dangerous and unexpected situation, feeling both trapped and exposed
I drifted in the space between colors fade to white
I feel adrift in the void, feeling disconnected from the world around me and losing the ability to see colors and vibrancy
And I feel lonely dressed in red, that's why
I associate feelings of loneliness and isolation with the color red, and that's how I currently feel
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OLE ANDERS OLSEN, SEBASTIAN R. KOMOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind