Iceglass met her partner-in-music, William Maybelline, over the internet. Conversing through music recommender website LastFM, they initially sent each other ’80s YouTube videos, establishing their shared love of music. Eventually Iceglass took the trip to Maybelline’s home in Sunderland in North England and the rest, as they say, is history.
They offer an ice cold post-punk, fascinated by the beauty of art nouveau aesthetics, exploring British seashores and forests at night as well as inspired by the urbanism of Berlin.
Stahlwerk
Lebanon Hanover Lyrics
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emptiness lives
it feeds on the steel
the shadows a meal
in the stahlwerk
i do not feel
like the stahlwerk's
emptiness heals
i can see
skeletal structures
skeletal steel
welcome to germany
hope you enjoy your stay
endless days
of forever grey
The lyrics of Lebanon Hanover's song "Stahlwerk" paint a vivid picture of a steel mill being devoid of life, yet full of shadows that feed off the very steel that is produced there. The emptiness is eerie and is only worsened by the singer's inability to feel anything. The emptiness that the stahlwerk represents appears to be a metaphor for the idea of modernity and industrialization being devoid of humanity. The skeletal steel and structures in the stahlwerk are a stark reminder of how humanity has become a mere cog in the machine of progress.
The lyrics also seem to hint at the idea of Germany as a country that is proud of its industrial advancements, yet is struggling with the soullessness and emptiness that comes with it. The line "welcome to Germany, hope you enjoy your stay" can be seen as a sarcastic remark towards the facade of prosperity that Germany has created, only to find out that it is an endless cycle of grey and emptiness.
Line by Line Meaning
in the stahlwerk
Inside the steel factory
emptiness lives
There is a void or lack of life
it feeds on the steel
The emptiness thrives on the industrial surroundings
the shadows a meal
Darkness is consumed by the void
in the stahlwerk
Still inside the factory
i do not feel
The singer doesn't sense any warmth or emotion
like the stahlwerk's
Similar to the factory's
emptiness heals
The void provides some sort of comfort or solace
in the stahlwerk
Back to the factory once more
i can see
The artist perceives something
skeletal structures
The factory's framework appears bony and incomplete
skeletal steel
The metal appears as if it is a part of the bony structure
welcome to germany
An ironic phrase that doesn't seem welcoming, but rather ominous
hope you enjoy your stay
A sarcastic comment that implies discomfort is expected
endless days
The monotony of time may extend indefinitely
of forever grey
A colorless, bleak existence
Contributed by Parker N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.