Current Members:
Bryan Erickson (a.k.a. Hexfix93, Disease Factory) - lead vocals, composition, guitar, lyrics, mixing, production, various
Early projects, early changes, and first albums (1990–1995)
In the early 1990s, Erickson and Grigory, both residents of Colorado, brought together their shared interest in creating music to record a series of demos. With the addition of Gary Slaughter and Chris Workman, the group attempted several bands, including Disease Disco Factory, a parody of then-popular Dance group C+C Music Factory. Following a turbulent period for Erickson and Slaughter, Workman left the group. Slaughter and Erickson experimented with two new side-projects, Cyber Christ and Vortex. Cyber Christ explored a harsh and melancholy sound that was a sharp contrast to the group's other projects. When Erickson discovered that the term "Cyber Christ" had been used in the 1992 film The Lawnmower Man, he renamed the band Velvet Acid Christ in honor of a bad acid trip. The Vortex project was merged into Velvet Acid Christ to form one body of work.
In 1994, Workman returned to assist with the band's self-produced gothic-styled demo tape, Fate. Given encouraging response from friends, the band followed up with other self-produced albums, 1994's Pestilence, a dance-oriented album, and 1995's Neuralblastoma, a harder-sounding album.
Erickson, along with friends and minor contributors Steve Bird and Dan Olson, started the brief-lived record label Electro Death Trip (EDT) Records to better promote these recordings. In 1995, the three began distributing hand-made CD copies of Fate, Pestilence, and Neuralblastoma for resale in local music shops.
Label interest, touring, and a troubled rise (1996–2000)
Slaughter and Workman temporarily left the band during the first half of 1996 as Erickson continued the project alone, handing out copies of Velvet Acid Christ's recordings to industry representatives, including musician Bill Leeb of industrial pioneer Front Line Assembly. Leeb passed the music to Thorsten Stroht, a media promoter with European label Off-Beat Records. Off-Beat A&R negotiated a deal with the band.
For their first Off-Beat release, the group submitted 1996's Church of Acid, a compilation of selected tracks from Velvet Acid Christ's first three albums with an additional two new tracks, Disflux and Futile. Church of Acid was well received in Europe, and Futile became a regularly played track in many nightclubs across the continent. In 1997, United States label Pendragon Records released Church of Acid in America, though the two new tracks were removed due to a lack of trademark clearance for television samples used in the songs.
The band's next album, Calling Ov the Dead, was rejected by Off-Beat for not sounding edgy enough, prompting Slaughter's permanent departure. With the assistance of Bird and Olson, the band addressed the label's concerns and released Calling Ov the Dead in late 1997, with American distribution following through Pendragon in 1998. In the process, Erickson had accumulated a substantial financial debt.
With a line-up consisting of Erickson, Stroht and German musician Ingo Beitz, the band toured Europe in 1998 with Off-Beat label-mate Suicide Commando, which attracted the attention of Metropolis Records, the largest industrial label in United States. The parent label of Pendragon, Metropolis distributed the album Neuralblastoma, as a partnership that would endure.
Velvet Acid Christ spent the majority of 1999 in the studio, first collaborating with Germany's Funker Vogt on a remix EP entitled Velvet Acid Christ Vs Funker Vogt: The Remix Assault, then shifting to Velvet Acid Christ's next full-length recording, Fun With Knives. With Workman an occasional contributor, Erickson sought production assistance on Fun With Knives from the bands Luxt and 4th New Army. Fun with Knives, released by Metropolis and new Off-Beat sub-label dependent, became the band's best-selling album. Sales were propelled by the singles Decypher and Fun with Drugs, and by the track Slut, which featured vocals from Luxt's Anna Christine.
In spite of the success of the band, stress had led Erickson into depression and increased drug abuse, which channeled into the creation of the band's next album, Twisted Thought Generator. Simultaneously, the band toured Europe with industrial acts Project X and Stromkern and toured the United States and Canada with bands Din_Fiv and Haujobb. The line-up of the band during this period was unstable. Workman, citing a conversion to Christianity, resigned from the band with a request that his name be retracted from all previous albums. The first leg of the European tour consisted of Erickson, Bird and Stroht; the second leg, Erickson and Olson. The North American tour was performed by Erickson, Stroht and drummer Paul Lipman. With various contributors, Erickson completed Twisted Thought Generator. Due to lingering disputes, he withdrew the band from Dependent Records and submitted the album to Metropolis.
A change of pace, new early material, and beyond (2001– present)
Erickson placed Velvet Acid Christ on a short hiatus in 2001, as he abandoned his dependence on drugs in favour of exercise and a vegan raw foodist diet. Newly clean, Erickson created the 2003 album Hex Angel: Utopia/Dystopia. Though critical response was mixed, Hex Angel: Utopia/Dystopia ranked #1 on Germany's Deutsche Alternative Charts (DAC) for four weeks after its release, and the album's single Pretty Toy reached #18 on the Billboard Alternative Chart during the same year. The album also marked the band's short-lived return to Dependent Records.
Erickson spent 2004 releasing and reissuing some of Velvet Acid Christ's earliest material. With the four-volume compilation series Between the Eyes, the band published a collection of its singles and B-sides, then followed with subsequent re-releases of Fate (Vol. 2), Pestilence (Vol. 3), and Neuralblastoma (Vol. 4). The band also offered free MP3 downloads of Dimension 8 and Oblivion Interface on its website until early 2005. Dimension 8, which had been available as a hidden bonus on Twisted Thought Generator, and Oblivion Interface (informally known as Between the Eyes, Vol. 5) provided fans with previously unheard work from the Cyber Christ-Vortex era of 1991–1994.
In 2005, Erickson collaborated with guitarist Todd Loomis on a new album, Lust for Blood, which was released on September 26, 2006. With Lust for Blood, the crew labored intensively to create a new overall sound while maintaining the band's original characteristics. Following its release, Lust for Blood ranked at the top of Germany's DAC for four weeks; the album's single release, Wound, ranked on the DAC's singles chart for eight weeks and held the #1 position for four weeks.
In 2009, Erickson began to create the next LP with minimal input from Loomis this time when he was working on his project The Twilight Garden. The result was The Art of Breaking Apart, released October 27, 2009. This LP was a tribute to bands like Current 93 and Death in June and brought VAC many new fans while making the others angry at the new direction of the music.
In 2010–2011, Bryan Erickson teamed up with William Anderson of Louisiana. William did a ton of sampling, and Bryan made a bunch of VAC B-sides that turned into Toxic Coma tracks. The project had a revolving door of members, again Bryan being the main constant. They released a LP entitled Satan Rising under Toxic Coma on Metropolis Records. It fused the techno sound of Fun With Knives and the brutal black humor of Toxic Coma. Erickson then began to write more music for future VAC LPs.
In October 2012, Velvet Acid Christ released their tenth LP entitled Maldire. The release marked a return to the dark electronic sound. Erickson formed a live band and toured extensively (2012-2014) to support the album. The latest album entitled Subconscious Landscapes was released October 28, 2014. A remastered Greatest Hits compilation was released by Metropolis Records on May 6, 2016.
Discography:
Studio Albums
1994 - Fate
1994 - Pestilence
1995 - Neuralblastoma
1997 - Calling Ov the Dead
1999 - Fun With Knives
2000 - Twisted Thought Generator
2003 - Hex Angel (Utopia/Dystopia)
2006 - Lust for Blood
2009 - The Art of Breaking Apart
2012 - Maldire
2014 - Subconscious Landscapes
Compilations / Demos / EPs / Singles
1992 - Oblivion Interface (demo re-released in 2004)
1993 - Dimension 8 (demo re-released in 2000)
1996 - Church of Acid (1994-1995 compilation)
1998 - Neuralblastoma (1994-1995 compilation)
1999 - Fun With Razors (remix EP)
1999 - Decipher (maxi-single)
1999 - Fun With Drugs (maxi-single)
1999 - The Remix Wars: Strike 4: Funker Vogt vs. Velvet Acid Christ (remix EP)
2001 - Dial 8 (maxi-single)
2003 - Pretty Toy (maxi-single)
2004 - Between the Eyes Vol. 1 (singles compilation)
2004 - Between the Eyes Vol. 2 (re-release of Fate)
2004 - Between the Eyes Vol. 3 (re-release of Pestilence)
2004 - Between the Eyes Vol. 4 (re-release of Neuroblastoma)
2006 - Wound (maxi-single)
2009 - Caustic Disco (maxi-single)
2016 - Greatest Hits (remastered compilation)
For
Velvet Acid Christ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you kick and scream
Do you sell your dreams
For everything
Do you pray for life
Do you kick and scream
Do you sell your dreams
For everything
When souls are tortured
Life is a mess and everything is just your best
As always lost in dreams and visions
Now I let go of the flow
In my heads I see you die
My vision make me want to cry
Forever lost in time
Spinning
Twitching
Losing control
The rage of existence
Shooting my soul
The crazy deeds of society
Batter my mind
Kill everything
The edge of knife
Splatters my life
Kicks me in the head
And leaves me dead
For reason's unknown the clock spins backwards
Reversing time and space
No time is left to contemplate
Pray for life
Pray for life
When souls are tortured life is a mess
And everything is just your best
As always lost in dreams and visions
I let go of the flow
In my head I see you die
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Spinning twitching
Losing my head
The grates of existence
Smashing me dead
What is the time
What is your goal
What is your life
We're nothing but fun
We see right through
The night in a red light seeping on me
Why do you try to express this generation
There's nothing left for their obliteration
Pray for life
The song "Pray for Life" by Velvet Acid Christ captures the feelings of hopelessness and despair that arise when one's life is negatively affected by external forces. The repeated refrain, "Do you pray for life, do you kick and scream, do you sell your dreams for everything," outlines the various ways in which people cope with such circumstances. Some may pray for a way out, while others may fight and struggle to survive, and still others may compromise their own values and aspirations in exchange for temporary relief. The imagery of souls being tortured and everything being a mess highlights the magnitude of the chaos and destruction that can be wrought upon individuals by external forces.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you pray for life
Are you hoping for a better existence?
Do you kick and scream
Do you feel frustrated and helpless?
Do you sell your dreams
Have you given up on pursuing your aspirations?
For everything
In exchange for anything that may bring temporary comfort.
When souls are tortured
Amidst pain and suffering
Life is a mess and everything is just your best
The world is in disarray and you're only able to do what you can.
As always lost in dreams and visions
Often distracted by imagination and unrealistic fantasies.
Now I let go of the flow
Resigning to the situation at hand
In my heads I see you die
Visualizing death, perhaps due to despair and hopelessness
My vision make me want to cry
The bleakness and sorrowfulness of the imagery is overwhelming
Forever lost in time
Permanently adrift in timelessness
Spinning
In a bewildering state of confusion and disorientation
Twitching
Uncontrollably quivering due to stress and anxiety
Losing control
Becoming powerless and subdued
The rage of existence
The anger and frustration that comes with being alive
Shooting my soul
Devastating and hurting on a deep emotional/spiritual level
The crazy deeds of society
Reckless and damaging actions taken by the collective
Batter my mind
Continuously hammering one's thoughts and psyche
Kill everything
Destroying anything and everything out of despair and desperation
The edge of knife
Teetering on the brink of destruction and self-annihilation
Splatters my life
Ruining and tarnishing every aspect of one's existence
Kicks me in the head
A violent and unpleasant shock to one's mind and well-being
And leaves me dead
Leaving one feeling lifeless and empty inside
For reason's unknown the clock spins backwards
Time seems to be flowing backwards, for unknown reasons
Reversing time and space
Twisting and warping reality itself
No time is left to contemplate
There's no opportunity to reflect or ponder
When souls are tortured life is a mess
When there's pain and suffering, everything seems chaotic
I let go of the flow
Giving up control and letting events unfold as they may
Goodbye
Farewell to those who have met their end or left this world
Spinning twitching
Continuing to be restless and uneasy
Losing my head
Becoming overwhelmed and irrational
The grates of existence
The harsh realities of life grinding one down
Smashing me dead
Crushing one's spirit and will to live
What is the time
What is the point or purpose of it all?
What is your goal
What are you seeking to achieve or attain?
What is your life
What is the point or meaning of your existence?
We're nothing but fun
We're nothing more than fleeting entertainment to those in power
We see right through
We're aware of the deception and manipulation around us
The night in a red light seeping on me
The seedy and dangerous aspects of society closing in on one
Why do you try to express this generation
Why bother trying to communicate with a society that doesn't care or listen?
There's nothing left for their obliteration
There's nothing else to do but let them be destroyed or self-destruct.
Pray for life
Ask for hope and vitality amidst the harshness of existence.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MikeydaShank
0:00 Hell One
4:25 Let's Kill All These Motherfuckers
9:34 Dead Flesh
13:28 Futile (Nazi Bastard Mix)
19:33 We Have To See, We Have To Know
25:33 Disflux (Feed Back Mix)
32:36 Repulsive (Necropolis Mix)
38:56 Sex Disease (End Of The World Mix)
45:30 Vaginismus (Crotch Kick Mix)
49:53 Mental Depression
54:30 Pain
1:01:09 Fade Away
El Güero
Amazing classic album!!!!
Rock'n Roll
Yes, thats true. What an amazing album! I rediscovered it too.
MikeydaShank
0:00 Hell One
4:25 Let's Kill All These Motherfuckers
9:34 Dead Flesh
13:28 Futile (Nazi Bastard Mix)
19:33 We Have To See, We Have To Know
25:33 Disflux (Feed Back Mix)
32:36 Repulsive (Necropolis Mix)
38:56 Sex Disease (End Of The World Mix)
45:30 Vaginismus (Crotch Kick Mix)
49:53 Mental Depression
54:30 Pain
1:01:09 Fade Away
Rock'n Roll
Thank you! I changed the timestamps.
MikeydaShank
@Rock'n Roll my pleasure 😎
Nic
So many memories
Atropa
I adore this album. This isn't the original album tho my friend.Hallucinogene isn't on here. I had a big thing for Hexfix 93 aka Bryan Erickson. We had a long distance phone/online thing. We never got together because we were too far in living distance from each other. He'd call me constantly. I had a really big thing for him hard ...just like this album.. Vaginismus is one ov my favorites. I used to keep telling him sing in your real voice more often, then later on he did.He has a beautiful voice to me. Hes a Libra with a Scorpio ascendant. If we woulda got together,bombs wouldve been blowing off!!! At the time I didn't have the cash to go to him. He said he had to stay where he was at the time because ov financial reasons as well, or he would've came for me. That was a really kool thing that happened in my life. Maybe one day when the time is right,We will cross paths again.
Rock'n Roll
Yes, this album is the european edition from 1996 and the songs on
this album are a little bit different to the US edition from 1997.
Atropa
Oh you have the european edition. I gotcha. Thanx for clarifying. I think its great that youre keeping it going for the younger generations.🤗
Patrick Biondolillo
Yeah ..like the 4th track (OG U.S. version) is wicked and I feel so friggin dumb for forgetting it's name. I'll have to look it up. I think it is hallucinogen.