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)
Velvet Pill
Velvet Acid Christ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lost way to be, lost in the of my own dripping blood
I don't know what to expect I'm lost in this wreck
Torn apart from 10 different sides, they lie to me and whisper in my ears
The secrets of my lust for you and turned it upside down
Lost in the cloud on top of the world right now
On this velvet pill that makes me so fucking ill.
Never loose respect for this reject you worship over and over again.
A velvet pill
A lifeless thrill
Erotic chill
So closed so empty so nothing could touch me.
So closed so so empty so nothing could touch me.
She said I'm not your future. I'm your sorrow
There won't be tomorrow. I promised you this sacred kiss
To fall apart to fall apart.
Full of this hae only to relate she said she loves me but she kills me
This cry, the fire in her eyes burning me inside
I found a reason why she mangled in this life
No time to worry she says, she says
Fall apart, to fall apart, you fall apart, we fall apart.
A velvet pill
Erotic chill
A jagged scar
A Red Mark
A blue spark
A Red Mark
Last... remark
(RANT)
The lyrics in Velvet Acid Christ's song "Velvet Pill" portray the struggles of someone who is lost, vulnerable, and dependent on a drug, represented as the velvet pill, which provides a temporary escape from reality but ultimately makes them ill. The singer is holding onto their life, which feels like a mess, a wreck, and torn apart from different sides. They are being lied to and whispered secrets that they can't decipher. They feel lost and uncertain about what is happening to them. The references to "lust" and "erotic chill" suggest the singer's desire for someone who is not good for them and possibly harmful. Meanwhile, the person they desire says that they are not the singer's future but their "sorrow," ultimately leading to a sense of hopelessness.
The chorus refers to the "velvet pill," which is like a lifeline for the singer, even though it makes them feel ill. The repeated line "fall apart" emphasizes the singer's internal struggle and instability. The last stanza implies a sense of finality, as the singer falls apart with a "jagged scar," a "red mark," and a "blue spark." The song ends with the word "last...remark," indicating that it could be the singer's final thoughts before their downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
Holding me down in a mess an unholy wreck
I'm trapped and overwhelmed by the chaos surrounding me, and it's consuming me in a way that feels like a curse.
A lost way to be, lost in the of my own dripping blood
I'm lost, both in my own thoughts and in the physical pain of wounds that I've caused myself.
I don't know what to expect I'm lost in this wreck
I'm completely disoriented and uncertain about what's happening to me, and I feel like my life is out of control.
Torn apart from 10 different sides, they lie to me and whisper in my ears
I'm being pulled in too many directions by too many people, and each one is trying to deceive or manipulate me in some way.
The secrets of my lust for you and turned it upside down
Someone has discovered my private desires and used that knowledge to harm or humiliate me, distorting my feelings to cause more damage.
Lost in the cloud on top of the world right now
Although I feel like I'm completely adrift in a fog of confusion, at the same time I'm in a position of power or influence.
On this velvet pill that makes me so fucking ill
I'm dependent on a substance or experience that is harming me overall, even though it seems to help me in the short term.
Never lose respect for this reject you worship over and over again
Even though I'm constantly overlooked or devalued by others, I still cling to the idea that I could be loved or admired if only I try harder.
The pill, the lie, the blood in my eyes
These three elements are causing me pain or delusion, and they are all interconnected and exacerbating each other.
A velvet pill, a lifeless thrill, erotic chill
The substance or experience that is harming me seems luxurious and exciting, but ultimately it's hollow and unsatisfying.
So closed so empty so nothing could touch me
I'm shutting myself off from human connection and emotion, because it feels like the only way to protect myself from further pain.
She said I'm not your future. I'm your sorrow
There's someone in my life who has brought me more sadness than happiness, and they are telling me that they have no intention of changing that dynamic.
There won't be tomorrow. I promised you this sacred kiss
The person I'm involved with is either threatening me with death or promising to give me something that they know I crave, in order to keep me hanging on.
To fall apart to fall apart
The only thing I can do in this situation that makes any sense is to let myself disintegrate and lose control completely.
Full of this hate only to relate she said she loves me but she kills me
The person I'm involved with is using me as an outlet for their own anger and aggression, while telling me they care about me, and the situation is tearing me apart.
This cry, the fire in her eyes burning me inside
The other person's outbursts and intensity are hurting me deeply, and I feel a mix of emotions in response.
I found a reason why she mangled in this life
I've figured out or been told some explanation for why the other person behaves so destructively, but it's not a comfort or solution.
No time to worry she says, she says
The other person is telling me I can't stop or question their behavior, and that the situation is urgent enough to justify whatever it takes to keep it going.
A velvet pill, erotic chill, a jagged scar, a red mark, a blue spark, a last remark
These phrases are all describing the painful cycle I'm stuck in, where something that initially seemed good or attractive has turned into a source of damage and agony. Each line captures a different part of that experience or emotion.
Contributed by Kylie P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Julian Cennamo
on Pain
This is a song about coping with failed relationships and a broken home. The lyricist has been triggered by a life event- most likely a breakup. The event is particularly tragic because it brings back haunting memories of fear and abandonment experienced in childhood.