Angelspit is an electro-industrial band formed in 2003 in Sydney, Australia. The band’s work commonly contains themes of medical-horror, cannibalism, and political commentary, as well as dark cybergoth visuals. The band have released ten albums to date. In recent years, frontman Zoog Von Rock is also known for his informative weekly ART OF ROCK livestreams, as well as Patreon content geared towards music advice.
Angelspit began as a duo, formed by members Destroyx/Amelia Arsenic (Amelia Tan) and Zoog Von Rock (Karl Learmont) after the two met on an online zine forum in 2002. The duo’s zine collaborations formed the lyrical inspiration for early releases. Their debut industrial EP, Nurse Grenade, was self-released for free in October 2004 and later remastered in 2007.
Angelspit’s debut album Krankhaus, a concept album with themes of grotesque horror and medical experimentation, was self-released in June 2006 to praise from critics, cementing them as an innovative up-and-coming act. A remix album, Krankhaus: Surgically Atoned was released in 2007, featuring remixes from acts like Combichrist. The band released their debut music video for the song “Vena Cava”, which provided striking, disturbing visuals for the album’s storyline.
Angelspit’s second album Blood Death Ivory was released in June 2008. It was considered a subtle evolution of their unique sound. A remix album, Black Kingdom Red Kingdom, was released in 2009, featuring remixes by acts like KMFDM and Ayria.
Angelspit’s third album Hideous and Perfect was released in September 2009, with praise towards its album artwork (which featured an unrecognizable Destroyx) and experimental and atmospheric soundscape. Two remix albums, Larva Pupa Tank Coffin and Carbon Beauty, were released in 2010 and 2011 respectively, each including additional original tracks by Angelspit.
Angelspit released their fourth album Hello My Name Is in October 2011. This album moved the band’s lyricism further towards the political, with a common theme being critique of corporate society. This was the last album to feature member Destroyx, who left in March 2014 to pursue other projects, including solo music under the name Amelia Arsenic.
Following Destroyx’s departure, Angelspit continued to make music, fronted by Zoog and taking a new focus towards collaboration with other artists and an ever-changing line-up of associated musicians. The band’s fifth album The Product was released in March 2014, and featured guest appearances from George Bikos, Miss Ballistic, Helalyn Flowers, Agent 13, Chant, and Teknocracy. In September 2015, Angelspit collaborated with The Gothsicles, under the name Hardcore Pong, to release a video-game inspired collaborative album.
Angelspit’s sixth album Cult of Fake was released in June 2016, reinventing the band’s sound and taking a larger inspiration from dance music. Its lyrics were the band’s most obviously political yet, with blunt critique of the American lifestyle, media, and the 2016 election.
Angelspit’s seventh album Black Dog Bite was released in September 2017. Its music was based on 90s cyberpunk and its lyrical themes included dystopia, consumerism, and futurism. Their eighth album Bang Operative, released in September 2019, continued these themes, creating a dark and lonely soundscape.
Angelspit’s ninth album The Ignorance Cartel was released in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by 2020’s political landscape, the album’s concept involves authoritarianism and mind-control. It features multiple guest appearances from Miss Ballistic and Ice Planet 9000, as well as appearances by Gasoline Invertebrate and Queen of the Static Opera.
Angelspit’s tenth album Diesel Priest was released in December 2021. The album received praise for its thought-provoking and deep lyrics, which continued to be inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated political landscape. Its lyrics critique America’s apathy towards violence, most notably in the single “Killed on Camera”. The album featured guest appearances from Gasoline Invertebrate, Miss Ballistic, MeteorEYES, Queen of the Static Opera, Ice Planet 9000, and May May Graves. Four remix albums were released for Diesel Priest, with three having exclusive original tracks.
In 2022, Angelspit has participated in two collaborative projects. The first, a collaboration with Ice Planet 9000, was the instrumental science-fiction concept album Sequence 1: Glass Jar, released in February. An associated audio drama was also included with digital purchases of the album. The second, a collaboration with Queen of the Static Opera, was the single “Breathing But Not Alive”, released under the name Venus of Gorgon.
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…shrink me down again