Black Widows recorded a debut EP for Initial Records (Stops A Beating Heart, now included on the Widows Bloody Widows CD collection) and soon after joined the Equal Vision Records roster. As work on their debut album began, it came to their attention that the trademark for the name "Black Widows" was owned by another party (not to mention had been used thousands of times over by other bands) and the band decided to change its name to Black Cross.
In late 2002, Black Cross entered the studio with producer/guru J. Robbins to record Art Offensive, their full length debut. Released in 2003, Art Offensive garnered praise just about everywhere and the band set out on the road with the likes of Thursday, Give Up The Ghost, Hope Conspiracy, These Arms Are Snakes, and Suicide File, among others.
Soon enough, line up changes, the members' other bands, and responsibilities at home loomed and Black Cross became sidelined. Thommy Browne left the band to spend more time at home with his wife and children, with Sean Johnson briefly joining the band on drums, followed by Matt Jaha. Rob's touring time was limited due to teaching and family priorities, Evan formed Breather Resist (now Young Widows) who toured heavily, and Ryan then formed Coliseum in order to be able to spend more time touring.
While Black Cross never broke up, nearly all of 2005 found the band entirely inactive with the exception of the release of the three-song EP Sink, Knives & Chrome on Ryan & Evan's label Auxiliary Records. Late in the year, they reconvened with a new, more stable, line up and began writing songs for their next album. Evan switched from bass to second guitar and his Young Widows band mate Nick Thieneman (also of Brain Banger) took over bass duties. A friend of Rob's since the Endpoint / Sunspring tours in the mid-90s, Forrest Kuhn (Sunspring, Halifax Pier) joined on drums and the band made a grand reemergence at Auxiliary's Last Saturday show series kickoff in January 2006.
A year later, the band entered the studio with friend Chris Owens engineering to record their long awaited second proper full length. Titled Severance Pays, the album finds Black Cross focusing their patented melodic-yet-noisy hardcore sound while digging deeper into their earlier melodic punk influences such as Wipers, Husker Du, Gray Matter, etc.
V.K.H.C.
Black Cross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When time don't put them down
Black sheep with middle fingers
Nostalgic fog still lingers
My friends are fools and lovers
Grand circus round and round
Waiting out the stormy weather
We'll pull it all together
That's why we all still hang around
The lyrics of Black Cross's song V.K.H.C. talk about the friends of the singer and how they are like saints and martyrs who never let time bring them down. The singer seems to be proud of their friends who are like black sheep and are not afraid to show their middle fingers to the world. The lyrics also seem to convey a sense of longing and nostalgia as the singer reflects on the memories of their past with their friends.
The singer talks about how their friends are fools and lovers who are always caught in a grand circus of life, going round and round. Despite the ups and downs, the singer's friends are always waiting out the stormy weather, pulling it all together. These lyrics seem to indicate that even though the singer's friends may have their flaws and imperfections, they are still there for each other and are always ready to support one another.
Overall, the lyrics to V.K.H.C. are a tribute to the singer's friends and their tight-knit friendship. The lyrics talk about the good times and the bad times they've shared, but ultimately convey a sense of camaraderie and loyalty that binds them together.
Line by Line Meaning
My friends are saints and martyrs
My companions are individuals who are very morally upright and give up their lives for a noble cause.
When time don't put them down
Despite the passage of time, my friends remain steadfast and resolute in the face of challenges.
Black sheep with middle fingers
My friends are rebellious individuals who don't conform to societal norms and don't care about what others think of them.
Nostalgic fog still lingers
We have a sense of longing for the past, as it reminds us of simpler times and happy memories.
My friends are fools and lovers
My companions are both naive and passionate, as they take risks in the name of love without much forethought.
Grand circus round and round
Life can feel like a circus, as we go through the motions and cycles of daily living and its various ups and downs.
Waiting out the stormy weather
In times of difficulty and uncertainty, we choose to be patient and resilient, waiting for better days to come.
We'll pull it all together
We believe that we can overcome any challenges thrown our way, by working together and being there for one another.
We all go crazy in this town
Everyone has moments of insanity and irrationality, and it seems to be amplified in the particular location we find ourselves in.
That's why we all still hang around
Despite everything, we choose to stick around because our bond as friends surpasses any of the difficulties we may face, and together we can conquer anything.
Contributed by Cole A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.