With the release of the seminal Telemetry of a Fallen Angel (existing in a few incarnations prior to Dancing Ferret Discs' version in 1997), The Crüxshadows enjoyed their first defining moment courtesy of the infinitely catchy dance floor anthem "Marilyn My Bitterness." With additional strong releases including The Mystery of the Whisper (1999), Until the Voices Fade (1999) and Paradox Addendum (2000) backed by lengthy tours, The Crüxshadows were able to build a legion of diversified fans consisting of everything from jarheads to gamers to anime & role playing enthusiasts.
While the lineup has indeed changed over the years, one constant has remained the same; Rogue, the vocalist, leader and mastermind of The Crüxshadows has directed his troupe towards an unconventional and lofty goal. "I want to change the world with music, I want people to find hope within themselves. I want them to know that anything is possible if you believe and follow through. I think that music has the power to inspire and move people to do amazing things" he muses. He is not alone in his belief. Their fans seem to believe it too. The bands motto "live love be believe" is everywhere, and many of their supporters will tell you that the lyrics have changed their lives in some way. This isn't exactly typical for a band most often identified as gothic or dark-wave. The Crüxshadows are not concerned. "Goth isn't about being a stereotype" the front-man complains, "its about being who you want to be... about not running from yourself or your emotions." The charismatic singer/songwriter/producer understands an audience and tends to deliver his dramatic croon right in their laps. Nothing they do is exactly new, but how they do it is completely unique. The lyrics are deep and meaningful, the stage show is dynamic and entertaining, and the music is hooky and inspired by pop. But pop it is not. It is a hybrid music that exists in a place just left of everyday, and just right of never-ever.
The band has maintained a surprising consistency despite the personnel turnovers that have plagued it in recent years. Jessica Lackey, a singer/dancer who married Rogue in 2007, and keyboardist Jen Jawidzik, who was once Rogue and Jessica's roommate, have stuck with it for the better part of the last decade. "When we have to find someone new, I feel like sometimes they don't understand all the hard work that was necessary for us to get to that point" Jessica states flatly, "It is not difficult to under-appreciate everything the band has accomplished, so people move on because they have not invested the same energy into the project." While the shows and the music continues to get better, that magically 'permanent' combination of personalities has continued to elude them. The band has had a difficult time keeping guitar players and dancers in particular, but has seen turnover in almost every position. These days Crüxshadows has Rogue backed by a mostly female band of new wave latex clad gypsies, and boasts an original mix of violins, dancers, guitars, and electronics. Tight and well-practiced, the seven performers interact on stage with clockwork like precision. The audience is captivated. Some of them scream. Some of them sing along. A few others stare at the stage dumbfounded.
Although The Crüxshadows maintain a strong fan base in their native United States, their most perceptible success seems to be focused in Europe. It is not uncommon for the band to share stages with the likes of Ladytron, Prodigy, The Cure, or even Bjork. The 2002 Tears EP topped the Deutsche Alternative Charts for months, a practice that has continued with all subsequent releases soaring to the DAC's Top 10. "I don't think we're actually more popular there (In Europe)" says Rogue, "It just seems like there is more access to our fans. What we do has more acceptance by the powers that be. In America it feels like all of our victories are covered up or are unacknowledged by the media." 2002 also saw the release of their fifth full-length album Wishfire; a fan favorite that featured the Euro hit "Tears" and a number of other dark dance mainstays. Similarly the follow-up album Ethernaut (released in 2003) brought the band what has become one of its most notable tracks, the European club anthem entitled "Winterborn (This Sacrifice)."
Remixes and special versions of songs have kept there fans satiated when no new traditional album lay on the horizon. In 2004 Fortress In Flames was released featuring a cover by the popular American artist Chad Michael Ward. There The Crüxshadows' material was remixed by peers like the Dutch legends Clan of Xymox and German industrial giants In Strict Confidence. Each year has seen some new disc from the band, and they come in a variety of formats. The year 2005 witnessed the release of their first DVD Shadowbox. The DVD is highlighted by a 2004 performance before a rabid crowd of 15,000 at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig Germany, where the ‘call and response' raw energy the band delves out is served right back by an adoring audience.
In 2006 the band would seem to breakaway from their underground moniker. The addictive single "Sophia" impressively debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Charts in September at position #1, replacing Beyoncé in the top spot while landing #7 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart. "We couldn't believe it, doors began to open. It was as if we couldn't be ignored anymore, after a decade and a half we seemed to be getting some respect. The local news in Florida even put us on the nightly news to get our take on the whole thing", the frontman recalls. The following year was pivotal for The Crüxshadows; in May the band successfully toured China performing at the Midi Open-Air Festival in Beijing, in the presence of many thousands of new fans. Later that year the band released the highly anticipated Dreamcypher album that contained yet another Billboard #1 Dance Single with the song "Birthday." This time the band climbed into the #2 spot on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart. With Dreamcypher, The Crüxshadows melded their fondness for 1980s Synth Pop/New Romantic sounds with modern Euro dance nuances into perfection. Dreamcypher joins the aforementioned shimmering "Sophia" and "Birthday" with the guitar fronted "Defender" and the majestic sounding "Eye of the Storm." The infectious disc would become The Crüxshadows' best selling album to date both in the United States and abroad.
The following year witnessed another single marching up the Billboard charts. "Immortal" continued the bands musical string of hits, despite the loss of violinist Rachel McDonnell. David Wood and JoHanna Moresco stepped in as an electric violining duo who not only safe-guarded the signature instrument of the band, but expanded it by way of rich layering and counterpoint melodies impossible in previous years. 2008 also saw the band's label Dancing Ferret Discs, withdraw from actively releasing new material. This left the band to deal with a large number of new and unforeseen issues, and delayed their plans to release a new full length album.
While The Crüxshadows spent most of 2009 touring in Europe, the band still managed to release yet another successful Billboard charting single in America. "Quicksilver" debuted just in time for their annual appearance at Atlanta's famed Dragon*Con Convention before an impressive capacity crowd of several thousand of their most loyal fans. "I think the new single, and really the most recent releases in general, are our most polished and well written work" says Rogue, "but there are still those in the scene, and in the business in general, that just think the whole thing is just dumb luck." The single was the first release from Wishfire Records, a new label founded by the band, and eventually reached #1 on The Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Charts and #2 on The Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Charts. Seemingly too pop for many critics and too underground for the industry, the band has apparently found the perfect balance for the people who matter the most to them; their fans.
The Crüxshadows have played by their own rules, and who is to say in a world of declining sales and illegal internet downloads that they haven't gotten the balance right. Time will tell. For now, The Crüxshadows continue to defy as well as define the odds, and their dark yet positive machine continues to roll.
Eye of the Storm
The Crüxshadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
they are not greater than your will
For there is nothing under heaven
You cannot overcome
See the door that lies before you
And know this too shall pass
The confrontation of your fears
In strength drawn from the past
Find the course that is your own
And however great the obstacle
You will never be alone
For I have watched the path of angels
And I have heard the heavens roar
There is strife within the tempest
But there is calm in the eye of the storm
I believe in what I fight for
And I have paid for it with pain
I am here because my contributions
May help turn this fate away
And all who stood by and did nothing
Who are they to criticize?
The sacrifices of others
Our blood has bought their lives
This is the moment of truth
At the point of no return
Place faith in your convictions
As the boundaries start to blur
There is no love untouched by hate
No unity without discord
There is no courage without fear
There is no peace without a war
There is no wisdom without regret
No admiration without scorn
There is strife within the tempest
And there is calm in the eye of the storm
The pages of our history
Are written by the hand
With eyes and ears and prejudice
Too far removed to understand
And so the heroes of the ages past
Are stripped of honesty and love
To make them seem less noble
And hide what we can become
If you find the courage within you
To face the path ahead
It matters not the outcome
If what you will gain instead
Is a heart deepened in the knowing
That experience carves the soul
And the very thing that empties you
Shall surely make you whole
Where the silent voices whisper
Find the course that is your own
And however great the obstacle
You will never be alone
For I have watched the path of angels
And I have heard the heavens roar
There is strife within the tempest
But there is calm in the eye of the storm
The song "Eye of the Storm" by The Crüxshadows is a powerful ballad that encourages listeners to face their fears and overcome obstacles on their path. The song acknowledges that every person has their own battles to fight and that these trials are not greater than an individual's willpower. The lyrics encourage listeners to find their own path, face their fears with strength drawn from their past, and trust in their convictions. The chorus repeats the message that there is strife within the tempest, but there is calm in the eye of the storm. This symbolizes the idea that even in the midst of chaos and challenges, there is always a kind of serenity that can be found within oneself.
The song also touches on the themes of sacrifice and courage, suggesting that those who stand for what they believe in often pay a price. The singer acknowledges that they have paid for their convictions with pain, but they are committed to continuing to fight. The song also suggests that those who stand by and do nothing are not in a position to criticize those who are brave enough to make sacrifices for their beliefs.
Overall, "Eye of the Storm" is a song of empowerment that encourages listeners to face their fears and challenging circumstances with strength and conviction.
Line by Line Meaning
The trials you now are facing they are not greater than your will
You have the strength to overcome whatever challenges come your way
For there is nothing under heaven You cannot overcome
Anything is possible if you believe in yourself and are determined
See the door that lies before you And know this too shall pass
Focus on the future and know that the present difficulties will fade away
The confrontation of your fears In strength drawn from the past
Overcoming your fears requires drawing strength from past experiences
Where the silent voices whisper Find the course that is your own
Listen to your inner voice and follow your own path
And however great the obstacle You will never be alone
No matter how difficult the situation, you are not alone in your struggles
For I have watched the path of angels And I have heard the heavens roar
There are higher powers looking over you, providing guidance and support
There is strife within the tempest But there is calm in the eye of the storm
Even amidst chaos and turmoil, there is always a sense of calm
I believe in what I fight for And I have paid for it with pain
I stand firmly for what I believe in, even if it causes me to suffer
I am here because my contributions May help turn this fate away
I am here to make a positive difference and affect change
And all who stood by and did nothing Who are they to criticize?
Those who were passive and inactive have no right to judge and condemn
Our blood has bought their lives The sacrifices of others
The blood and sacrifice of others has allowed some to live in comfort and security
This is the moment of truth At the point of no return
This is a crucial moment where a decision must be made and action taken
Place faith in your convictions As the boundaries start to blur
Believe in yourself and what you stand for, especially when faced with uncertainty
There is no love untouched by hate No unity without discord
Love and unity are often accompanied by their opposites, but it is possible to rise above them
There is no courage without fear There is no peace without a war
With great challenges come great opportunities and rewards
There is no wisdom without regret No admiration without scorn
Experience teaches valuable lessons, even through the pain and negativity
The pages of our history Are written by the hand
Our history is shaped by the actions and decisions of those who came before us
With eyes and ears and prejudice Too far removed to understand
Sometimes we are unable to fully comprehend the actions and motivations of those from the past
And so the heroes of the ages past Are stripped of honesty and love
Even heroes are not immune to criticism and condemnation, and their legacy can be distorted over time
To make them seem less noble And hide what we can become
By belittling and distorting the achievements of past heroes, we limit what we ourselves are capable of
If you find the courage within you To face the path ahead
Summon up your inner strength to face the challenges of the future
It matters not the outcome If what you will gain instead Is a heart deepened in the knowing That experience carves the soul
Even if things don't go your way, the lessons learned and growth experienced are valuable
Contributed by Mia E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.