The Name

Michael here, to give you a little history on the band name. First off, choosing a band name flat-out sucks. I’m convinced there are no good band names—all sound stupid depending on your perspective. And unless you want to tie yourself to a genre (Metallathrax Garden), the best bet is to choose a name based on a story.

The Black Marks came about thanks to my mother-in-law. She’s a sweet-as-pie woman, unbelievably good-natured, but very, very religious – like church every day religious. When my not-yet-wife Karen and I decided to move in together (in our 30s!), it took Karen three weeks to tell her mother. Her father, sister and other assorted extended family all new, but none of them were going to mention a thing until she did.

When Karen finally got up the nerve to tell her saintly mother, silence was the response. When further prodded, her mother expressed deep concern and worry, because now Karen would forever carry a black mark upon her soul.

Karen had no idea how to even process, yet respond, to this statement. I think her quote was something like “okay…all right…we’re good, then?” Mine was to file it away in my brain for a potential band name.

Once all the musicians were in place in the band, we went through a slew of horrid names I’m not going to repeat (as most of them were my fault) before settling on The Black Marks. It works because I think every member of the band, except me, is a Black Mark – poor pity-worthy sinners who laughed in the face of Godly law, just like my wife. How do I escape the black mark? Easy. I’m a divorcee, so me moving in with Karen was post-marital, not pre. Thank God for loopholes, eh?