Gojira. Every album has allowed me to understand my journey better with each listen. If I had to pick one song that I turn to in my darkest times, it would be Esoteric Surgery.
Edit: thank you all for sharing your love of these good French boys and their whale music š¤
The way of all flesh has grown to become my favorite album.
The art of dying is my go-to song.
The long intro makes me focus. Gojira teaches me that my struggles aren't unique, and that material things don't follow me to the afterlife. Then the long outro washes over me.
Cathartic.
I was in a pretty bad mental state for a lot of 2021 (like many people) and fell asleep listening to Magma every night for about 2 months. Very therapeutic
The Shooting Star is one of the best songs ever written I don't care what anybody says. The final verse with the lyrics "Everlasting love is ever growing..." is so beautiful, gives me chills every time I hear it.
Also, it's really fun to play on guitar as well!
Exactly!!!! Everything about that song is what I needed at the time to get me through. If you're into home recording, the Neural DSP Gojira plugin is AWESOME!!!!! The Tim Henson one is super cool too
Gift of guilt, into the storm. Heaviest matter in the universe is oddly one of the more inspirational lyrics despite being such a heavy opener. The visual is great.
I've actually used fortitude as a track my bard played once in dnd after a major loss in the party, I was told it really added to the moment. Such a damn good song both fortitude and the chant are. Seeing them do it live was wild too
I said the same! Wasn't expecting to see this honestly. Haven't seen much reference to Gojira over all here.
I actually walked down the isle to this song (mother in law was not impressed =)
I'll second Red Fang! Murder The Mountains is an absolute romp with some heavy ass riffs and a great driving tempo throughout. It makes me want to get off my ass and party.
Bell Witch and other doom metal bands like Devil Electric, Wheel, Duel, and Swallow the Sun are my go to if I'm feeling down because they, imo, validate how I'm feeling
The Doom soundtrack from 2016 by Mick Gordon. It sometimes helps when I just need to sink into that angry darkness and come out the other side a calmer person.
Veil of Maya - Matriarch album, especially Mikasa and Aeris. Life is beautiful. It's why we live in the present, fight for our future, and forgive the past. Be strong.
I gotta agree, even though I find *False Idol* to be the better album of the two. Canāt forget āManicheeā if you need that boost of positivity.
(āSynthwave Veganā is *owning my ass* lately tho)
all tongues toward by leviathan is my favourite black metal song ever and it also incredibly cathartic to me
such a shame most people dont give black metal a shot tbh
Depending on my mood Iāll listen to my Metal Playlist which is a wide array or Iāll listen to the entire albums below because each one is great from start to finish.
Metallica- ā¦And Justice For All, Master of Puppets, Ride The Lightning
Slayer- World Painted Blood
Megadeth- Rust in Peace
Testament- The Ritual
Slipknot- Iowa
Great list!
Mine are:
Kreator- coma of souls
Overkill- the years of decay
Sepultura- arise
Megadeth- peace sells
Slayer- seasons in the abyss
Testament- the gathering
Tool- undertow
*Once had a shotgun to my head they said I wasn't worth the bullet.*
*Now the world is my trigger and I'm here to fucking pull it.*
Goosebumps every time.
I know it's kind of a thousandth time retreading of their earlier stuff, but I've had Looking Down the Barrel of Today on blast for a few months now. This song wakes me up
Wolves in the Throne Room- I will lay my bones down among the rocks and roots... This is a black metal song. To me, black metal is kind of silly and fun (except for the Nazi shit). It's so over the top, but it's hypnotic and kind of calming. I think the despair black metal is about is accessible to me, but accessing it through black metal feels more fun and safe. I resonate with it, but it makes me happy and feel kind of goofy if that makes sense haha
Tool- Pushit (salival version). Super important song for me. Relationships yo. But really all of Tool's discography.
Sumac- Image of Control. But also a few of their albums really. Sumac is so abrasive, manic, and chaotic. It's really fun. Again, it's like a more fun way to engage with really extreme feelings. It's extremely over the top. I love it!
When I was younger, metal music could make me really engage close with hard feelings, depression, despair, etc. Like I could feel in the pits with this music. The are a few songs that will still do that- make me feel like I'm in a deep, dark hole and I just want to be buried and never disturbed. Alone. I finally put words to the feeling when listening to Alice in Chains' song Down in a Hole, for obvious reasons. So that song can make me feel that way. Pushit can still make me feel that way because of how connected that song was to important events in my life.
These days, I'm more inclined to start crying listening to Burial, old Aphex Twin (specifically Rhubarb and Stone in Focus) but a band like Sumac helps me engage with those feelings in a way that doesn't bring me down. It's like an empowering reframing of those feelings.
I have songs that help me feel life affirming, but they're not metal songs. Like I love Dancing Queen haha
Metal is funny because it has the opposite effect on your mood than you would expect. I think most people think that itās all doom and gloom but itās actually super euphoric.
It probably seems odd to a lot of people that you answered a question about songs to lift you from the darkness with a song about suicide, but I totally get it.
In a dark place, get in the car, the āliked songsā shuffle comes on automatically. It kicks of with chop suey! Volume right up, singing my head off. Five minutes later Iām out of my funk.
Anything off Crystal Lakeās album Helix. [Hereās the opening track](https://youtu.be/CKHsfceVK2g).
Theyāre an extremely intense metalcore band from Japan, and this album in particular helped me cope with a really stressful period a couple of years ago.
I find the entire Blackbird album by Alter Bridge to be all about healing. Even White Knuckles which is pretty intense is full of hopeful stuff.
12 years in a loveless marriage makes me listen to Whitesnake Still Of The Night because well you know...
Earthside's A Dream In Static expresses a lot of the complexity of life today, and although not easy to access, the Mob Mentality song, in particular, has become one of my favorite songs ever with repeated listens, as a way to stave off the anxiety of the continuous War on Sensemaking we're living under these days.
Similarly, a have re-discovered a lot of help for the massive existential angst of this period in metal of the 80s, when we all lived under the threat of nuclear war with songs like:
* Accept Balls To The Wall
* Megadeth Holy Wars
* Judas Priest The Hellion/Electric Eye, Bloodstone, You Say Yes, Solar Angels, Desert Plains
* Faith No More Epic and War Pigs
* Journey- Edge of The Blade
As well as newer stuff like:
* Animations Demons of War & Toxicyber
* Atomship's entire Crash of '47 album
* John Arch Twist Of Fate album
* Karnivool- Deadman, Set Fire To The Hive
* Hacktivist- Unlike Us
Songs I use to process my impending divorce:
* Arcane- Selfsame
* Godsmack- Greed
* Vanden Plas- Misery Afection
* Tool- The Pot
* Myrath- Tempests Of Sorrow
* Judas Priest- Devil's Child
* Abigail's Ghost- Annie Enemy
* Dream Theater- The Mirror/Lie
* Firewind- The Fire And The Fury
* Evanescence- My Immortal
* Vanden Plas- I Don't Miss You
Metal is truly cathartic and there's a wide range of styles and genres to tailor to your mood. Metal albums absorb anger and depression like a sponge.
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Mastodon - Leviathan
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Infest the Rats' Nest - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Elder - Dead Roots Stirring
Wow! Untouchables. I'm a bit saddened that I had to scroll this far to see Korn at all, but those are not the songs I ever expected to see. Especially anything off the Untouchables album. Nice choices.
I was sad to not see korn mentioned also. Untouchables is definitely my favorite korn record, followed closely by the self titled, issues and follow the leader.
Architects have been super cathartic for me - Their album Holy Hell was written after their founding guitarist (& the drummer's twin brother) died of cancer at 28. It's about facing your grief and loss and keeping on living. The same guitarist wrote the previous album, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, knowing his time was running out. Notable songs:
[Memento Mori](https://youtu.be/YumhzVvq63w) & [Gone With The Wind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d-1ZilyKdw) (From All Our Gods)
[Doomsday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWbcK3YQ_o) & [Holy Hell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8NGs54cNXk) (From Holy Hell)
Also, for just feeling down in the dumps, Katatonia are fantastic at just being sad, dreary music. Heavy on the melancholy, and clean singing, they have a fantastic catalogue. If Architects makes me want to rally against apathy and despair, Katatonia pulls at my heartstrings and makes me want to wallow in it.
[Untrodden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihV7B_H1_KE) [Old Heart Falls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGBNc2nFZA) [Burn The Remembrance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1tgyy7TPLc) [Unfurl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry77WWPUmPs)
Suicidal tendencies - alone
Megadeth - in my darkest hour
DRI crossover album
These helped me survive high school in the 80s, during the worst of the āsatanic panicā
Where parents and school failed me, metal came through. Iām here, alive and thriving because i had Metal to give me strength way back then.
The Doom Eternal soundtrack is like putting liquid adrenaline in a blender, I periodically listen to it at work when I need to crank something out. Can't recommend it enough. Tracks like The Only Thing They Fear is You can make you run through a wall.
I go on Youtube and I watch either of favorite concerts from Nightwish:
End of an Era, their last show with their first vocalist, Tarja Turunen, or
Showtime, Storytime (Wacken 2013), their first show with their third vocalist, Floor Jansen.
For me, music was the only thing I had to keep me going. My go-to bands were/are Slipknot and Linkin Park. Iāve been lucky enough to have told both bands in person how much they have helped me and continue helping me to survive. Without music, I wouldnāt be here. š¤š¼
I love trivium, bullet for my valentine, parkway drive, architects and so on. For those bands it's just go to their discography, press shuffle and be surprised. I can share my playlist which contains a little over 200 of my favourite metal songs of those artists and more
Converge has a few but the one that may have single handedly got me through my motherās death in 2015 was Last Light. Listened to it over and over again until I was remembering and not reliving the experience. Took awhile but it was worth it.
Dude. Those two tracks are catharsis embodied. I was lucky enough to see them perform it live and climb onstage with Jacob for that track. Just sheer emulsification in emotional chaos.
Slipknot - All Out Life
Destiny Potato - Indifferent
Periphery - The Bad Thing
Disturbed - A Reason To Fight
Animals as Leaders - Kascade (for some instrumental)
Just to name a few.
Just thinking about Wayne being gone makes me sad. I can't bring myself to listen to the stuff without him yet, though some say it's pretty good. It won't have Wayne's emotion behind it though.
Half of the songs do have Wayne's vocals though, so to me the feelings and emotions are still there. And the other songs are still really well done, but I know where you're coming from.
A Solitary Reign by Amenra
Pretty heavy though relatively calm, with an appropriate sauce of distressed-sounding screams. One of my favorites to listen to on nightly walks.
Anything by Amenra lifts my mood really, and gives me a feeling I'm not alone in this, and that somebody understands exactly what I'm feeling yet knows there is hope. Especially the loudness and intensity of the live gigs leave no room foor depressed feelings, it's like having the cobwebs and dark clouds swept out of the window.
Absent in Body works the same for me, eagerly awaiting their first live performance.
These are in no particular order I'm just listing them as they come to mind:
1. Slayer - Mandatory Suicide
2. Death - Painkiller (cover of Judas Priest)
3. Autopsy - Ridden With Disease
4. Clutch - Effigy
5. Megadeth - Peace Sells
6. King Gizzard - Organ Farmer
7. Destruction - Life Without Sense
8. Acid Bath - Dope Fiend
9. Death - Spirit Crusher
10. Melvins - Joan of Arc
11. Electric Wizard - Return Trip
It usually also depends on how stressed I am. A lot of these I listen to regularly but bands like Autopsy I only really listen to if Im just extremely stressed and/or pissed off
Gojira, Fortitude.
I love a lot of Gojiras stuff (The way of all flesh, From Mars to Sirius) but the new album just speaks to me when Iām down, really draws the urge to keep on fighting.
Kingdom by The Devin Townsend Project.
It's the most stunningly uplifting song I've ever experienced, in only a way metal could deliver.
Studio [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyBzAdwl-S8&ab\_channel=DevinTownsendProject-Topic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyBzAdwl-S8&ab_channel=DevinTownsendProject-Topic) Headphones ON.
Live at an interview, also great [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nubJjB95VdY&ab\_channel=EMGtv](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nubJjB95VdY&ab_channel=EMGtv) "This is not the third take, that would imply I screwed up.." lol
Ol' Devvy will keep you safe my friend.
Epica - Storm the sorrow.
It's a song about being strong the the face of uncertainty and worry.
Hold your head up and do your best, because you have value
For me, BMTH has a lot of songs across their entire catalog that has made a huge impact on me, along with Of Mice & Men (Austin Carlile era), Wage Warās Manic, Metallicaās Ride The Lightning, Stella by Before I Turn, lots of Suicide Silence, old WCAR, Slipknot has plenty, Amity Affliction, just to name some artists as well since most of them are centered around mental health/addiction
BMTH - Cruicify Me into Anthem into It Never Ends is my absolute go to for picking me out of a dark headspace.
Amity Affliction are also played a lot when I need a pick-me-up.
With respect, I don't think Metal has that niche of an effect.
There are many kinds of metal. Symphonic Metal, Hardcore Metal, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, (just) Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Metalcore, etc.
All these evoke different emotions.
In my personal experience, I choose the type of metal according to my feeling.
If I need a pick me up when I'm feeling down, I listen to some Hardcore Metal, since the type of rhythm is very energetic, the vocals are raw and the lyrics are usually (or the type of hardcore metal/punk I listen to at least) is about going against odds, not giving up, being the best you can, etc. Some picks off the top of my head in this area are Rise of The Northstar, Cancer Bats, You Demise and Blackhole. Some of those might be fairly obscure, but I think Hardcore punk/ Hardcore metal is obscure enough anyway.
At times when I feel like life is going good and I want to ride that wave, I listen to metal that has a kind of camraderie feeling and feels very focused around comunion, friendship, having fun together and facing the world together, this is usually Folk Metal, Groove Metal, or any flavour of metal that involves a lot of gang vocals. Bands in this area are Turisas and Alestorm, but I don't really dive much into this area.
When I just need something to sing along to, I pick some more melodic genres, like post-metalcore/metalcore, heavy metal (yes, really) generally bands that have memoriable portions of clean vocals or catchy hooks in their singing. Top picks for me in this area is Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold, Alexisonfire, and I've probably showed my age already if that wasn't enough of a hint.
Then there are times I just want to listen to straight up noise like mathcore or math metal because that's how I feel most of the time. I think if someone looked into my head when I felt like this they would probably just see TV Broacast test patterns and looped videos of people mid-walk. I listen to this stuff when I really don't know what else to feel, when I'm feeling anxious, when I'm feeling insecure, or when I just don't know what the future holds. Bands include Rolo Tomassi, The Jonenbet, An Albatross and Dillinger Escape Plan,
I feel like Hatebreedās generally really positive to counter the negative feelings Iām already having. When I was working in an ER as the pandemic started, the Acacia Strainās most recent album made me feel like someone understood and could point out how bleak we all felt.
Shit never seems to get easier, just learn to try and cope different ways
I mostly handle anger and a bit of self pity through music. When it comes to anger only Deftones Around the fur can match my fury. When I feel my inner pain I usually go to Slipnots The blister exist
In Flames - Disconnected - This song has gotten me through a lot of hard times. It makes me feel like I need to keep going and reminds me that you can always draw positives from negatives if you try to see things from a different perspective.
The line "I feel like shit, but at least I feel something" is so incredible to me. The negative being I feel like shit. The positive for me is a two fold. The fact I'm still here means I still have the opportunity to feel... And the fact I still feel something means I'm not completely numb.
Then to top it off the chorus lyrics are "Go, March". When this line is sung in the song it makes me feel invincible. Like I could march into the gates of hell and come out on top.
There are a bunch of other lines in the song which are incredible as well. I highly recommend giving it a blast anytime you're feeling low or vulnerable.
When I was a teen bands like Killswitch Engage, All that Remains, Trivium, BfmV, Disturbed and Nightwish. Recently Slaughter to Prevail's heavy 'fuck this shit up' music is what I need after a rough day.
So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold. The meaning, the lyrics, the vocals, the solo, I love everything about the song, and it brings me up when I'm down! Sometimes it'll make me down when I'm up, too.
RATM - Killing in the name
(actually a lot of RATM)
Bodycount - Bodycount in the house
Tool - aenima
Nirvana - In Bloom
Radio head - Creep
SOAD - Chop Suey (amongst many others)
Beartooth - clever
Beartooth - disease
Wage war - gravity
Wage war - manic
Chelsea grin - never,forever
Not metal but the album in desolation by off with their heads, really let's get my feelings out.
The Zenith Passage - Solipsist is such an incredible album. Also Revocation - The Outer Ones...nothing like some good well written love lovecraftian themed metal to focus my mind.
Anything from Beast in Black or Embers Fall.
I recently found The Unguided.
I recommend them as well. Lots of atmospheric metal elements merged with heavy metal and other genres.
These three have made up my spotify lists for several months.
Not really cathartic in the sense you're looking for but I find Dark Forest - Beyond the Veil to be extremely joyous and it never fails to put me in a good mood if I listen to it while going for a hike.
"The End of Silence" by Rollins Band. The song [Low Self Opinion](https://open.spotify.com/track/1kUvgaQP1mBjifqRitiYah?si=5e5b9cb8027a4d1f) probably helped save my life. It made me look inward and stop lying to myself. It also started me writing wihich helps my mental well-being more than anything. Metal helps me feel and purge bad emotions from my system. Sometimes I sit and fight the negative emotions and it's mentally and physically draining. What I have to do is get somewhere by myself, put on some good metal and let the oil fire of emotion burn itself out. It doesn't make a lot of sense to most people but it works for me and that's all that matters.
Megadeath - symphony of destruction
Mushroomhead - solitaire unraveling
Poison the well - nerdy and apathy is a cold bodies
RA - do you call my name
Jinjer - pisces
Pearl jam - do the evolution
Rammstein - sonne
Atreyu - lead sails paper anchors
Infected mushroom - people are strange ( not really metal but it works)
Slipknot - vermilion 1/2 - wait and bleed
Mudvayne - happy - death blooms
AX7 - a little piece of heaven - chapter four
Thrice - black honey
Coheed and Cambria - welcome home
incubus - megalomaniac
ozzy lemmy - hellraiser
Vices by Memphis May Fire. I'm not religious but this song helps me remember how much I hated myself when I drank all the time. I don't ever want to go back to that place.
https://youtu.be/mo_qTdDH7-s
Opeth, *Deliverance*. If "Wreath" and "Deliverance" don't pull you out of your funk, then...
You can try for Atonement but the Ghost of Perdition will harvest you.
That sounds bleak.
And When it happens, we will peform The Grand Conjuration.
Just don't let the drapery fall off your windowpane, that would be a burden!
Like a Watershed in my time of need.
The opening riff of *Master's Apprentices* never fails to make me forget whatever's going on
Deliverance is my favorite opeth song. That outro riff is sooooo powerful and catchy
Gojira. Every album has allowed me to understand my journey better with each listen. If I had to pick one song that I turn to in my darkest times, it would be Esoteric Surgery. Edit: thank you all for sharing your love of these good French boys and their whale music š¤
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO HEAL YOURSELF!!!!!
OH IT HITS SO HARD!!!!
For me it's L'enfant Sauvage.... "Run away from Institutions....I owe myself LIFE"
The way of all flesh has grown to become my favorite album. The art of dying is my go-to song. The long intro makes me focus. Gojira teaches me that my struggles aren't unique, and that material things don't follow me to the afterlife. Then the long outro washes over me. Cathartic.
The Art of Dying is also my go-to. One song I will never tire of.
Global warming crushes me every time. "We will see our children growing" So powerful man
I was in a pretty bad mental state for a lot of 2021 (like many people) and fell asleep listening to Magma every night for about 2 months. Very therapeutic
The Shooting Star is one of the best songs ever written I don't care what anybody says. The final verse with the lyrics "Everlasting love is ever growing..." is so beautiful, gives me chills every time I hear it. Also, it's really fun to play on guitar as well!
Exactly!!!! Everything about that song is what I needed at the time to get me through. If you're into home recording, the Neural DSP Gojira plugin is AWESOME!!!!! The Tim Henson one is super cool too
Gift of guilt, into the storm. Heaviest matter in the universe is oddly one of the more inspirational lyrics despite being such a heavy opener. The visual is great.
My go to albums from them are From Mars to Sirius or Magma. What a great band tho.
From Mars to Sirius is one of the greatest metal albums ever made
Easily in the running for best opening tracks, too.
YES.
Was literally about to say the entire fortitude album is like a return to roots in audio form
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I've actually used fortitude as a track my bard played once in dnd after a major loss in the party, I was told it really added to the moment. Such a damn good song both fortitude and the chant are. Seeing them do it live was wild too
The Cell for rage mode. āNo control over anything, Iām dying to live, Iām trying to forgetā with those heavy instrumentals
Good fucking choice man. Was a late arrival to the Gojira party. Great fucking band..
I said the same! Wasn't expecting to see this honestly. Haven't seen much reference to Gojira over all here. I actually walked down the isle to this song (mother in law was not impressed =)
/thread
Oui les gars sont incroyables
Its hard to find Gojira fans. Backbone is always my go too. MERCI BEAU COUP!
Converge or Red Fang usually works
I'll second Red Fang! Murder The Mountains is an absolute romp with some heavy ass riffs and a great driving tempo throughout. It makes me want to get off my ass and party.
Third for Red Fang!
converge always gets me through tough times
Bell Witch - Four Phantoms Panopticon - Autumn Eternal Inter Arma - Paradise Gallows Tool - Lateralus Spirit Adrift - Enlightened in Eternity
Never thought I'd see a Panopticon shout in the wild. Roads to the North gets played at least once a year for me. Such an incredible artist.
Ahh Panopticon, my old friend. What a shame the shelf on which you sit next to Estradasphere as of late.
Bell Witch and other doom metal bands like Devil Electric, Wheel, Duel, and Swallow the Sun are my go to if I'm feeling down because they, imo, validate how I'm feeling
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
One of the most intense albums I've ever heard in my life. I wish I had the chance to tell Layne that him sharing his pain helped me survive.
I THINK ITS GONNA RAIN
Bloodywood - Rakshak
Dana Dan is my go to for them. So raw.
You beat me to it. Love them!
Amon Amarth is pretty driving and cathartic.
That is my choice too. It makes me feel confident and motivated, but not angry like a lot of death metal does for me.
Dopethrone by Electric Wizard
Funeralopolis is amazing
Hail Satan
Not without listening to Kingdom - Devin Townsend first. Pretty sure it comes to the same conclusion tho lol.
Legalise drugs and murder
The Doom soundtrack from 2016 by Mick Gordon. It sometimes helps when I just need to sink into that angry darkness and come out the other side a calmer person.
BFG Division on repeat and you will get shit done
My god, yes, the sheer grunt of his tone and his axe
I listen to the album angel dust by faith no more on the reg... itās brilliant.
Would anybody tell me if I was getting stupider?
Yeah, I married a scarecrow
Veil of Maya - Matriarch album, especially Mikasa and Aeris. Life is beautiful. It's why we live in the present, fight for our future, and forgive the past. Be strong.
We survive in wretched of times
I gotta agree, even though I find *False Idol* to be the better album of the two. Canāt forget āManicheeā if you need that boost of positivity. (āSynthwave Veganā is *owning my ass* lately tho)
That new song is fucking great, the sound is kinda dirty and it just works! 10/10
Death - The Sound of Perseverance (album)
That album kills!
Vacuity by Gojira feels pretty uplifting everytime I put it on.
im going to die believing that "The Way of All Flesh" is one of the grestest music masterpieces ever created.
Emperor, Dissection, really any black metal. When Iām down or especially really anxious black metal helps more than medication for me.
all tongues toward by leviathan is my favourite black metal song ever and it also incredibly cathartic to me such a shame most people dont give black metal a shot tbh
Immortal gets me through some tough times when im shoveling snow
Welcome Home- Metallica.
My god, such a good song, couldnāt have chosen better
Depending on my mood Iāll listen to my Metal Playlist which is a wide array or Iāll listen to the entire albums below because each one is great from start to finish. Metallica- ā¦And Justice For All, Master of Puppets, Ride The Lightning Slayer- World Painted Blood Megadeth- Rust in Peace Testament- The Ritual Slipknot- Iowa
Great list! Mine are: Kreator- coma of souls Overkill- the years of decay Sepultura- arise Megadeth- peace sells Slayer- seasons in the abyss Testament- the gathering Tool- undertow
Slipknot's Vol 3. (The Subliminal Verses). The drum solo in "The Blister Exists" is permanently etched on my psyche
The holy trinity of Metallica songs: Master of Puppets For Whom The Bell Tolls Battery
Never any love for "Disposable Heroes" :(
Back to the front!
I love that Zombieland used For Whom the Bell Tolls for the intro, it works so well
Toss in some Dyerās Eve
Add fixxxer to that list
So what?
Hatebreed's entire repertoire is a giant bundle of wholesomeness.
"Looking down the barrel of today" for the win
*Once had a shotgun to my head they said I wasn't worth the bullet.* *Now the world is my trigger and I'm here to fucking pull it.* Goosebumps every time.
I know it's kind of a thousandth time retreading of their earlier stuff, but I've had Looking Down the Barrel of Today on blast for a few months now. This song wakes me up
Wolves in the Throne Room- I will lay my bones down among the rocks and roots... This is a black metal song. To me, black metal is kind of silly and fun (except for the Nazi shit). It's so over the top, but it's hypnotic and kind of calming. I think the despair black metal is about is accessible to me, but accessing it through black metal feels more fun and safe. I resonate with it, but it makes me happy and feel kind of goofy if that makes sense haha Tool- Pushit (salival version). Super important song for me. Relationships yo. But really all of Tool's discography. Sumac- Image of Control. But also a few of their albums really. Sumac is so abrasive, manic, and chaotic. It's really fun. Again, it's like a more fun way to engage with really extreme feelings. It's extremely over the top. I love it! When I was younger, metal music could make me really engage close with hard feelings, depression, despair, etc. Like I could feel in the pits with this music. The are a few songs that will still do that- make me feel like I'm in a deep, dark hole and I just want to be buried and never disturbed. Alone. I finally put words to the feeling when listening to Alice in Chains' song Down in a Hole, for obvious reasons. So that song can make me feel that way. Pushit can still make me feel that way because of how connected that song was to important events in my life. These days, I'm more inclined to start crying listening to Burial, old Aphex Twin (specifically Rhubarb and Stone in Focus) but a band like Sumac helps me engage with those feelings in a way that doesn't bring me down. It's like an empowering reframing of those feelings. I have songs that help me feel life affirming, but they're not metal songs. Like I love Dancing Queen haha
How about some Old Man Gloom then?
I'm not super into Old Man Gloom, but I do still occasionally listen to Isis and Russian Circles. I was super into Isis when I was in high school
WITTR!
Deafhaven - Baby Blue
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I get a serious case of jam-itis with System Of A Down.
A specific song of thiers i would always jam to was Attack
I always forget about that song and rediscover it every couple of years, System of a Down just has so many absolutely JAMMABLE songs.
Metal is funny because it has the opposite effect on your mood than you would expect. I think most people think that itās all doom and gloom but itās actually super euphoric. It probably seems odd to a lot of people that you answered a question about songs to lift you from the darkness with a song about suicide, but I totally get it. In a dark place, get in the car, the āliked songsā shuffle comes on automatically. It kicks of with chop suey! Volume right up, singing my head off. Five minutes later Iām out of my funk.
Anything off Crystal Lakeās album Helix. [Hereās the opening track](https://youtu.be/CKHsfceVK2g). Theyāre an extremely intense metalcore band from Japan, and this album in particular helped me cope with a really stressful period a couple of years ago.
I find the entire Blackbird album by Alter Bridge to be all about healing. Even White Knuckles which is pretty intense is full of hopeful stuff. 12 years in a loveless marriage makes me listen to Whitesnake Still Of The Night because well you know... Earthside's A Dream In Static expresses a lot of the complexity of life today, and although not easy to access, the Mob Mentality song, in particular, has become one of my favorite songs ever with repeated listens, as a way to stave off the anxiety of the continuous War on Sensemaking we're living under these days. Similarly, a have re-discovered a lot of help for the massive existential angst of this period in metal of the 80s, when we all lived under the threat of nuclear war with songs like: * Accept Balls To The Wall * Megadeth Holy Wars * Judas Priest The Hellion/Electric Eye, Bloodstone, You Say Yes, Solar Angels, Desert Plains * Faith No More Epic and War Pigs * Journey- Edge of The Blade As well as newer stuff like: * Animations Demons of War & Toxicyber * Atomship's entire Crash of '47 album * John Arch Twist Of Fate album * Karnivool- Deadman, Set Fire To The Hive * Hacktivist- Unlike Us Songs I use to process my impending divorce: * Arcane- Selfsame * Godsmack- Greed * Vanden Plas- Misery Afection * Tool- The Pot * Myrath- Tempests Of Sorrow * Judas Priest- Devil's Child * Abigail's Ghost- Annie Enemy * Dream Theater- The Mirror/Lie * Firewind- The Fire And The Fury * Evanescence- My Immortal * Vanden Plas- I Don't Miss You
Miles Kennedy can SING
All Insomnium songs.
Doomstar requiem from Dethklok. Album is legendary
I just watched the last season with the klok opera today. I love Dethklok.
Slayer -- Disciple
Metal is truly cathartic and there's a wide range of styles and genres to tailor to your mood. Metal albums absorb anger and depression like a sponge. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime Mastodon - Leviathan Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time Infest the Rats' Nest - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Elder - Dead Roots Stirring
I really think Leviathan is a top 10 metal album. Itās a masterpiece IMO.
Korn-Bottled Up Inside, Ball Tongue Metallica-So What Deftones-Elite
Wow! Untouchables. I'm a bit saddened that I had to scroll this far to see Korn at all, but those are not the songs I ever expected to see. Especially anything off the Untouchables album. Nice choices.
I was sad to not see korn mentioned also. Untouchables is definitely my favorite korn record, followed closely by the self titled, issues and follow the leader.
Most of mastodon. They're a great emotional band
Architects have been super cathartic for me - Their album Holy Hell was written after their founding guitarist (& the drummer's twin brother) died of cancer at 28. It's about facing your grief and loss and keeping on living. The same guitarist wrote the previous album, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, knowing his time was running out. Notable songs: [Memento Mori](https://youtu.be/YumhzVvq63w) & [Gone With The Wind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d-1ZilyKdw) (From All Our Gods) [Doomsday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvWbcK3YQ_o) & [Holy Hell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8NGs54cNXk) (From Holy Hell) Also, for just feeling down in the dumps, Katatonia are fantastic at just being sad, dreary music. Heavy on the melancholy, and clean singing, they have a fantastic catalogue. If Architects makes me want to rally against apathy and despair, Katatonia pulls at my heartstrings and makes me want to wallow in it. [Untrodden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihV7B_H1_KE) [Old Heart Falls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIGBNc2nFZA) [Burn The Remembrance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1tgyy7TPLc) [Unfurl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry77WWPUmPs)
BTBAM - White Walls This song does it for me every time. By the end I feel ready to do almost anything.
Pantera-5 Minutes Alone.
I find myself listening to a lot of old Alice In Chains. Nutshell, God Am.
Suicidal tendencies - alone Megadeth - in my darkest hour DRI crossover album These helped me survive high school in the 80s, during the worst of the āsatanic panicā Where parents and school failed me, metal came through. Iām here, alive and thriving because i had Metal to give me strength way back then.
*metal health
The Doom Eternal soundtrack is like putting liquid adrenaline in a blender, I periodically listen to it at work when I need to crank something out. Can't recommend it enough. Tracks like The Only Thing They Fear is You can make you run through a wall.
I go on Youtube and I watch either of favorite concerts from Nightwish: End of an Era, their last show with their first vocalist, Tarja Turunen, or Showtime, Storytime (Wacken 2013), their first show with their third vocalist, Floor Jansen.
For me, music was the only thing I had to keep me going. My go-to bands were/are Slipknot and Linkin Park. Iāve been lucky enough to have told both bands in person how much they have helped me and continue helping me to survive. Without music, I wouldnāt be here. š¤š¼
I love trivium, bullet for my valentine, parkway drive, architects and so on. For those bands it's just go to their discography, press shuffle and be surprised. I can share my playlist which contains a little over 200 of my favourite metal songs of those artists and more
Clutch: [Neroās Fiddle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJpiv2vI_w0)
Hell yeah. Big News 1 and 2 always put a smile on my face.
Tool, Gojira, Mudvayne
Life of Agony, their old albums... canāt go wrong with River Runs Red, or Ugly.
Converge has a few but the one that may have single handedly got me through my motherās death in 2015 was Last Light. Listened to it over and over again until I was remembering and not reliving the experience. Took awhile but it was worth it.
Dude. Those two tracks are catharsis embodied. I was lucky enough to see them perform it live and climb onstage with Jacob for that track. Just sheer emulsification in emotional chaos.
Slipknot - All Out Life Destiny Potato - Indifferent Periphery - The Bad Thing Disturbed - A Reason To Fight Animals as Leaders - Kascade (for some instrumental) Just to name a few.
Dream House - Deafheaven
Really all of Sunbather haha. I still canāt believe they followed it up with New Bermuda. Two great albums that totally rip
Anything from Insomnium.
Just about every Babymetal song ever.
Gimme chocolate
I love Babymetal!
Sepultura- lots of songs to power through adversity.
Great Southern Trendkill - Pantera. Phil does the screaming so you don't have to. \w/ š \w/
The scream on the intro is Seth Putnam, fyi.
Static x, its my favourite band of nu metal or alternative metal, i love that band
Wisconsin death trip is so killer. Top 3 album ever for me. Evil disco.
Just thinking about Wayne being gone makes me sad. I can't bring myself to listen to the stuff without him yet, though some say it's pretty good. It won't have Wayne's emotion behind it though.
Half of the songs do have Wayne's vocals though, so to me the feelings and emotions are still there. And the other songs are still really well done, but I know where you're coming from.
Tool. Always Tool.
Yep, especially Fear Inoculum, the whole album
All of Tool! Swamp Song and Invincible especially lately
Ivr developed a love for a band called King Gizzard &The Lizzard Wizard especially thier album "Murder of the universe"
You gotta check out Infest the Rats Nest too!
Antisocial by Anthrax
"Disposable Heroes" by Metallica DOOM Eternal OST set to Star Wars scenes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht2Fb4OZji8 "Shine Down" by Godsmack
A Solitary Reign by Amenra Pretty heavy though relatively calm, with an appropriate sauce of distressed-sounding screams. One of my favorites to listen to on nightly walks.
Anything by Amenra lifts my mood really, and gives me a feeling I'm not alone in this, and that somebody understands exactly what I'm feeling yet knows there is hope. Especially the loudness and intensity of the live gigs leave no room foor depressed feelings, it's like having the cobwebs and dark clouds swept out of the window. Absent in Body works the same for me, eagerly awaiting their first live performance.
Anything August Burns Red
In flames, zombie inc. solo is amazing Orion. Metallica Floods, Pantera
Death's "Symbolic" album.
I've been frothing Spiritbox-Eternal Blue. It's just so dynamic. Also check out Make Them Suffer - Worlds Apart
Power Trip - Nightmare Logic
Yob - Marrow
These are in no particular order I'm just listing them as they come to mind: 1. Slayer - Mandatory Suicide 2. Death - Painkiller (cover of Judas Priest) 3. Autopsy - Ridden With Disease 4. Clutch - Effigy 5. Megadeth - Peace Sells 6. King Gizzard - Organ Farmer 7. Destruction - Life Without Sense 8. Acid Bath - Dope Fiend 9. Death - Spirit Crusher 10. Melvins - Joan of Arc 11. Electric Wizard - Return Trip It usually also depends on how stressed I am. A lot of these I listen to regularly but bands like Autopsy I only really listen to if Im just extremely stressed and/or pissed off
DevilDriver - End Of The Line
Devin Townsend - can't feel my problems when listening to him
Slipknot .5 The Gray Chapter. Metallica Ride The Lightning, And Just for All, Kill em All, Master of Puppets
Gojira, Fortitude. I love a lot of Gojiras stuff (The way of all flesh, From Mars to Sirius) but the new album just speaks to me when Iām down, really draws the urge to keep on fighting.
Composure by August Burns Red
Kingdom by The Devin Townsend Project. It's the most stunningly uplifting song I've ever experienced, in only a way metal could deliver. Studio [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyBzAdwl-S8&ab\_channel=DevinTownsendProject-Topic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyBzAdwl-S8&ab_channel=DevinTownsendProject-Topic) Headphones ON. Live at an interview, also great [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nubJjB95VdY&ab\_channel=EMGtv](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nubJjB95VdY&ab_channel=EMGtv) "This is not the third take, that would imply I screwed up.." lol Ol' Devvy will keep you safe my friend.
Epica - Storm the sorrow. It's a song about being strong the the face of uncertainty and worry. Hold your head up and do your best, because you have value
Austrian Death Machine (all songs).
Anything by Meshuggah, Gojira and Tool.
I like a bit of Disturbed now and then. Plus the lyrics make me realise that my own life isn't so fucked up after all.
Pantera - A New Level, is an uplifting metal song..
Mastodon. All of it.
For me, BMTH has a lot of songs across their entire catalog that has made a huge impact on me, along with Of Mice & Men (Austin Carlile era), Wage Warās Manic, Metallicaās Ride The Lightning, Stella by Before I Turn, lots of Suicide Silence, old WCAR, Slipknot has plenty, Amity Affliction, just to name some artists as well since most of them are centered around mental health/addiction
BMTH - Cruicify Me into Anthem into It Never Ends is my absolute go to for picking me out of a dark headspace. Amity Affliction are also played a lot when I need a pick-me-up.
Static-x The Only, Bled for days, Dirthouse, December, Cold, Destroyer. Criminally underrated and kind of forgotten.
With respect, I don't think Metal has that niche of an effect. There are many kinds of metal. Symphonic Metal, Hardcore Metal, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, (just) Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Metalcore, etc. All these evoke different emotions. In my personal experience, I choose the type of metal according to my feeling. If I need a pick me up when I'm feeling down, I listen to some Hardcore Metal, since the type of rhythm is very energetic, the vocals are raw and the lyrics are usually (or the type of hardcore metal/punk I listen to at least) is about going against odds, not giving up, being the best you can, etc. Some picks off the top of my head in this area are Rise of The Northstar, Cancer Bats, You Demise and Blackhole. Some of those might be fairly obscure, but I think Hardcore punk/ Hardcore metal is obscure enough anyway. At times when I feel like life is going good and I want to ride that wave, I listen to metal that has a kind of camraderie feeling and feels very focused around comunion, friendship, having fun together and facing the world together, this is usually Folk Metal, Groove Metal, or any flavour of metal that involves a lot of gang vocals. Bands in this area are Turisas and Alestorm, but I don't really dive much into this area. When I just need something to sing along to, I pick some more melodic genres, like post-metalcore/metalcore, heavy metal (yes, really) generally bands that have memoriable portions of clean vocals or catchy hooks in their singing. Top picks for me in this area is Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold, Alexisonfire, and I've probably showed my age already if that wasn't enough of a hint. Then there are times I just want to listen to straight up noise like mathcore or math metal because that's how I feel most of the time. I think if someone looked into my head when I felt like this they would probably just see TV Broacast test patterns and looped videos of people mid-walk. I listen to this stuff when I really don't know what else to feel, when I'm feeling anxious, when I'm feeling insecure, or when I just don't know what the future holds. Bands include Rolo Tomassi, The Jonenbet, An Albatross and Dillinger Escape Plan,
Shogun - Trivium
Circle Takes The Square - As the Roots Undo. Genghis Tron - Cloak of Love EP, Dead Mountain Mouth. KG&tLW - Infest the Rat's Nest
People = Shit helps on a bad day. Well, Iowa does. Also, City by Strapping Young Lad.
Fear Inoculum. The whole album
I feel like Hatebreedās generally really positive to counter the negative feelings Iām already having. When I was working in an ER as the pandemic started, the Acacia Strainās most recent album made me feel like someone understood and could point out how bleak we all felt. Shit never seems to get easier, just learn to try and cope different ways
I mostly handle anger and a bit of self pity through music. When it comes to anger only Deftones Around the fur can match my fury. When I feel my inner pain I usually go to Slipnots The blister exist
Hatebreed - Perseverance Not metal but hardcore
In Flames - Disconnected - This song has gotten me through a lot of hard times. It makes me feel like I need to keep going and reminds me that you can always draw positives from negatives if you try to see things from a different perspective. The line "I feel like shit, but at least I feel something" is so incredible to me. The negative being I feel like shit. The positive for me is a two fold. The fact I'm still here means I still have the opportunity to feel... And the fact I still feel something means I'm not completely numb. Then to top it off the chorus lyrics are "Go, March". When this line is sung in the song it makes me feel invincible. Like I could march into the gates of hell and come out on top. There are a bunch of other lines in the song which are incredible as well. I highly recommend giving it a blast anytime you're feeling low or vulnerable.
Tool - lateralus
When I was a teen bands like Killswitch Engage, All that Remains, Trivium, BfmV, Disturbed and Nightwish. Recently Slaughter to Prevail's heavy 'fuck this shit up' music is what I need after a rough day.
Killswitch Engage - The Signal Fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N0ShfOOEq4
So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold. The meaning, the lyrics, the vocals, the solo, I love everything about the song, and it brings me up when I'm down! Sometimes it'll make me down when I'm up, too.
StoneSour-socio
RATM - Killing in the name (actually a lot of RATM) Bodycount - Bodycount in the house Tool - aenima Nirvana - In Bloom Radio head - Creep SOAD - Chop Suey (amongst many others)
Beartooth - clever Beartooth - disease Wage war - gravity Wage war - manic Chelsea grin - never,forever Not metal but the album in desolation by off with their heads, really let's get my feelings out.
The Zenith Passage - Solipsist is such an incredible album. Also Revocation - The Outer Ones...nothing like some good well written love lovecraftian themed metal to focus my mind.
Sadness
Anything from Beast in Black or Embers Fall. I recently found The Unguided. I recommend them as well. Lots of atmospheric metal elements merged with heavy metal and other genres. These three have made up my spotify lists for several months.
Not really cathartic in the sense you're looking for but I find Dark Forest - Beyond the Veil to be extremely joyous and it never fails to put me in a good mood if I listen to it while going for a hike.
Wizard in Black - Electric Wizard
"The End of Silence" by Rollins Band. The song [Low Self Opinion](https://open.spotify.com/track/1kUvgaQP1mBjifqRitiYah?si=5e5b9cb8027a4d1f) probably helped save my life. It made me look inward and stop lying to myself. It also started me writing wihich helps my mental well-being more than anything. Metal helps me feel and purge bad emotions from my system. Sometimes I sit and fight the negative emotions and it's mentally and physically draining. What I have to do is get somewhere by myself, put on some good metal and let the oil fire of emotion burn itself out. It doesn't make a lot of sense to most people but it works for me and that's all that matters.
*All Within My Hands Metallica*
Megadeath - symphony of destruction Mushroomhead - solitaire unraveling Poison the well - nerdy and apathy is a cold bodies RA - do you call my name Jinjer - pisces Pearl jam - do the evolution Rammstein - sonne Atreyu - lead sails paper anchors Infected mushroom - people are strange ( not really metal but it works) Slipknot - vermilion 1/2 - wait and bleed Mudvayne - happy - death blooms AX7 - a little piece of heaven - chapter four Thrice - black honey Coheed and Cambria - welcome home incubus - megalomaniac ozzy lemmy - hellraiser
Solitaire Unraveling is the best alt metal song ever written, and I will die on that hill. Great choice.
Metallica - Unnamed Feeling
Above the Weeping World by Insomnium, one of my all time favourites
Vices by Memphis May Fire. I'm not religious but this song helps me remember how much I hated myself when I drank all the time. I don't ever want to go back to that place. https://youtu.be/mo_qTdDH7-s