Most of you may know it’s World Mental Health Awareness Day. During these times, it’s more important than ever to speak about our mental health and be honest with how things are. Big or small, each struggle and fight is important.
To honour this day, some of the Rock Out Stand Out team have placed together some songs in a special playlist. These songs will either help you reflect, relieve you of any pain or lift you up. There are songs by or in tribute to musicians who died by suicide, depict what it’s like to live with ill mental health and lift your spirits during a period of ill mental health.
Foul Body Autopsy’s latest EP Consumed By Black Thoughts is fresh off the press today and there is a song from that on the list.
Linkin Park album Hybrid Theory turns twenty years old this month. So to honour this and the sad passing of Chester Bennington there is a song from the twentieth anniversary edition released yesterday.
Here’s what some of our team members have chosen and why:
Martin: Korn – Thoughtless
This track stacks up amongst my favourite tracks by KORN. This featured on their Untouchables album and I was really able to relate with the lyrics of this track. I was bullied at school for being “different” and couldn’t wait to get home where I would lose myself in music and be myself. Sometimes it was a case of listening to the music by itself or I would play along on my bass guitar to unleash all the negativity and emotions I was feeling from the events of the day.
Thoughtless is one amongst a handful of tracks that I could stick on repeat back then and still can today when I am having a bad day. The lyrics of the song and its music video helped me relate and channel some of my feelings and made me realise I was better than those that bullied me “Why are you making fun of me? You think it’s funny, What the f*ck you think it’s doing to me? You take your turn lashing out at me. I want you crying when you’re dirty in front of me” and “All, all my hate cannot be bound (hate cannot be bound), I will not be drowned, by your thoughtless scheming.”
Martin: Edguy – F*cking with Fire (Live in Sao Pao Paolo 2006 version)
This live rendition of the track from EDGUY’s Rocket Ride album always seems to make me smile. It is cocky and brash with the right level of pompousness and silliness, which instantly can turn a frown upside down. You get a taste of the live experience from the audio track and the Live DVD is sheer brilliance to see a band at the top of their game. “F*cking with fire – I’m coming to rock, Got my rocket on fire and I take what I want. F*cking with fire – loaded and cocked. You never miss it ’til youve begun with the hair force one”
Lotty: Visions Of Atlantis – The Deep And The Dark
When I first heard this song, the lyrics spoke to me so much. The line “You’re my antidote when the waves of doubt rush in” reminds me of my partner, my loved ones and now my granddad’s guide dog Fergus making me feel better whenever I feel doubtful about myself or anything I have done.
Lotty: Heidevolk – A Wolf In My Heart
“There’s a wolf in my heart and it’s fighting to survive” is the lyrical line that has stuck out for the duration of lockdown and alongside the warrioresque musical arrangements, it helps me to feel powerful and mighty when I need a boost.
Jacob: John Mayer – Gravity
Gravity by John Mayer, while not the most doom-laden track encapsulates living with depression and self loathing for me.
“I’ll never known what makes this man
With all the love that his heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away“
Jacob: Porcupine Tree – Collapse The Light Into Earth
Collapse The Light Into Earth is a great representation of what it feels like to me being in a relationship while being severely depressed. The lyrics of “I won’t heal given time” and “I won’t feel better in the cold light of day” feel like something you should remind your partner of so that they can protect themselves for your problems.
What tracks would you choose for your own playlist about mental health? We would love to hear what you chose.
ROCK OUT STAND OUT PLAYLIST – 03.04.2021
Hyperdrive! – Devin Townsend
Amazonia – Gojira
Chapel of Ghouls – Morbid Angel
Walk This Way – Aerosmith
Halls of Lemuria – Ghosts of Atlantis
Don’t Waste Your Life – Golgotha
The Violence of the Skies – Primitai
Beyond the Horizon – Metalite
The Golden Pentacle – Marco Garau’s Magic Opera
22 Acacia Avenue – Iron Maiden
Taking My Chances – Smith/Kotzen
Overkill – Motorhead
American Witch – Rob Zombie
Dreamer Deceiver – Judas Priest
Rob Halford Robs Halfords – Raised By Owls
Bullet With Butterfly Wings – The Smashing Pumpkins
Don’t Bring Me Down – Electric Light Orchestra
The Past is Dead – Beartooth
Broken Bells – Greta Van Fleet
Yu Yevon – No Hope For The Lost
