The positive aspects of violent depressing music

Every once in a while somebody wants to label what music "is". Of course we're not really talking about what music "is". Music is just sound. We're talking about what it represents, which is subjective.

Having once been a very religious person, I often was pressured to give an explanation for my love of bands like Metallica, Eminem, and even comparatively innocent lyrics from Tom Petty or Catch 22 (yeah I know, I have diverse interests). People had a hard time understanding that for me, songs like "Harvester of Sorrow" could actually be motivating and purely positive because of the elements that I focused on.

Music got me into the USMC. I had to lose some 60+ pounds to enlist, and there's not a doubt in my mind that using music to focus myself made that happen. A bunch of angry negative music mostly about being miserable and hurting other people no less. For me, it got me motivated, helped me feed off of my own discomfort and push myself harder in excercise.
You could take the most wicked lyrics imaginable, and I could go completely uninfluenced by them and feed off of the aggression or even twist the meaning of the words to use it as a positive thing.
"I was born in the cemetary, under the sign of the moon, raised from my grave, by the devil. and i was made a mercinary, in the legions of hell, now a king of pain, i'm insane" don't even ask how, but all that does is pump me up. The religious implications don't hurt me- I'm not a satanist (anymore) I just get a rush out of aggressive music, and it helps me cope with the fact that life can be painful, instead of hiding from that fact in some watered-down sappy whatever with happy-sounding lyrics.
To me, 90% of the time, happy lyrics will only depress me.


Anyway, does anybody else share my twisted view of music, or am I a lost soul being devoured by the treacherous demons of the heavy metal industry?

" happy songs make me depressed "

probably because they are happy, or about peace or love?


I think if you listen to too much of that screaming nonsense, the only emotion it might bring out of you is rage, or motivation for something worldly, or just a state of
hardcoreness which sufficates your peacfulness. thats my opinion. Seriously if I listened to that stuff all day everyday id lose my mind, even rap is better than some of that stuff.

I don't want to hear people screaming in my ears as loud as they ca, truly don't, of how messed up life is.


For instance, I worked with my Uncle one time in a body shop. they listen to 98 rock in baltimore. I swear to God in heaven I was literally sick to my stomach depressed when I came out of there, I had tons of joy entering and when I left
I never wanted to go back, the stuff sucks my peace out of my minds honestly.



maybee not for you but for me it does.


Its like a rebellious vibe, and it trly goes against peace in me and obedience to God, thats just my take on it.



I like gregorian chants, which is the most peacful singing on earth to me which is incredible because i used to listen to hardcore rap years ago.




peace.

I love Heavy Metal and Hardcore music. It also gets me motivated and some energy flowing through me. Like right now Im listening to Disturbed (The Sickness) and theyre yelling pretty loud, and talking about violence and cussing people out. Its great! One of my favorite songs is called Violence Fetish...and first few words are:

Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
If you've ever known anyone
Bring the violence
It's significant
To the life
Can you feel it?

I also listen to alot of what people would call "satanic" bands, like KoRN, Slayer, hell, some people even think Led Zeppelin is Satanic. Im not a devil worshipper one bit, I dont even believe in the devil, or god for that matter.

Songs that are all happy make me depressed as well. They are basically sugar coating life, and lying about it.

I also listen to alot of rap, some of it is that violent stuff you hear about. NWA, 50 Cent, Nas...etc.

Even tho I listen to all this violent music, im not some rampaging lunatic that wants to kill everybody. I do have violent tendencies, but that started before I listened to this kind of music. Iv learned to deal with it, and this music has helped.

Its just music, geez.

[edit on 2-25-2005 by dreamlandmafia]