depression

[Frost of the sanctum]

Sometimes music makes me feel 100% better. But certain songs depress the living shit out of me. Like Katatonia-clean today, and just about every Agalloch and Sonata Arctica song. The thing that pisses me off is when people say happy music has no emotion, like all power/epic metal bands are bullshit because they are "happy". That is just bullshit and a half, If one were to actually listen to the music and know what the lyrics are they would see that 9 times out of 10 its fucking sad as hell.

 

[Parasite]

For me, when I feel distressed, listening to sad music makes me feel better. When ever I am down, I put in some Katatonia and My Dying Bride, and I feel a bit better.

 

[Parasite]

Originally posted by Silent Downfall
i had a friend that was so convinced metal was the cause of my depression, needless to say i got pissed and we got in a huge fight.

metal fucking makes me feel better. metal is life \m/

rap music seriously makes me angry, i just want to destroy things when i hear it.

Same exact thing here, word for word. He wanted me to get counceling and throw away all my "evil" cd's.

And that rap music....ugh, i better not get myself going.

 

[demon talented]

I've thought about this before. I'm actually not that into metal, although I love Opeth and some other metal bands. Occasionally, a song can really depress me, but it's generally not because of the song. I believe it's because what the song is saying. I remember when my girlfriend and I broke up months ago. Some songs I would play, and they would remind me of her. That was not fun... But about darker or more depressing music, I really think it has to do with the individual. I would say MOST of the music I listen to is depressing, but it suits my mood. It suits me. Depressing music can make me happy. Of course, to a lot of people, it would be quite the contrary. It almost gets to the point of a chicken and the egg. Which came first - the person being depressed or listening to depressed music? One other thing... I want music that is real. When you hear this upbeat music with upbeat lyrics, I almost always feels it's fake. I will not deny truth...

And if you want some really depressing music, d/l Black Heart Procession - Blue Tears. It's probably the most depressing music I've ever heard in my life. I love it though.

 

[in2thenight]

the reason i brought this up is because the other day my mother said to me:
'this music sounds so depressing' (i think it was my dying bride)
she then said:
'if you listened to other music' (i assume she meant 'pop') 'you wouldnt feel as depressed as you do' (because i do get depressed a lot of the time)
i thought this was interesting. and it made me wonder what came first - feeling depressed or liking the kind of music i do. i know some of opeth's music, for instance, might not necessarily be called 'depressing' but i think the general feel of their music cant really be described as 'happy' or 'positive' (although maybe it does have this effect on some people?).
so did i feel depressed first and naturally seek out this kind of music because it suits me better than 'pop' and i can identify with the themes and emotions, or did i start listening to the music and it made me more depressed than i would have been if i hadnt heard it? if i hadnt discovered opeth etc would i be less depressed than i am now? (not that i feel being depressed is always necessarily a negative thing though). surely if my mum, on one hearing, thought mdb sounded depressing, constant listening of this kind of music must have an effect on you...

 

[demon talented]

My mother has said many times that my music is depressing. But listening to some types of music which I really don't like in general - rap, techno, etc. - can actually depress the hell out of me. Everyone has a natural affinity towards music. Sometimes, you can just hear something new and automatically like or dislike it. I can't really speak for anyone else. I just know that darker music is what satisfies me in general. I have a generally acclectic taste in music. (For an idea, some of the last albums I bought are King Crimson's Red, Miles Davis's Kind Of Blue, Gordian Knot's self-titled, Godspeed You Black Emperor's Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas Towards Heaven, Ours's Distored Lullabies, and Anathema's Judgement.) When I am depressed, I can't listen to happy music. Music can definitely affect emotion, and for each person, it is different... I have to say that I would think it is unlikely that the music is what is causing depression. In general, I think it has to be something else... I'm glad I have music that fits me so well.

One other thing is that a little variety can't hurt though either... I would not force myself into only one genre. That's all I can say. I can listen to Opeth, Nick Drake, Our Lady Peace, and Kyuss in one night... I personally have found I need different types of music to fit all the different moods I have. I personally think that good music comes in all genres (to varying extents), and that appreciation of each type will take longer for each type depending on how well it suits you.

Anyway, when it comes down to it, there are things in life that could depress you. But it's unlikely that music is the source of this. If you feel that it is prolonging it or anything, try and buy some music in some other genre and see if that helps. I listen to several CDs a day. I prefer it when there is some variety after a while...

 

[in2thenight]

Originally posted by TheLedTool
listening to some types of music which I really don't like in general - rap, techno, etc. - can actually depress the hell out of me.

if i hear techno/garage/trance etc it makes me want to kick the shit out of someone until they turn it off. it doesnt depress me at all

One other thing is that a little variety can't hurt though either... I would not force myself into only one genre.

i dont only listen to one 'genre' of music, but the bands i listen to the most tend to be opeth, katatonia etc.
i know that the music is not the root cause of being depressed (at least not for me), but i just find it interesting to try to figure out to what extent it is responsible for those feelings...

 

[demon talented]

I'm not saying you do. Some people do... I couldn't stand it myself. But even though I like a lot of different types of music, most of the CDs I have a rock CDs. Sometimes I wish I had more from other styles... and occasionally I just will buy something out different (like I just bought a Miles Davis CD while looking at the record store the other day). There was a time I didn't buy a CD for two months, and I was going insane. I listened to OK Computer (by Radiohead) during most of it. (I haven't been able to listen to it since.) Without the music, it started affected me other ways. I started getting just kind of irritable... There is something about music that I cannot get from any other thing. For me, the big thing was the grunge scene. I have 5 Nirvana CDs, 6 Soundgarden CDs, 9 Alice In Chains CDs, 4 Pearl Jam CDs, etc. Even though I love it, there are times where I wish I had a more balanced CD collection. On one hand, there are times where I crave music I don't have an album of. But also, I should buy CDs that will be gratifying. So, it can be hard to find balance in that. I want to fill my collection of artists I like that I don't have all their albums by such as Kyuss, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. But I also constantly crave new music (I really want to buy certain artists now... Coheed and Cambria, Pain of Salvation, Amorphis, Anekdoten, Black Heart Procession, David Sylvian, and many others). Music can have such a profound effect. Sometimes by bringing out feelings, even negative feelings, it is helping you in the end...