Sep 092015
 

Dawn Olaniyi-Frustrated
“Frustrated” by Dawn Olaniyi

I think most people who know me would say I have a sunny disposition. I’ve thought about why this is, but I’m not sure whether it’s genetic, or the fact that I received a lot of familial support while my frontal lobes were developing, or because over time I’ve randomly been dealt lots of good hands by the uncaring cosmos — or some combination of these or other factors.

I do think about this from time to time, because it seems that most of my friends seem to have a 50/50 split between sunny and sour, and some seem to be sour most of the time — which I would guess is more par-for-the-course among the great mass of humanity as a whole. I still like all of my sour friends, and feel a strange compulsion to try to make them feel sunnier.

But even I, with a sunny disposition of indeterminate origin, have sour days. I had one yesterday, and it’s going to roll right into this day like the stench from a West Texas feedlot.

I began yesterday thinking that my fucking day job was going to send me to Alaska today for almost two weeks, to work about 18 hours a day that whole time. And then I thought the trip was going to be canceled — which got me on a real sunny high — and then right at the end of the day I found out I might have to go anyway.

And I’m still up in the air this morning about whether I have to go, or get to stay, and I probably won’t find out for hours — and in the meantime I have to prepare for what I have to do if I go, and that will make a hash out of my blogging plans for this Wednesday. So I’m expecting, for most of today, to be as sour as a week-old corpse in a shallow grave.

 

I know this little upheaval is a very small turd compared to the toilet-clogging shits that fall upon the heads of many of you, sometimes on a regular basis. And so to be clear, the point of this post isn’t to do a “poor me” whine. It’s to ask a question:

Since everyone has their sour moods, and since metalheads tend to resort to music to get them through those moods (I know this because I are one), I want to solicit your suggestions. When you’re in a really foul mood, regardless of the cause, what do you listen to? Music to settle you down? Pissed-off music? A soundtrack to a mass slaughter?

To be clear (again), I’m not looking for vague, general answers. I’m looking for specific song suggestions — your favorite audio ways of dealing with really sour moods. Because I have a feeling I’m going to need some help today, especially if I have to get on a fucking plane to Anchorage tonight after all.

Sound off below! Please. And thank you.

  46 Responses to “MUSIC FOR SOUR MOODS?”

  1. It depends on if I’m wallowing or just grumpy as hell. If I’m wallowing, I like to listen to Zoe Keating’s albums. Actually, I like to listen to her music regardless of the mood I’m in, but it’s great sitting and stewing music.

    When I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore, I really like Aborted (any album) or Cannibal Corpse (usually Kill or Torture). Sometimes the Warrior’s Code by the Dropkick Murphys, since it’s so uptempo. No Gods, No Managers by the Choking Victims is great for grumpy-face-kicking-babies time as well.

    I realize those aren’t specific songs, but I usually listen to full albums when I’m really pissed, so it’s like one long hate song. Or something.

    • Makes me realize that I’ve let way too much time go by since I last listened to Dropkick Murphys — and I guess I need to explore Zoe Keating and the Choking Victims.

      • If you do nothing else, listen to Zoe Keating. She plays cello. Her music is just the cello, but she creates full soundscapes with that single instrument and tons of layering.

        It might be the most beautiful music I’ve heard in the last year.

        http://music.zoekeating.com/music

        • Yeah I love her use of sampling her own cello line, hitting repeat, then adding another layer on top… and on and on. Nice concept and she really comes up with some off-the-beaten-track approaches to the instrument.

      • You really do. Choking Victim-No Gods, No Managers is one of my favorite records ever!

  2. Anaal Nathrakh

  3. Typically I don’t think I have any real ‘go to’ music based on mood. However, my mood tends to be in the sour spectrum I’d say.

  4. Familiar support or familial support? Familiar support by familial relations might be improper and illegal. But I’m not sure what the custom is where you grew up.

  5. When im in a sour mood, i tend to go with angry / hateful
    Sauron – Universe of Filth
    Rage Nucléaire – Unrelenting Fucking Hatred
    Marduk – anything really
    DIabolicum . Ia Pazuzu
    Nightbringer – Ego Dominus tuus
    Sinmara – Aphotic Womb
    Sulphur Aeon – Gateways
    Svartidaudi – Flesh Cathedral
    Tsjuder – desert Northern Hell / Legion Helvete
    Slagmaur – Von Rov Shelter (a bot more on the trippy side)

  6. I listen to the same music regardless if my mood, mostly death and some thrash. I know that’s kind of Boeing answer 😛

  7. And “of” my mood, not “if” my mood. Also, there should be an “a” between boring and answer.
    Wow.

  8. Burial Shrouds by Sivyj Yar

    • Well, there’s a reminder that I really need to listen to this album. Thank you.

      • Streamed it once yesterday – I tend to not be a fan of the type of BM vocals these guys go for (that weird yelpy thing that can’t really be described as a typical BM snarl), but the melodies on the album overshadow the vocals enough for me to overcome them.

  9. If I’m pissed, normally some good sludge will get me going, like Eyehategod or Iron Monkey. The new Eyehategod could be a good one to go to, especially since the faster numbers on that record are even better for a pissed off mood. I’d also suggest something punk-y like Obliterations or Baptists. Young and in the Way’s newest should do the trick too.

  10. NAILS is great when you are pissed off as well.

  11. No list of music to listen to while pissed is complete without Suffocation (particularly “Catatonia”). My lovely day job has also significantly increased my Misery Index intake as well. As for music to settle down to rather than vent, High on Fire and Crowbar have been welcome audio balms.

  12. I could list a bunch but here are a few of my favorite go to songs/albums for when I’m in a sour mood:

    Converge. I have a lot of go to tracks but let’s go with Thaw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeRMvNzUD2k&list=PLakWTacMzsKgkDE8Y2UfHGCe6SJzkdn_I&index=11

    Agoraphobic Nosebleed- Frozen Corpses Stuffed With Dope album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ewzj_OuG-c

    Fuck The Facts- Cold Hearted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_4fO9DOIN4&list=PLc6L-SyzWLvuh6fW3Alhv14JZZuF2G86h
    Psyopus-2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaGs_e_a_c8
    Ion Dissonance- Breathing Is Irrelevant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr20QBoB5aE
    Cephalic Carnage- Pseudo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBEqlIgKOWo
    Hate Eternal-Art Of Redemption https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHoc2UHk90E
    Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza- You won’t https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS_8pEBaPSk
    Suffocation-Torn Into Enthrallment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDiEGbA-uwA
    Spawn Of Possession- Render My Prey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M64Id09CBZc

  13. I find that mixing my metal with a little power electronics really does the trick. That last Indian album is a good resource, as is the live version of “The Evil One Which Sobs” by Boris/Merzbow. In dire straits, about a half-hour of any noise-wall makes me feel lighter in the aftermath. If you’re curious, check out Cory Strand’s bandcamp page for a ton of classic metal reworked in HNW style. A little dab’ll do ya.

  14. If I’m in a really down and shitty mood, nothing does it like Rune- in particular the songs “Wilt” and “This Sorrow”

    If I’m pissed off- gotta second the post from above- Ion Dissonance- the first two albums work great.

  15. It depends on the kind of sour mood as they can be of a variety, however, as a more general kind of list I’ll give you some of my go-to’s, not all of them are metal, hope you enjoy them!

    Metal:
    Aborted – Your Entitlement Means Nothing: No explanations needed, I actually got into this song way more cause of this blog. https://youtu.be/fEYTngXPH6w
    All Shall Perish – My Retaliation: Fucking anger personified IMO. https://youtu.be/i_houfpI7ms
    Deathspell Omega – The Shrine of Mad Laughter: Tortured hails in the vocals, for tortured and messy moods. https://youtu.be/wpvg7WawKfw
    Fleshgod Apocalypse – All the piano outros from every album. They make me feel calmer.
    Hatebreed – Most if not any of their songs, if you have never heard them be aware that their ‘motivational’ schtick may not everyone’s cup of tea. I like it, I think it’s energetic and pumping-up. One of my favs: https://youtu.be/oJed2tZRonk
    Napalm Death
    Thy Art is Murder – Reign of Darkness: more deathcore here, pumps me up too, I like the vocals and the stupid lyrics hehe. https://youtu.be/I_d0TEwhAXo

    Non-metal:
    Foo Fighters – Monkey Wrench: This song always cheers me up, something about the line in the chorus “I’ll never be your monkey wrench”. https://youtu.be/UiRGVD2CNpw
    Linkin Park – Lies Greed Misery: I like the simple lyrics and singing along to it, LP has been a pleasure of mine since a very young age. https://youtu.be/9Dq9q6afIP8

    HANDLE WITH CARE
    Jason Mraz – Who’s Thinking About You Now: As gay as I’ll get, reminds me of a girl, good memories. https://youtu.be/gyo6JOI4ELc
    Jack Johnson – Better Together: Same reason stated above, both of them cheer me up. https://youtu.be/RfoqELZWcp8

  16. Fuck This Life – Young and In The Way
    Red Wolves of Stalin – Hail of Bullets (anything with his vocals, really)
    Of Eating Disorders and Restraining Orders – Coffinworm
    Scorn – Primitive Man
    Enion – Obese
    25 Years – Pantera
    Cthulhu – ALKALOID

    And finally my album recommendation: Verderf by Nihill

  17. Apart from the other good suggestions in this thread, I’d recommend Thy Catafalque – Rengeteg

  18. For the i hate my life it’s hard to top Abyssic Hate’s Suicidal Emotions

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyROzaiaFvs

 Leave a Reply

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

(required)

(required)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.