On hiatus from metal

I just realised that for over a month now I have not listened to metal, almost at all. The main bands I have been listening to lately are Queen, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, and Elton John.

I must confess, I have just not been in that metal mindset for sometime. I call it, lacking the confidence to listen to metal. For me, metal represents a carefree attitude, and I normally listen to it with a very troubleless mind but as of late I have felt very troubled, almost depressed. Listeninig to metal seems to only intensify my feelings of depression and hopelessness.

Since I am being open - my mom had to undergo shoulder surgery about a month ago. It wasn't easy at all seeing her in pain in hosptial after the surgery and then having her sturggling with the pain at home. I realise that shoulder surgery, more specifically rotator cuff surgery, is not major surgery but when it happens to your parent it turns the whole world upside down.

To top this off we have also bought a new property and we are now in the process of selling our house which is proving to be very stressful. I just want it to be over and done with. This is causing me to worry and feel somewhat hopless, having to wait around for a buyer.

Anyways, all this stress is just not putting me in the mood for anything crazy, heavy, aggressive , dark or morbid. I feel like I need to relax my mind to the soothing sound of classic rock bands. They take me to simpler times in my life.

I thought metal was great for escapism. Just put on some fantasy-laden europower and you're off riding unicorns into great battles against dragons. Or orcs. Or orc-dragons.

Hi Lari - nah I'm afraid euro-power metal is just not doing it for me right now. I need something that speaks to me and euro-power metal is just too fluffly and removed from reality for me to connect with it right now.

We all react different to stress, life in general and we all take in music differently. Just make sure you take care of yourself mentally and spiritually, the music will always be there when you are ready to go back to it.

Good luck with the selling of the house and I hope your mother starts feeling better.

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

I must confess, I have just not been in that metal mindset for sometime. I call it, lacking the confidence to listen to metal. For me, metal represents a carefree attitude, and I normally listen to it with a very troubleless mind but as of late I have felt very troubled, almost depressed. Listeninig to metal seems to only intensify my feelings of depression and hopelessness.

It works the other way for some - as a way to reduce the intensity of "bad" feelings. For instance, I love to force myself sometimes into that elegiac, lightweight, bright saddnes of, say, Fates Warning. It just feels special and clears my head. Depends on your perspective I guess. In the end, isn't it a major part of deppressive/suicidal black metal acts or other "emotional" genres - not to drown a person completely but to encourage him through dark subjects?

Listen to whatever makes you feel best. There is tons of metal out there that is extremely uplifting.

Good luck with everything..

I too have been stressed and have been getting more into Jazz

I like beautiful relaxing music when my head is in that place, metal does nothing for me. Listen to what you are feeling. Music can be a wonderful thing in tough times  

Eventually you get tired of eating pizza for every meal and must have a change. Same goes for music, taking a break helps make everything sound fresh again when you revisit it.

At one point when there was a storm of shit happening around me, I stopped listening to rock and metal and played a constant stream of soft rock/easy listening from my childhood. Shit like Sergio Mendes, Alan Parsons, Peabo Bryson, Lionel Richie, Christopher Cross, syrupy shit, goofy stuff. I realized at the time it was a way of reconnecting with my childhood, the loss of innocence, and an era that I miss very much. Anyway, it happens. As the king said, jazz is a great one to establish clarity of mind. I hope things slow down for you, Alex.

There are certain albums that, for me, are like old friends. I guess one of the reasons is they are very familiar because I've listened to them since I was a kid. Another reason is how they make me feel because not all the albums I listened to back in the day will do. I remember over a decade ago being very depressed because I had a long commute to a job I didn't like. I would play these cassettes in the car on the way to and from work and it made the commute more bearable. Some of the cassettes were Ozzy (Diary..., Bark At The Moon, Ultimate Sin) but most of the albums were Genesis: And Then There Were Three, Duke, Abacab, and their self-titled. It was just what I needed at that time.

Now I have an mp3 player full of 1980s synthpop, electronic, New Wave music I prefer to listen to in the car. It's more kickback, cruising music to me. When I'm riding my bike or working out, though, only metal will do.

 You are  from Heart Of Metal for not being......METAL!!!! GOOD DAY SIR!!!  

Seriously most of the people here don't listen to Metal 24/7 so I'm pretty sure your feeling what some of us feel as well sometimes. so its  

Boris2008 wrote:

I like beautiful relaxing music when my head is in that place, metal does nothing for me. Listen to what you are feeling. Music can be a wonderful thing in tough times  

 Trust me, music can be a wonderful thing in tough times. I had a massive stroke last year. Music has always been a huge part of my life. Now it helps me even more. Listen to what ever makes you HAPPY. Metal is only a small part of what I listen to musically. Do what makes you happy. And Good Luck with every thing.

S.D. wrote:

Eventually you get tired of eating pizza for every meal and must have a change.  Same goes for music, taking a break helps make everything sound fresh again when you revisit it.

yep. I like all kinds of music and enjoy discovering new music.

I listen to a bit of everything, so personally I don't need to take a break from any specific genre. If I was only exposed to one style of music then I could certainly understand the need to.

Just don't do something stupid, like ditching your whole collection because you're bored. You'll regret it.