Anyway, likely I'm in bed recovering from this. Later on in the day, I might be firing up my Xbox for some serious orc slaying. Maybe. We'll see. So today you get a pre-written blog post. Because I actually remembered to do that this time.
So, most of you know that my tastes in music are all over the place. I adore classical music, have an enduring love for Enya, really love neo-classical pieces (such as the incredible music from Two Steps From Hell), like the occasional pop song, and will rock out to Russian and Indian folk metal.
We all know Disturbed, right? They reached new highs with their recent, stunning cover of The Sound of Silence. It made me cry.
Funny story, when I was younger, I despised metal, considering it nothing more musical than screaming into a microphone. What a snob. In fact, I remember hearing this song and hating it; a very visceral hatred of this song, due largely to that intermission. Now, I absolute love the song. The intermission still makes me uncomfortable, but the song is fucking fantastic.
Their most recent album, Immortalized, is hands down the album in my library I listen to the most. I know every song by heart. Don't ask me to sing it, though. Your ears will bleed. I'm a terrible singer.
Part of what I love about Disturbed is not just the music. It's what the music is about. Certainly there are the usual everything-sucks-and-I'm-fucking-furious kind of songs, which, frankly, I need more often than not. But so many of their songs are about much, much more.
It's about finding your strength, gathering your courage, speaking out, standing up, fighting back. It's about not losing hope in spite of the tide of bullshit you face. I'm finding more and more that I need that, particularly in today's climate, when people are trying to strip me and my sisters of personhood, to reduce women everywhere to nothing but incubators, our bodies mindless currency for masculine consumption and exchange - and that's just the stuff that personally affects me. I cannot imagine how terrifying it must be for people of colour, and transfolk right now. My heart goes out to them all. I only know a fraction of what they're going through, and frankly, given how poorly I'm functioning right now, I am in awe of their grace and strength.
Anyway, back to the music. The point is, Disturbed produces music that helps me cope with the world. It inspires my continued existence, even if it's only in spite sometimes. Honestly, Immortalized carried me through some of the roughest seas I've yet sailed.
So, in case you're in need of similar survival inspiration, here are a few of my favourite songs by Disturbed that I listen to when the world becomes too much to bear (I'm restricting myself to only two songs from Immortalized, or I'll end up posting the entire fucking album):
Right, I have to stop or I'll just end up posting the entire discography.
I would like to thank Disturbed for being there, for finding a way through to me when nothing else would. Music is incredibly powerful. I think many musicians forget that. I feel like Disturbed has not.
What's your favourite music/song(s)? Post them in the comments below. Expand my musical horizons yet more!
Ciao!