They say music soothes the savage beast. Actually, originally they said it soothed the savage breast, but somewhere along the way, people starting giggling at the word “breast,” and it got changed to the more well-known but less evocative “beast”. Anyway, I digress. The thing is, sometimes your inner beast doesn’t want to be soothed. Sometimes it wants to be let out and allowed to wreak havoc on everything within its reach. Unfortunately, acts of violence are frowned upon in our society (much like the word “breast”, I suppose), and that’s where music comes into play.
It’s widely acknowledged that music is therapeutic. Soft, gentle music is supposed to ease pain; lively classical concertos are contributing to a nation of baby geniuses, and certified music therapists are facilitating communication in autistic people through musical conversation. But it’s not all sunshine and light, life, and music is good for drawing out your rage and spitting it into the universe without any actual blood having to be shed. Of course, not just any music will do. And while Regina Spektor or Garth Brooks might cause you to scream in pain, that’s not quite what we’re going for here. It has to be loud. It has to be fast. A kick-ass bass line doesn’t hurt, and if it’s not an outright angry song, there has to at the very least be a heavy dose of attitude behind it. This isn’t your emo music that makes you ever so, um… unhappy. This is straight-up fury, pent up and then cracked open and laid bare, acrid stench and all.
So, if you’re having one of those days when you’re late to work, spilled coffee on your lap, and the girl at the drive- thru forgot to put the egg on your Egg McMuffin and it’s not even nine in the morning, allow me to offer a suggestion. Get in the car, buckle up, and roll the windows down. Find a long stretch of road you can drive till your eyes hurt, put on some good old-fashioned angry music, and let it all out. Need some ideas for the music? As always, I’m happy to oblige.
Anthrax-I’m the Man and Bring the Noise
Bad Brains-Attitude
Black Flag-Rise Above, Depression, and Police Story
Dead Kennedys-Macho Insecurity, Kill the Poor, and Triumph of the Swill
The Exploited-Don’t Really Care and Power Struggle
Hole-Violet
Marilyn Manson-Lunchbox, The Love Song, The Fight Song, Posthuman, and Cake and Sodomy
Mudhoney-You Got It and Touch Me I’m Sick
Nine Inch Nails-Head Like A Hole, Wish, Gave Up, and Starf*ckers, Inc.
Nirvana-Negative Creep and Smells Like Teen Spirit (try to get the demo version if you can)
The Offspring-Beheaded, Kill the President, Come Out and Play, Bad Habit, and Ignition
Rage Against the Machine-Guerrilla Radio, Testify, Killing in the Name, and How I Could Just Kill a Man
Sex Pistols-Bodies
Soul Asylum-Religiavision and Sick of That Song
Subhumans-Parasites and Evolution
Tool-Opiate, Stinkfist, Prison Sex, and Hooker With a Penis
