Chris Cornell: A legacy of voice, beauty and Loud Love.

On May 18th, 2017 my heart was broken upon learning of the passing of Chris Cornell. An artist I had grown to revere was in an instant, gone.

Like so many of his millions of fans, we pondered, we questioned, we reminisced, but mostly: we cried. Once the shock started to settle and the finality of this new reality began to sink in, I was left with a surprising emotion: Guilt.

The lyrics of Pink Floyd’s ‘What Do You Want From Me’ echoed dissonantly inside my head.

Whilst thinking of the immense pain and loss that his family and close friends must be experiencing, I wondered if as passionate consumers of his art, we had demanded too much. My guilt stemmed not from a belief that he was consumed in an attempt to continously please us, but rather that we indirectly and inadvertently ‘stole’ precious time that after so many years of performing and recording rightfully belonged to his family.

While the rationale behind this idea is weak at best and obeys more to an emotional impulse to connect, it left me thinking about how we define the relationship we hold with those we’ve never met, have never physically acknowledged us and yet manage to play a pivotal role in some of our lives’ most meaningful moments.

So what did us fans lose that day ? How come our loss feels so personal ? How could it ever compare to that felt by those closest to him ?

My only explanation after sitting on this feeling for a couple of months now, is that we lost a bit of ourselves. At the risk of sounding cliched and unrealistically romantic, I believe we lost the key that unlocked our ability to understand ourselves.

Most of us do not possess the unworldly collection of talents that Chris mastered and managed to share with us. Hence, his insight, his poetic vision, ungodly voice and soul bearing performances were elements that we relied upon to make sense of our own existence in a tangible way.

Whilst going through some of the challenges that we all invariably face throughout our lives, I struggled to understand, communicate and cope with many of the experiences I’ve had to navigate. A song like ‘Fell on Black Days’ then comes along and simply encapsulates what you had failed to recognize, acknowledge and visualize, yet vividly felt. As a result, the artist becomes a conduit to connect with yourself. Incredibly so, he seems to know the language you weren’t aware your heart & soul spoke.

I never saw Led Zeppelin perform, so although I worship the larger than life personality & talent that is Robert Plant, I never got to connect with him in a live environment. I was however, fortunate enough to see Chris perform on many occasions with Audioslave, Soundgarden and in his solo acoustic setting. The biggest compliment I can pay Chris Cornell the artist, was that I always felt I was receiving something that transcended music, poetry and rock stardom. I was gifted a small but unadulterated piece of his life. Yes, I paid good money for a ticket, but that doesn’t entitle me to shares of the man’s soul. And yet, for those 2 hours, you got every last bit of raw energy that resided in his being.

Another unique and beautiful element of witnessing Chris on a stage, was that you were in the company of someone who like us, was a fan still madly in love with music and always willing to share what it meant to him. Chris Cornell’s cover versions of rock’s greatest classics reminded me that awe breeds awe. I saw Chris passionately dedicate ‘Redemption Song’ to “the most just man I know” (his fellow bandmate Tom Morello). I noticed the look on his face when he sang ‘A Day in the Life’ at the Royal Albert Hall and describe the feeling of uttering that Beatles lyric at the actual place Lennon sang about. I choked up in my seat as he performed one of the most meaningful songs of my life ‘Thank You’ as Jimmy Page himself sat in the audience two rows behind me. This was not a man going about his job, this was someone living out his life purpose of becoming one with music and allowing us to share the room as he shined.

To talk about his musical legacy feels redundant in a way. Anybody still reading at this point acknowledges this and has his/her own personal connection to the impressive catalog that he left us with. Some people’s hearts beat to the pulse of the shirtless ‘Outshined’ rock god. Some of us continue to marvel at him transforming Rage Against the Machine from a fierce political powerhouse to one of the greatest rock n’ roll bands of all time. Others have been touched profoundly by hearing a more mature voice sing about love, hope and beauty with the naked vulnerability of an acoustic guitar.

I am just starting to feel comfortable listening to his music again now that he is no longer with us. Throughout this period, I avoided the music because I did not want to fall in the trap of naively searching for meaning in his body of work. Far too many people oversimplify things and want to immediately draw a line from songs like “Like Suicide”, “Fell on Black Days’, “Cleaning My Gun”, etc… to the unfortunate events that led to Chris being gone far too soon. While I would never presume to know what thoughts traverse another man’s mind, I do know that at the end of day, your art (as pure and personal as it might be) does not define who you are as a person.

Yes, Chris was a gifted musician and lyricist with an uncanny ability to feel and describe the world in ways we could never conjure ourselves. But there are many years in a life; many hours in a day. Most of those would have been spent dealing with the task of being a husband, a father, a provider, a brother, a friend, a businessman and all those things that we never picture our idols engaging in.

To think that we can sum up a man’s life from a lyric that he wrote 20 years prior in a completely different set of circumstances is not only ridiculous but irresponsible. I’ve written things and have played my guitar with feelings that were never meant to be acted upon in my personal life. It is the very definition of art to provide a conduit for that which fails to find a natural place in our everyday lives.

In the midst of the grief we all feel, I find solace in enjoying the path and journey that Chris’ music took in the latter part of his career. Although heavy riffs and distortion will always remain my preferred canvas for Chris to draw on top of, it is comforting to see that a record like ‘Higher Truth’ showcased a man inspired by love and family, instead of angst and despair. As far as swan songs are concerned, it is fitting to bookend an artist’s career with a message and a promise of love for all that we share this moment in time & space with.

Finally, a message to those who knew Chris best and who supported him throughout an extraordinary life:

To his fellow bandmates: Soundgarden / Audioslave / Temple of the Dog. Thank you for providing the setting in which he felt inspired and empowered to create, collaborate and perform some of the hardest, profoundly touching and exhilirating rock n’ roll the world has ever known. You will forever be an integral part of the legacy that made Chris Cornell one of the greatest artists of all time.

To his family: No words will ever exist to replace the loss you must face and endure. Please know that us fans, are eternally grateful to you (his wife and children) for having allowed Chris the time to share his gift with us. Your selfless generosity has profoundly touched our lives in some of the most meaningful ways imaginable. Lives have been saved by his words, families have been forged through his bond, and millions of us have marked the best moments of our lives with his art. The impact you’ve had on our lives is immeasurable.

To Chris Cornell: Thank you from the pit of my soul for having had the courage, the will, the perseverance and the relentless conviction to lead a life where you created and shared your experience of this world through the beauty of your music. Your voice, your words, your guitar and your presence will remain long after the memory of us has faded.

With the utmost respect & gratitude,

Thank You…

Rock Soul Life

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Rock Soul Therapy

No One Sings Like You Anymore was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

For the past year, I’ve found myself on an emotional whirlwind where every thought leads to a question with no answers. I’ve thought about the choices I’ve made in my life, struggles I’ve had to endure and the sacrifices others have had to make on my behalf.

It takes its toll.

At the same time, I discovered the music of Baroness. It’s been an immersive and surreal journey.

There is something quite unique and personal about relating to somebody else’s pain through art. It reminds us of our personal struggles, alleviates the fear that we’ve been left alone and provides a meaningful example of the path to re-discovery.

Although I’ve always been drawn to the ‘darker’ tones of music, I currently look for a path that arcs toward the light. Baroness is exceptional in this regard. Their music and particularly their lyrical content explores the more challenging facets of the human condition. At the same time, their delivery is epically triumphant. The music acknowledges the agony of its conception, but provides an inspiring drive towards an outcome of hope.

A month into the release of their ground-breaking double album ‘Yellow & Green’, the band experienced a horrific bus crash where everybody miraculously managed to survive what appeared to be certain death. A process of healing, transformation and introspection naturally ensued.

Their subsequent release ‘Purple’, is where I caught up with them. An artist does not go through a life changing experience without this finding it’s way into their creative realm. But collective art (music) is more than the sum of it’s parts. In this instance, 2 of the new members did not go through that experience. The end result is an incredibly powerful release that is sonically, lyrically and emotionally pulling in all directions.

‘If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain ?)’ is a song that resonates right to the core of my being. There is something immensely powerful and beautifully vulnerable in a man asking his soulmate to “clip my wings and let me fall to you”. There is an implicit understanding/trust that this is not a message of giving up, but rather an admission that love is the foundation from which strength is derived from.

I don’t want to give up. I don’t intend to give up. But I feel like giving up.

The human experience is more than one emotion, thought or purpose. It is at this juncture that the music of Baroness provides the blueprint to navigate the conflicting directions of the mind, heart and soul. You find beauty in a message filled with despair, a drum beat that refuses to march anywhere but forward and a guitar that shines brighter than hope. It provides resilience to the notion of moving on.

The underlying theme that connects the intricate mesh between music & life is undoubtedly love. Love for your art. Love for what you believe in. Love for the people that provide meaning in your life. But above all, love for yourself and the belief that your offerings hold the power to become a source of joy for someone remarkable out there.

We are conditioned to think that our emotional lives consist of timely sections with a linear beginning → end. Hence in turbulent times, we await the conclusion of this period through a cataclysm of sorts that signals the return of our true self. We look to the end as our only opportunity to start anew.

But feeling alive, strong and confident is not an event, it’s a decision.

I have decided I will sing the beauty of my song not with my last breath, but with the next…

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul

Rock Soul Life

For an introductory audio overview of Baroness and your emotional state, please refer to the following guide:

Anger: Isak (Red): Young, raw, rough; we obey thy will

Escape / Loss: March to the Sea (Yellow): An ode to the chemical journey towards solace

Self-Doubt / Anxiety: Little Things (Yellow): The voices in your head are only as loud as you allow them to be…

Passion: Green Theme (Green): No words required, beauty signals the way

Broken / Redemption: Chlorine & Wine (Purple): Broken bones, metal pins and hydrocodone are no match for an inspired soul. Pink Floyd would be proud.

Support / Hope: If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain ?) (Purple): My soul is as strong as your love for us

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Rock Soul Therapy

When The Swans Have Sung was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What does it really mean to rage against the machine ?

For an anti-establishment movement propelled by the hard pounding riffs and hip-hop rhymes of one of LA’s most iconic bands, the term has been appropriated by the mainstream in an effort to create the illusion of credibility.

Personally, I’m not big on politics. But I believe in the power of music. I believe that at it’s core it is an agent of change. A catalyst that brings forward the truest purest form of you.

I may not know who the best individual is to collectively lead us into a better future and standard of life, but I do know for a fact that nobody is better qualified than myself to help shape the future I want for myself.

In a world where copycats and imitation have become the staple of the music & art world, it is somewhat surprising that so few have attempted to follow in the footsteps of Rage Against the Machine. Ultimately you can not fake authenticity, there is no copy+paste for integrity. You can not make people rally under something you fail to believe in yourself.

I was lucky enough to attend the last concert ever performed by the original members at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2011. Regardless of politics, social status or personal level of rage that night, the overriding feeling by the 100,000+ crowd gathered that night was “united we can take on the world”.

I have the utmost respect for the way the band conduct themselves and the manner in which they are consistent with their beliefs. I don’t necessarily share their views on all of the issues they take on, but that is the beauty of what they do. It is about creating a foundation of respect for the idea that there is a place for your voice. You deserve to be heard and you should stop at nothing until your message is out there. If the mountain doesn’t come to you, fuck the mountain, conquer the sky and make your voice resonate across the valleys of the earth.

With great power comes great responsibility and I believe the music that emanates from this ethos should carry that weight. Of all the compliments one could wish be bestowed upon thee, Chris Cornell honored Tom Morello with the highest possible one: “To the most Just man I’ve ever known”. That’s how he dedicated “Redemption Song” to his fellow bandmate during an electrifying Audioslave concert I witnessed at the Long Beach Arena in 2005.

Prophets of Rage are a re-incarnation of the original band with a duo of vocalists that represent the roots of the band. It is astounding to see, hear and feel how these songs are more relevant and powerful than they’ve ever been.

#MakeAmericaRAGEAgain is not about the election, it’s not about swaying your political allegiance and it is certainly not about Donald Trump. It is about seizing the moment in which people are pondering their future and making them aware that the change they seek in their lives does not depend on who sits in the oval office. It’s the right time to take control of your destiny, become the person you’ve always dreamt of being. A nation of outstanding individuals will be a great nation, presidents be damned.

Music is therefore the conduit that will allow us to connect with that idea. Rage is back to light that fire in the pit of your soul. Their return is consistent with their message all along. For years they encouraged you to not accept the music that is being force fed to you, there are plenty of alternatives out there and when all else fails, grab a guitar and create the songs the world is failing to provide.

The challenge has gone mostly unmet (do check out The Last Internationale). So it’s time for a friendly reminder of what is possible and a beacon to follow in the darkness of night.

So how do YOU rage against the machine ? You do it by pursuing your dreams with relentless conviction. By acknowledging that the future we want is something we must create with our own hands. It is a commitment to working towards a goal greater than ourselves. It involves lending a firm hand to those forsaken by the system. Respecting your brother’s right to hold a differing opinion without judgement.

…But above all, it means you unapologetically rock the fuck out !

ALL HELL CAN’T STOP US NOW

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul,

@RockSoulLife

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Rock Soul Therapy

Your Anger is a Gift was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

• I need to stop measuring success as how well I perform at my job.
• My professional achievements do not make me a better person.
• Alienating my friends & family will have dire consequences.
• Harboring fear, guilt and resentment is a recipe for corroding my soul.
• I don’t need to plan, I need to act.
• My dirty laundry is not going to fucking wash itself.
• My parents & brother love me, I need to embrace that.
• I promise to flick myself in the nuts next time I think about leaving something ‘till tomorrow.
• I don’t look like Brad Pitt, I’m also no Gollum. Get over it.
• Strangers are the solution not the problem.
• Stop trying to plant a palm tree in the snow. You wouldn’t try to build a snowman at the beach.
• Tool is probably never going to release another album. Let it go, there are other great bands out there.
• Do not call yourself an artist if you don’t have the balls to create.
• Stop constantly looking for answers. In fact, stop asking so many god damn questions. It’s exhausting.
• For the love of god, have more sex.
• Quit dreading the fact that this will probably become your most popular Medium ‘story’. I’ll take it…

I Need to Fucking Change was originally published in The Coffeelicious on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Art of Listening for the Very First Time

Do you remember what you felt the first time you heard Sweet Child O’ Mine ?

Your reaction today is tainted by the song having been played a million times on the radio, dreadful cover versions in bars around the globe and your co-worker’s drunken rockstar attempt during your end-of-year karaoke night.

The reality of the matter is that like with most precious things in life, we fail to preserve intact that initial magical moment and carry it with us fresh throughout future incidences of the experience. The cyclical nature of fashion, music and art in general is such precisely because time serves both as cure and disease for renewing our emotional connection to that source.

When music touches the very essence of who you are, it provides a connection that has the power to not only persist, but to remain true and valuable despite our natural growth and change throughout our lives.

Artists like The Beatles are so influential and relevant because they excel in effectively capturing and distributing magic in a bottle. It doesn’t matter if you first encountered Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds in 1967 when it was first released or during a recent performance of Cirque du Soleil’s Love on the Las Vegas strip. The experience is so emotionally charged that it is bound to remain a cherished haven to retreat to time and time again.

So, is it all about nostalgia ? The answer is a resounding NO. During the past 2 years I’ve been revisiting a lot of the music that was close to my heart at various stages of my life and that for reasons I can’t quite recognize, slipped into a dormant coma within my musical self. A profound revelation came in the form of having one of those truly special moments with a new and emerging artist.

On a cold and rainy night, I was driving through the narrow roads of a country still quite foreign to me. I suddenly grew exasperated by the monumental shitfest pouring out of my speakers and from every top 40 station preset by my radio. An accidental hit of the scan button became the catalyst for claiming back my soul from the pits of despair.

An earth shattering snare drum and the heaviest bass guitar I’d ever heard was all it took. Out of the Black the debut single from the UK’s heaviest duo Royal Blood swept me over like a tidal wave. I was in an utter state of disbelief once the song ended. It was unexpected, it was neccessary, it was divine. I quickly realized I had just experienced one of those moments that come but a few times in your lifetime. The feeling of being completely blown away, of recognizing a piece of art that connects with every fiber of your being and ultimately makes you tangibly aware of the feeling we associate with being alive.

Once my soul had been kickstarted back to life, I wondered why it had been such a long time since I felt that way. I immediately started to go through songs/artists that I recalled had produced a similar impact on me in the past:

It was incredible to not only rekindle my love for these amazing songs/artists, but to awaken my soul to identify and appreciate those special elements in both old and new music.

It is blissfully rewarding to condition your mind & soul to experience all music as if it were the first time you were listening to it. In doing so, the cumulative experiences from those songs just add up to provide greater meaning to you without detracting from the possibility of creating new connections from the same source.

I am currently equally excited about the prospect of encountering new musical discoveries in both my archive of greatest hits and the up & coming giants in the making.

Give yourself the freedom to listen to anything and everything. Do it over and over again. Remind yourself of why you love the things you love while remaining open to getting swept off your feet by a new affair. Guns N’ Roses crafted one of the most iconic and memorable songs in the history of rock and roll, and after a life changing first half of the song, the band invited us to ponder with them the uncertainty of what lies ahead. “Where do we go now ?”

…Let’s keep finding out.

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul,

@RockSoulLife

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Rock Soul Therapy

Like a Virgin was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Depression is a bitch.

Never mind the reasons, circumstances, blame, guilt and angst. It’s all about survival. There are thousands of valuable resources available for those who deal with this condition on a regular basis and while I don’t presume to be an authority on the matter, I do hold one opinion. Music is the starting point on the road to becoming you again.

I don’t believe in shortcuts. I believe in a direction that satisfies the most critical of your requirements and a commitment to persevere through the adversities of your chosen path. Whatever decisions you’ve made in your life and the specific issues you face today, the unifying theme for all of us in this journey is the battle to feel like we can feel again.

For these reasons, music will serve not as a cure, but as a powerful tool to get us into a mental and emotional state where we can re-connect with our soul. Paralysis is the weapon of choice when it comes to being struck by this affliction, so most of us will suffer a limiting force that threatens and can sometimes succeed in bringing an indispensable part of our lives to a grinding halt.

In my particular case, an unequivocal sign that I find myself within the devil’s throes, is an overall numbing of my sensitivity to the music I love. I experience a never ending need for sleep while the music that typically excites me grows flat, indifferent and un-enchanting. So how can the answer lie in something that is being significantly diminished by a condition that is currently over-powering you ?

IDENTIFY + ACCEPT

Rarely do we become naturally indifferent to our passions, so it is a connection within ourselves that goes missing.

I regard this as becoming musically dissociated. There is a detachment from the stimuli of our environment to our processing of this reality. Hence, the most critical task at this point is to reconnect with your soul. The key challenge being: where is it ? And so the journey begins…

Your soul will follow you wherever you go, but tread carefully, for darkness looms in the brightest of days. The only option is to identify and accept that you find yourself in a dark place. You might come in & out of the shadows , but when your soul no longer responds to the light, you need to prepare yourself to see through the night.

Many people resort to extreme measures in order to “feel” again. Drugs, sex, violence, self harm are but a few of the paths some follow in the pursuit of feeling whole again. Fighting fire with fire is a sure way to get burnt. But I get the allure, and there is something quite rational behind it that we can try to harness in a less hazardous manner.

The effectiveness (although fleeting) of the radical approach is that it validates the reality of the current situation, rather than trying to repress or misrepresent your emotional state. This is where we come back to the music.

Within the vast musical realm, there is bound to be something that can validate the hole within your soul without immediately removing you from the reality of your condition. It is imperative you not only recognize your surroundings but tolerate the discomfort of being completely removed from your comfort zone. Not doing so will result in the body jumping ship, while leaving the soul behind.

There is one band that for my hard pounding rock sensitivities takes me to the darkest most vulnerable corners of my being: Depeche Mode

Surprised ? You shouldn’t be. Depeche Mode is one of the heaviest, darkest and most profoundly sinister bands on the planet. Every note, beat and word oozes the ethos of sex, drugs and rock & roll. Dave Gahan is certainly amongst Satan’s most prodigious children. Sampled every excess, died twice, and seduced legions of listeners to the hypnotizing electronic beats of a decadent soul.

I’m not trying to glamorize this reckless lifestyle, but I am encouraging you to use their music in lieu of following in those very footsteps. The music of Depeche Mode is the only conduit I’ve found that returns me to having an emotional connection whilst in the suffocating grip of depression. Mind you, it comes at a price.

The reason it resonates with me is because it connects with a predisposition in my emotional being to suffering as a means to feel alive. This is most certainly not a place to heal, but it is a start. When one resists the urge to try and immediately jump from anguish to bliss, there is an opportunity for growth. Understanding and acknowledging the darkness within you is an integral part of learning to navigate your highs & lows.

Through their music, I get to indulge in all the self-destructive behavior that in my crippled state I think I need to in order to regain control of myself. It’s effective, but just like the real thing, there is the danger of staying in that place.

Depeche Mode is a transition for me, a portal of sorts. It’s not a place where I can lay a foundation and settle myself. There is a high in feeling again, but it is at this point that one must recognize that this isn’t home. Convince yourself you are but a guest, so honor thy host, but politely excuse yourself from the proceedings as soon as you have validated what you came to achieve. Prepare to dance with the devil…

1.- Identify your presence in the darkness, feel again, acknowledge the threat.

“I Feel Loved” — Exciter

You’ve made contact. You feel something. The beat of this song is utterly perverse. You feel equally attracted and fearful of your environment. Re-connect with yourself and take the opportunity to get to know the more primal side of you.

2.- Honor your host with a dance, it’s a sign of both respect and confidence in who you are.

“Welcome To My World” — Delta Machine

We all want to be seduced. We want to exist in a world where those around us know what we crave and need before we realize it ourselves. We want to know no consequence. The song is haunting, god-less, empty yet full of promise. Be mindful of the trap, but seize the spark within your soul.

3.- Find a link between the shade & light.

“I Feel You” — Songs of Faith and Devotion

A soul re-ignited yearns pure passion. The second this song starts, you know there’s somebody you need to get back to. That initial distortion and blues riff rekindles your lust for your one true love: rock & roll.

4.- Excuse yourself and transcend the night, breaking the cycle of paralysis.

“It’s No Good” — Ultra

The infectious groove signals the end of this ‘would be’ affair. The innuendo from this dark force that’s held you captive in its shadow no longer has the power to keep you from yourself. You feel strength, you are energy. I’ll be fine, it’s time to move on…

5.- Carefully re-acquaint yourself to a more familiar and protective environment.

“The Hand That Feeds” — Nine Inch Nails

The key for a successful transition out of the nothingness is to always keep moving. Feed your soul through the power of those loud guitars and visceral vocals, but recognize the embers of this newfound fire burn from the dark synth tones that preceded it. Challenge the inner voice that feeds you negativity. A powerful yet fragile state. We are heading home…

It never ceases to amaze me that for all my hard rock sensitivities, there isn’t a Norwegian death metal band that feels as dark and heavy as Depeche Mode. I believe it stems from the fact that the demons DM sing about are much more real. Their suffering is more relatable and their appeal is universal. I honestly hope that everybody who reads this finds this story un-relatable and straight-up crazy. This would mean you carry out your life with the levity of simply enjoying your music while rolling with the punches. If you are not so lucky, just remember that no matter where you find your soul, it’s rightful place will always be within your purest, honest self. Never give up.

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul…

@RockSoulLife

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Rock Soul Therapy

The Devil’s Sleep was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Have you ever been asked to scream in public ? Most of us require significant convincing until we manage to muster a pathetic squeal. Overwhelming awkwardness quickly ensues.

A hollow scream is not only artificial, it also fails resoundingly to connect due to a lack of purpose. Humans scream for a variety of reasons, from an evolutionary perspective it’s a self preservation mechanism. From an emotional point of view, it’s a manifestation of energy overflowing across our soul. Within the musical realm, and particularly in the rock world, screaming takes on the role of the battle cry. Its power lies in its authenticity. Its ability to impact, to lead, to inspire.

There are two types of people in this world: those who lower and soften their voice upon encountering a microphone and those who seize the moment and thrive, letting their soul pour out unfiltered with the utmost disregard for consequence or judgement. The latter are the people we can not help but follow and revere.

My interest lies with the the unique individuals that happen to create music with a message, passion and drive that compels them to raise their voice simply because their voice has become but an outlet for the flow within their soul. There is no stronger bond than that which is created through the visceral transition from word to melody to raw emotion. It is the transition itself that casts a spell on us, it takes hold and creates the uncontrollable desire to join in.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this phenomenon is that we tend to identify with the driving force behind the energy of a scream regardless of the source. We are willing to connect with pain, joy, loss, bliss or fear all the same. A meaningful scream makes us feel alive and if we have to experience hurt along the way, then so be it.

There is a fascinating difference of opinion regarding the cathartic nature of providing an outlet for repressed energy/emotion. There are those who believe that this purging acts as a cleansing mechanism that rids us of what we do not wish to retain and/or can potentially harm us. Others maintain that this behavior acts as a conditioning process that makes us seek and constantly recycle this energy, in essence adding fuel to the fire.

Leaving the psychology to the psychologists, I use rock music in this style as a bridge, a gateway to acknowledge an emotion that needs to be connected with in order to transition to a different emotional state. I absolutely love hard rock with vocalists that explode their souls through their voice, but the key for me is that it has to take you somewhere. When you connect with the journey that leads to that peak, the primal scream becomes a euphoric release that allows you to not only hear the emotion but feel the energy behind it. It is one of the most sublime musical experiences you can encounter if your state is in harmony with the flow of the performance.

Like all great pleasures in life, moderation is essential. It’s not that the experience in itself must be limited, but rather that it’s significance gets diluted when exerted indiscriminately. So what are some good examples of this magnificent soul power ? Give the following a try and feel where it takes you:

Shadow on the Sun

Audioslave

Chris Cornell’s voice has the power of a thousand souls behind it. It is the combination of his unique vocal range with the ability to seamlessly crescendo into the highest peak of his soul. The musical platform for this song builds up so much power that it’s culmination can only be accomplished by a viciously unrestrained release. Vocal chords be damned.

Whole Lotta Love

Led Zeppelin

Not only is Robert Plant the greatest frontman in the history of rock n’ roll, but he provided the context in which all rock vocalists exploit the deepest trenches of their soul to extend their melodies into the stratosphere. This epic classic is dominated by that surreal transition from the sexually charged middle section to the wailing guitar and drums that signal that this can only end in the highest of notes. “Love” is probably the most utilized word in the musical vocabulary, but nobody has ever managed to deliver it with the power and feel in which this song projects it. The holy grail of rock vocal performances.

I’m Broken

Pantera

The metal genre is littered with thousands of bands and vocalists that believe that the louder you scream and the faster you play, the stronger your song will be. 99% of these bands are wrong and their music is crap for it. Pantera is not one of those bands. They excelled in what this story is about, authenticity. One minute of listening to this band and whether you like them or not, you will acknowledge that everything makes sense. The energy of the music is so intense but utterly infectious. The vocal style of Philip Anselmo is extreme but in perfect harmony with the music. He retains a level of nuance within his range that gives Pantera an intense but relatable emotional tour de force. This song/album (Far Beyond Driven) debuted on the Billboard charts at #1 in 1994, unprecedented for an extreme metal act. Why ? Because kids needed an outlet to scream their souls out.

Hooker With a Penis

Tool

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like punching someone in the face ? In the interest of keeping you from jail and a lawsuit, listen to this song instead (you’re welcome). If you read “The Mind Blown Realm”, I discussed the profound musical and lyrical context in which Tool operate as truly gifted artists. This particular song is the complete opposite of that mindful approach, but one that showcases the raw and natural aggression that serves as the backbone for such a unique band. In exploring the philosophical and artistic rights that consumers feel entitled to upon spending $9.99 on a record, Maynard chooses to channel every bit of his soul into leaving it abundantly clear that you do not have a say in the matter. While most Tool songs carefully navigate and manage the build-up and release of tension, this one immediately grabs hold of you, screams at your face relentlessly and abandons you feeling like a train wreck. If it wasn’t for the majestic screaming/breaking voice pummeling you senseless in a rocking sonic boom, you could almost feel offended.

So what do all these songs have in common and what place should they hold in your rock soul repertoire ? The simple answer is that these artists embarked on a musical journey in which the only authentic outlet to convey their true message and feel was to transition their voice and words into pure energy emanating from the pit of their soul. The reason they are special is because they ring true. Their spirits roam wild, free and know no bounds. Their animalistic allure is undeniable.

One does not fight forever. To continuously exert this level of energy is not only unsustainable, but defeats the purpose of finding closure and relief. The “scream your soul out” wrench is but a tool that allows you to build a bridge. It is a means to an end. It should serve to take you from the place you are currently at, to the place you want to be. We just need a bit of kick sometimes to get there.

Rock N’ Roll Will Save Your Soul…

@RockSoulLife

If you enjoyed this story, please share, follow and/or recommend so others can accompany us in this journey I call Rock Soul Therapy. Thanks for reading…

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Rock Soul Therapy

Louder Than Words was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Do you like to think ?

It might seem like a stupid question, but the reality is that many people go through life with the principle of thinking strictly when no other alternative presents itself. Because of this, people tend to be reactionary instead of proactive. When faced with life’s many challenges, decisions are further complicated by one’s inability to understand yourself. The process of exploring who you are and discovering your purest identity should be a journey that excites, not burden you.

Exercising your body is not only an essential component to sustain your capacity to experience life, but an investment in energy storage for the unknowns that will present themselves and demand a physical expenditure.

The soul is no different. A soul forsaken yields instability, confusion, anxiety and ultimately despair. It becomes in essence, an insurmountable debt. So how does one exercise the soul ? The soul as en energy medium, is intrinsically linked to the mind. It is the mind that interprets what the soul projects and in turn, feedbacks the reaction experienced by our physical self. Challenge your mind, force it to flex it’s muscles beyond their comfort zone and your soul will respond with the elements that will allow you to identify, conquer and transcend who you are.

How does rock n’ roll come into this equation ? Well, how about through the music of the greatest rock band of the past 25 years: The almighty TOOL…

To say that the music of Tool is complex would be an understatement, but it would also be overly simplistic. Tool is a thinking man’s music, and if you happen to have your soul’s sensitivities tuned to the heavily distorted and polyrhythmic, then you have reached elysium. If you embrace the challenge of finding your own personal meaning to the world that is presented to you not only in it’s rich lyrical content but in the layer upon layer of sonic bliss, your soul will respond in ways no other stimuli can recreate.

Tool is best approached the same way you would approach fine art. Open your mind, admire, process and search for meaning. Now, meaning is a dangerous & controversial concept in the art world. It has the capacity to elevate your interaction, while also holding the power to utterly corrupt your experience. We often make the mistake of looking for meaning within the art or music itself, as if this were a hidden Waldo that you can discover if only you stare hard and long enough. Searching for meaning is an introspective and personal process that relates to your own experience of mindfully allowing art to connect with your soul. Whatever intention or significance the artist experienced while producing his art, is his own meaning and connected to the process of creation. Seeking validation in identifying this element is an intellectual exercise that distracts from the truly rewarding journey of allowing art to plant it’s seed within your soul and flourish for the rest of time.

In order to connect with the music of these remarkable artists, resist the urge to over-analyze the individual elements within their songs and let your mind & soul process this as a single homogenous entity. Any single component that makes up their music (guitar, drums, vocals, bass, lyrics) is awe inspiring in it’s own right, but collectively it is life altering.

Most popular music revolves around vocal melody and a straightforward lyrical message. The reason for this is that it is the simplest way to connect with a vast audience. We all have a voice and we can all relate to words. The musical component tends to become but a background element on to which a product is placed. The best example of this phenomenon is that most of us hardly (if at all) consume music that is presented in a language we don’t speak. We are put off by not being able to “get” the lyrical message in the moment and forego the entirely universal musical element that might have been extraordinary otherwise. This is precisely where Tool excels.

The lyrical content within most of their songs is incredibly profound, thought provoking and emotional. At the same time, it is not easy to digest. It is constructed within a deep metaphorical mesh and frequently contains a philosophical, spiritual and/or scientific foundation. As such, it requires many listening iterations to fully absorb the content. So how come so many people are willing to buy into this elaborate concept ? Simply put, the music is out of this world.

The musical tapestry Tool manages to conjure is unlike anything else you can encounter within the rock world or any other genre for that matter. Every instrument, every note, every transition, every time change tells a story in itself. It is impossible to faithfully describe, it must be experienced. The people who don’t like their music tend to say they “don’t understand it”, while their legions of fans universally claim “there is nothing like them”.

Lateralus the title track from the album that bears the same name, is a masterpiece that urges the listener to awaken his soul to the moment, embrace the future, connect with the beauty of transformation and keep moving in the journey of self discovery and transcendence. The musical foundation for this magnum-opus is rooted in the Fibonacci sequence, an infinite sequence of numbers where every number is the sum of the previous two numbers (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21…). This is the foundation of The Golden Spiral and Divine Proportion which is considered by many to be the mathematical representation of beauty & perfection in the universe. In the song, the incredibly challenging and complex time changes are based on the fibonacci sequence, so the rhythm of the song follows this progression. The initial verses are sung with a lyrical cadence where syllables are broken into this same sequence. The magnificence of the song is not in that the members of Tool are accomplished mathematicians, but rather that they are able to create music which conveys this message without the listener requiring an understanding of where it comes from. As complex as the execution is, you can just feel it. The sliding bass line in the last section of the song is a mind-boggling musical representation of re-awakening and re-birth, a truly new state of consciousness. You can quite literally feel the sound “move across your skin”.

Rock Soul Therapy exists to experience the transformational power of rock music within the deepest confines of our being. Tool is not for everybody (it pushes quite hard), I fully appreciate and respect this fact. For the rest, prepare to have your mind completely blown. Your soul will never be the same, and that’s a beautiful thing…

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul.

@RockSoulLife

If you enjoyed this story, please share, follow and/or recommend so others can accompany us in this journey I call Rock Soul Therapy. Thanks for reading…

https://medium.com/rock-soul-therapy

The Mind Blown Realm was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Subtlety is the language of the soul. In our journey to discover our true self, messages are conveyed and acknowledged by exerting a graceful nudge of finesse. A common misconception prevails in pairing the requirement for a light touch with an underlying perception of fragility. Nothing could be further from the truth. Demonstrating mindful execution is an exercise in precision, not lack of strength. If you believe the soul to be a fragile estate, simply remember that no matter what, it is bound to outnumber your days. The soul has the capacity to produce a stronger reaction than your body ever could, hence an accurate steering of it’s energy will always be the smartest course of action.

Doesn’t sound too Rock N’ Roll ? The art of tuning our physical self to our emotional being is a process that requires immense intuition, insight and awareness. Knowing what we need and when we need it is not always a linear or logical progression. Slayer has the power to heal when it is responding to the right cue, at the right time for the right person. By the same principle, Philip Glass’ minimalist violin possesses such force in it’s beauty that it can will me head first into the abyss. Happy song does not equal happy place. Broken heart ? love lost songs are rarely the answer. Why is this then so common and has made so many immensely rich ? Because most people are not willing to dig beyond the surface. They will not spend 5 minutes of their day listening to the requests of their soul and will cater only to the immediate and the superficial. I don’t presume to be better than anybody or know more about what others need more accurately than they do themselves. My only logical argument is that you are your best investment. Being in tune with what you need and doing as much as you can to procure your well being must surely be a better alternative to turning a deaf ear to yourself and blasting some dentist waiting area music on the other one.

I clicked on this story because a flying pig told me to come here if the shit hit the fan and by god it is raining ! Fair point, here’s the deal: there’s an entire process and an overall philosophy that requires profound introspection, immersing yourself in music, being brutally honest with yourself, tossing baggage out the window and opening your mind to all you might have dismissed or neglected in the past. This will not happen overnight and it’s not a case of listen to these 10 songs for the next two weeks and you will come out of it becoming a viral meme for most awesome human ever. Think about it, the way this process naturally occurs is through conversation, sharing experiences and turning one another into previously unexplored areas within music that we would otherwise overlook. My intention is to create this environment through these posts, but I did promise a first aid kit for the broken soul…

When in doubt, go with the floyd…

Nothing about this highly personal and unique relationship is one size fits all, but if there is to be a common starting point for anybody that enjoys rock and roll and a willingness to explore the deepest trenches of their soul, it most definitely will be Pink Floyd.

Forget about labels, personal preferences, instrumentals or anything that you might associate with your musical identity and what you know or don’t know about this band. Approach this initial step from a very simple perspective: Pink Floyd offers an incredibly rich musical palette with a perfect balance of emotion, intelligence, mindfulness, power and a most critical element: space. Why are these such important characteristics and why can’t I just start by listening to something I know I truly enjoy ? The answer is actually the first element of my overall philosophy: ‘Identify’. We will go through this in much more detail in a future post, but for now the pressing issue is to recognize that the goal is to listen to the current pulse within your soul, for that will lead you to what you “need” in that particular instance and not necessarily what you want. For the most part, we are all quite adept at fulfilling our wants, it is in recognizing what we need and driving down that path that we tend to lack a sense of direction. Every single day, before commencing the process of providing for our soul’s sustainability, we must assess the current state within our self. This goes beyond labelling your front-end emotional state, the real change is in accepting that you don’t and won’t know unless you ask. And ask we will.

If you are starting to feel a bit confused, then I’m delighted to inform you that you are perfectly primed to take the first step. How does one ask his soul if it had a good night’s sleep and is ready for the daily grind ? What’s the most appropriate question ? Will I like the answer ? Remember subtlety ? Here is where it comes into play. The soul will communicate with you by responding to the input that you provide it with. You gauge the current state of your soul by feeding it with a subtle stimuli that is rich in sonic & emotional diversity but gentle enough so that no single element overpowers the experience. The response will be a guide, not a solution. There will always be at least one element that stimulates you just a bit more, that phenomenon that we have grown accustomed in describing as “hitting the spot”. In doing this, you will understand what nuance from within the musical package you are tuned to at that particular instance. It doesn’t mean that any particular song is what you should be listening to, it’s learning to distinguish the clues that lead you in the direction of fulfillment. This is why Pink Floyd is a phenomenal launch pad.

Let’s choose a song and play out the mechanics of it. We will go with “Time” from Dark Side of the Moon. Be mindful, at this moment, you are not a metal head, you are not a school teacher, you are not a kid looking to fit in, you are not a parent of two with bills to pay. You are listening to the beating of your soul.

Ok. Let’s try and single out “something” within the song that made you connect to it in a way that made you feel something that wasn’t present prior to pressing play. Did you feel anxiety with the clocks or bass click ? Did you enjoy the dischord or felt threatened by it ? What about those far away high pitch drums ? That initial organ hit ? Did you feel the tension build up with the guitar single notes ? Any excitement with the drum fill letting you know the vocals are on their way ? Did your heart change it’s tone when the vocals switch to Richard Wright singing ? Did you feel a subtle adrenalin rush as David Gilmour’s guitar takes center stage with that mesmerizing solo ? Did you find yourself smiling everytime you heard the amazing backup singers using their voices as the finest of instruments ? Were you pondering the simple and yet thought provoking lyrics about getting life started ? I’ll tell you what does it for me 9 times out of 10. It’s the tempo and key change at 5:39 where the song goes into the “Breathe” reprise (earlier song in the album).

What does this all mean ? It means that you have made a connection to an element that moves you in the direction that your emotional being longs for. That tempo change gets me every time because it is a signal that my soul needs a change of pace. In practical terms, that is a good example of being stuck in an emotional rut. It needs to take a moment, go out to the balcony and take a breath of fresh air, only then will it be in a position to drive and fulfill. That song, that passage, is a “tool” I use to understand if I need to change the rhythm of my heart. This will lead you to subsequently follow another musical direction with a different song & energy that will provide you with further clues as to what will offer equilibrium. Before you know it, you’ve been transversing a musical path that has cleansed, balanced and nurtured you to feeling more connected with yourself. There rarely is a finish line, the journey is the goal.

If you are an analytical nut case like myself, you might be wondering the value of listening to this song frequently if I’ve already identified what moves me. Again, the key is detaching every time, there is tremendous enjoyment and growth to be had by allowing yourself to listen to music as if it were the first time every time. If you do this in an objective and pure manner, you will feel liberated by relinquishing control and will undoubtedly find newer connections in the process. There are instances where what moves me is buried deeper within the song. I absolutely love the nuances in David Gilmour’s voice as he starts and finishes the verses. You can hear his voice getting coarser and displaying a tamed sense of aggression. I’ve listened to many live versions of this song and it over-drives my soul to experience how the live versions have a more aggressive vocal style to it, which is a direct response from the energy of a live performance with an audience that is reciprocating a massive amount of energy. A powerful experience indeed. From a methodical perspective, when I respond stronger to this cue rather than the slowing tempo, it usually means my soul needs a slightly stronger power push, there is a bit of build-up awaiting release. That’s when you know you might want to take it up a notch with your ensuing musical selection. The moral of the story is that just because I know I enjoy the heavy stuff, doesn’t mean that’s what I need at any given moment to satisfy and balance my emotional being. Heavy and strong come in many fascinating & surprising forms. When you naturally gravitate towards something, you will usually be up-to-date with that requirement. It’s more important to systematically query what else you might be lacking to complement your emotional toolbox.

Explore the catalog of the Floyd, it’s no coincidence that Pink Floyd is one of the highest selling artists in the history of recorded music. The first reason is universal appeal, there truly is something for every rock fan within their music. The second is that you never stop discovering fascinating elements within their music. Dark Side of the Moon has moved over 40 million records and continues to sell millions of copies 42 years after it’s release because people keep finding meaningful connections to it’s lyrical, aesthetic and musical delivery. In the simplest of terms, it will awaken your soul.

The final note is in the element I described as critical: space. Regardless of the musical journey you embark upon and the choices you make to cradle your soul, you will always need space. Transformation can not occur within a vacuum, your music needs to cater for a realm which will transition from emptiness to mindfulness to revelation. The genius of Pink Floyd has always been the subtle mastery of knowing when not to play. It is in this space, that your soul will whisper bliss…

Rock N’ Roll Will Save Your Soul,

@RockSoulLife

If you enjoyed this story, please share, follow and/or recommend so others can accompany us in this journey I call Rock Soul Therapy. Thanks for reading…

Rock Soul Therapy

In Case of Emergency, just press Play… was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

by @RockSoulLife

“Time heals all wounds.”

…bullshit.

It doesn’t matter what your particular situation might be, time in and of itself will only bring about a few more wrinkles and the urge to pee ever so frequently. It’s what you do with time that provides it with meaning, purpose and power. I choose to fill my time with an abundance of rock and roll.

We’ve all experienced the dire consequences of neglecting our most basic physiological needs. Fail to eat a meal for a day, go without sleep for two nights in a row, try and hold it in after one-too-many beers at the bar, etc…Game over, you loose. And yet, we rarely afford our emotional self and the driving force behind it (our soul) the same respect. We are content with accepting that shit happens and that you can’t help the way you feel. Although the former is a universally accepted truth, they way we feel is largely dictated by the current state of affairs in the soul department. Rock N’ Roll can and will change that.

I was not aware that my soul has needs, let alone that it needed saving. What happened ? Whose fault is it ? As much as we’d like to point the finger of blame at Justin Bieber, he is sadly not the culprit in this case. When it comes to matters of this nature, the burden of guilt lies squarely on our shoulders. We are the only ones with the responsibility and authority to feed or starve our souls to the brink of extinction. Like I pointed out on “The Soul Manifesto”, the soul is responsible for regulating and providing the energy that sustains our emotional being. Remember, energy can not be created or destroyed, only transformed. Rock music is the fuel that powers the soul in the process of transforming our emotions.

Rock N’ Roll is a bona-fide thief. It has stolen the best attributes from every musical genre that came before (Blues, Jazz, Country…) and after it (Metal, Hip Hop, Electronica…) and manages to gloriously re-package it in the richest and most powerful way. As such, it is ideally positioned to deliver anything that even the most demanding of souls might require. A concierge for the soul, one might wish to call it.

Don’t get me wrong, rock music has rightfully earned it’s place at the table through it’s own merit. Power is rock’s most significant contribution to the musical landscape. Bear with me as I underline the monumental significance of this assertion with the help of my good friend physics. Power is the measure of energy over time. The more energy you put in for a given period of time, the higher the power will be. In the practical world, power will dictate how much “work” can be effectively carried out in a certain amount of time. In the rock/soul relationship, the high power content of say Led Zeppelin or Soundgarden, will yield a substantial amount of soul work per listen. Before I get carried away making up more units of soul power, let’s just say that it would take a hell of a lot longer to rescue your soul from the depths of despair simply listening to Barry Manilow.

It is important to note that it’s not only about harnessing this power to overcome negative emotions through the all-conquering force of rock. It’s about balance, it’s about building a strong emotional foundation and above all, it’s about nurturing our sense of self through the simple joy of enjoying a kick-ass song.

Rock N’ Roll Will Save Your Soul…

@RockSoulLife

If you enjoyed this story, please share, follow and/or recommend so others can accompany us in this journey I call Rock Soul Therapy. Thanks for reading…

Rock Soul Therapy

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul was originally published in Rock Soul Therapy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.