Depressive Rock

Zaprezentuje esej, który pisałem kiedyś na inne potrzeby, może Was zainteresuje.

depressive rock is a genre with a strange origins and unfortunately is currently in its terminal phase. although it has never been widely spread in the world of metal, in my opinion depressive rock presented us one of the best ways to express grief and forcelessness.
it all might have begun with Paradise Lost and album Draconian Times, where some early influences might be easily found, however the album itself is not depressive rock at all. the main branch of depressive rock is a derivative of swedish punk of the 90s. it was posiible, since swedish punk-bands concentrated not only on political and economic topics, but also on effusions. the main change took place in the band Strebers, which as it became more and more sentimantal and romantic and less poilitical also changed their name to Dia Psalma. The style at that time was a typical depressive rock. Later on Sentenced and Katatonia became depressive rock bands, however in their cases the evolution was begun with changing growling vocalist and music genre from doomdeath or death to depressive rock. whereas Sentenced has already disbanded, Katatonia is still extant. in contrast to Viva Emptiness, album with many inherent features of depressive rock, The Great Cold Distance is not so easy to classify and may be seen as harbinger of the coming change of style.
Depressive rock in its traditional style was characterized by fast, not so heavy riffs, based either on punk or early gothic (similarities to both of these styles might be pointed). vocals, which seem to be the most important feature, are clear, and made to seem like desperate calling for help. in line with vocals, lyrics are often desperate calling for help as well. in general topics of "down-to-earth romanticism" dominate: showing emotional aspects in ordinary events and sights, awakening feelings with simple, yet touchy pictures of human life. the first depressive rock album, Dia Psalma's Grynigstid is an interesting example of this. Let me present topics with which the songs on this album deal.
1.instrumental intro
2.human indifference towards others' suffering
3.mother who enjoys casual sex with town's elite, without caring about her children, who become lonesome
4.father who rapes his daughter
5.imposing others' philosphy upon every human being
6.meaninglessness of material goods, possesing which might lead to isolation despite veneer of multitude of false friends
7.woman who is regularly beaten by her husband
8.two unhappy lovers during the war in yugoslavia
9.gray, meaningless life of every human being, daily routine which destroys soul and mind
10.a lonely girl who committed suicide
11.the destruction of natural enviroment

this gives us a short glimpse upon lyrical themes. later on lyrics became more and more mystical and spiritual, yet the meaning remained the same: valuelessness of human existence leading to sadness. also the lyrics became more and more dejected and despondent, involving suicide and sometimes gloryfing it (for example in Sentenced songs, in contrast to Dia Psalma works where suicide was not critisized, but also listeners never seem encouraged to commit it). this led to calling this style 'suicide rock' sometimes, especially as far as Sentenced is concerned.
nowadays depressive rock itself is nearly extinct. Dia Psalma and Sentenced exist no more, Katatonia exerts a shift of style. however influences of this genre might still be percieved in music. russian band Forgive Me Not plays music similar to traditional depressive rock, with strong gothic metal influences. Bethlehem on 2 or 3 CDs plays mostly distorted and much changed musical variations on depressive rock, whereas vocals, lyrics and ambience remains virtually unchanged. Evergrey's Monday Morning Apocalypse is a progressive point of view upon strange fusion of depressive rock and heavy metal, yet fortunately depressive rock prevails. and finally new swedich discovery of this year: Liflover. verging mostly on black metal, the riffs are something like heavier and more downturned version of traditional Sentenced music. vocals are more shrieking and even more desperate. and lyrics are still the same. sung exclusively in swedish they give as a glimpse of traditional Dia Psalma's lyrics, which were also in swedish only. lyrical themes remained the same: carnal human existence, its futility, and influence of it upon feelings, soul and mind.

-No nie, moglismy na przyklad z Butisa. Ale zapewniam cie, ze twoje obowiazki spodobalyby ci sie jeszcze mniej.

Jedli szybko, lamiac swieza bulke, i popijajac rybe slonawa woda z karafki.

-Key, przypominam sobie, jak mnie niosles... - Artur zawahal sie, ale mimo wszystko dokonczyl:

-Dziekuje ci bardzo, ze mnie uratowales, ale dlaczego zdjales ze mnie kurtke?

-Zeby wlozyc ja na siebie, pod marynarke - odparl spokojnie Key. - Syntetyki maja uniwersalny rozmiar, to bardzo wygodne.

Artur milczal.

-Chlopcze - Key wzial go za podbrodek - w romantycznych ksiazkach slabszym oddaje sie cieple ubrania, zawija ich we wlasne szmaty. Wszystko to bardzo pieknie, ale lekkie odmrozenie niczym strasznym ci nie grozilo. Lekarze polataliby cie w ciagu dwudziestu minut, zanim odzyskalbys przytomnosc. Wazniejsze bylo to, zebym ja mogl sie ruszac, w przeciwnym razie wrocilibysmy na Terre. Zgadzasz sie?

-Co bedziemy teraz robic? - odpowiedzial pytaniem Artur.

-Ty odpoczniesz, a ja polece do stolicy kupic statek. Nie krzyw sie, maja porzadna siec transportowa, wroce za pol dnia.

-Nic nie wiem o Maretcie...