SOUND THE ALARM. EMO IS BACK. I REPEAT:
EMO.
IS.
BACK.
Thank every god and holy being imaginable, because THIS is exactly what the fuck we needed right now.
I honestly feel like I could write a whole new Capstone paper with this album, but I'm going to try and be concise(ish).
First things first, we need to acknowledge that this album is the beginning of a completely different sound and identity for this wonderful band. Gone are the days of pop-rock; today, we're going full-fledged post-hardcore.
Regarding the overall theme of the record, As It Is stated, "The Great Depression is about the societal romanticization of depression, the disrepair of present-day human connection, told through the story of a man who finds himself face-to-face with Death. This album is about asking questions rather than offering answers, exploring the lines where consolation and glorification collide, and asking if art is too subjective to offer a universal solution."
They continued, "We’ve approached this subject with the tremendous respect and sensitivity it warrants. Mental health awareness and prioritization has always been immensely important to us, and we want to use this platform for good and to challenge problematic behaviours and stigmas."
The record itself is broken up into four different acts:
ACT ONE: DENIAL
"The Great Depression"
"The Wounded World"
"The Fire, The Dark"
ACT TWO: ANGER "The Stigma"
"The Handwritten Letter"
"The Question, The Answer"
ACT THREE: BARGAINING
"The Reaper
"The Two Tongues"
"The Truth I'll Never Tell"
ACT FOUR: ACCEPTANCE
"The Haunting"
"The Hurt, The Hope"
"The End"
ACT ONE: DENIAL starts us off with a genuine intro to the world and story itself, addressing the audience simply as "consumer," and identifying the narrator as The Poet. In his introduction, he addresses himself both as a poet and a problem, suggesting he is both a source of beauty and passion, as well as his own suffering (and potentially the suffering of those around him). The lyric, "we tell you what you wanna hear 'cause we're so insecure" I feel works both for the narrator in the story, as well as artists in general. I mean, how often do we hear about how straight-up depressed these artists are, and how their emotional well-being is directly influenced by the audience's criticisms?
I think one thing that people tend to forget is that these artists aren't just writing songs for a paycheck. The bands that write powerful and meaningful music are writing about their lives and their experiences. It's a need for them; music and performances are an outlet for everything that otherwise gets bottled up. And when ungrateful, bastard "fans" shit all over it, it can be pretty fucking personal. *end rant*
Moving on to the next track, titled "The Wounded World," can we just take a moment to acknowledge the headline on the magazine in the music video, which states, "OUTRAGE: adult human makes own choice!" Classic.
While I'm not necessarily a fan of placing blame on victims for their suffering, I see this song (and the lyric "we're all to blame for the wounded world") more as a criticism to those who "grow up" and forget to actually care or to be active in causes for change. The lyrics, "witch hunts that cull the forever young," and "we're the hell that we're running from," further this sentiment, and act essentially as a criticism of complacency and of the lack of empathy we see in "efficient" and/or "mature" adulthood. We become our worst nightmares when we forget what it's like to feel for others, and just as importantly, for ourselves.
"The Fire, The Dark," serves as a finale for Act One, and a phenomenal one at that. The music itself conveys an intense pain and longing, and absolutely embodies that most self-destructive aspect of ourselves. Patty writes,
"[this song] is about self-destruction. Weighed down by his regrets and resentments, The Poet turns to habits of self-destruction as a coping mechanism, isolated and completely withdrawn from the world, neurotic and unstable, consequently jeopardizing his relationship with his wife."
We can clearly see that theme of 'denial' presented here, as the song communicates a very active resistance to moving on. There's also a bit of bargaining here, almost like a cry for help. At the same time, however, it's like we're not quite ready for any help that's offered.
Which brings us to the next track, and the beginning of ACT TWO: Anger. Regarding the meaning behind the track, the band stated,
"This song and video tackle toxic masculinity, gender expectations and the long overdue need to rebel and speak out against outdated ideals that to this day continue to threaten individuality. The eponymous ‘stigma’ is that sense of blemish and shame so often associated with showing and expressing emotion that causes too many to hide who they are. It is totally acceptable to show feeling; it is real and human to do so, and not something that should be arbitrarily gendered and hidden from view. In these increasingly disconnected times, where empathy is seemingly on a decline at many levels of everyday modern life, it is vital to stand up against such outdated tropes."
"The Stigma (Boys Don't Cry)" was the first track I heard off the record, and I immediately fell in love. First of all, I don't know which one of these guys is feeling particularly nostalgic about Robin Williams and Dead Poet's Society, but I definitely commend the transition.
The lyrics are super relevant regarding the concepts of gender and masculinity, as they only exist when actively performed. The video gives us a bit of hope with a demonstration of resistance, but we aren't given any real closure. What I think is key about this segment is that anger is powerful, and is actually an important sentiment; sometimes you need to get angry to actually save yourself. Keeping emotions bottled up under pretexts of poise, maturity or synthetic enlightenment is one of the most toxic aspects of our existence, and it's already done considerable damage on our collective psyche.
We transition to "The Handwritten Letter," whose vocals are aggressively desperate, like there really is a poet who needs his lover to hear this song. The music and vocals are fast-paced to mirror a beating heart and someone who sounds like they're speaking a bit too fast--almost like someone who's trying to express themselves for the first time, and is nervous to do so. It's an emotionally raw track, like we're starting to get to the still tender cuts and wounds that never really healed. Not gonna lie--if my ex texted me this song as an apology, my dumb ass would probably forgive him. That's how wonderful this song is.
To give additional insight to the track, the band writes that the lyrics are, "pretty self-explanatory," and that "it’s The Poet’s letter to his lover, showing her just how much he needs her. He speaks of how she’s the only thing keeping him alive, in more than one way. In ways, this song is like a love song that admits the narrator’s weaknesses. It’s also symbolic in reference to the previous song ("The Stigma") which explores the stigma around the sharing of feelings, especially in men."
The last track of Act Two, titled "The Question, The Answer", gives us all the feels, and I'm low-key crying. It's a soft ballad that's dripping with despair. You can actually hear The Poet giving up through the vocals -- that slow, agonizing, painful realization that he's just going to keep sinking until there's nothing left. And so, we "say goodnight one last time" before moving on to ACT THREE: BARGAINING.
“The Reaper” ties in with the overall concept of the album, as this song illustrates the moment in which The Poet is confronted by Death. The lyrics, "now face-to-face my mistakes come to life // now I'm begging him to let me keep my wasted life // please, it's not my time," really embody this third act of bargaining. The song is painful and honest, and personifies the tension presented in suicidal ideation, particularly that which is difficult for most people to arbitrarily identify with. Too often do we hear, "just move on," or "you have so much to be happy/thankful for," which is not only grossly unhelpful, but also completely besides the point.
The song is desperate without the longing. It's fearful, both in the sense of what he has to lose, but also in that he is, in fact, drawn to death. Sometimes, the realization that you're even considering self-harm can be terrifying in and of itself.
Further addressing this tension, ‘'The Two Tongues (Screaming Salvation)’‘ describes the two directions that The Poet finds himself being pulled when it comes to wanting to stay with his wife and wanting the release of death.
The chorus, "Her voice like a sunrise, his voice like temptation. She sings to me softly, he's screaming salvation," beautifully illustrates what so many people fail to recognize; The Poet is not "unhappy" with his wife, and yet, there's something dark whispering (or in this case, "screaming") in his head. The song is important because it gives a space of belonging and degree of understanding to those who are happily in love with someone, but are still being pulled by and unseen force (depression, self-harm, suicide).
I don't know who needs to hear this, but you can't go into it thinking you're going to save them. It's not you're job to. They could be head-over-heels in love with you and it still not "fix" what's inside them. Just remember you're not there to "fix" them--you're there to love them, and to help when/where you can so long as it doesn't start to drag you down as well.
In “The Truth I’ll Never Tell”, The Poet once again regresses into concealing his feelings, arguing that he doesn't want to hurt the person he loves. He understands that he "should" be happy, and that his lover (in some ways) might start to feel the problem is him/her.
I'm gonna be straight up, this song hurts. Like, really hurts. The lyrics, "and I could tell you how I've really been, but would you even want to know? // you say hello and how you've been, I say that I'm not better yet // turn around you're gone again, I know I'll see you now and then," illustrate just how alone The Poet is in dealing with his problems. Now again, that's not to say that the burden then falls to his lover to "fix" him, but that we can see how The Poet might start to think that he's doing more harm than good by sticking around.
The track is heavy--just about as heavy as you can get, but it's also so very beautiful. The vocals are key in each of these songs, as the band really is attempting to give a personality to something that has been far too misunderstood for too long.
Moving on to ACT FOUR: ACCEPTANCE, don't be fooled by the implied closure in the title.
The first track of the finale, titled "The Haunting," initially made me think that the story had progressed to narrate the immediate aftermath of The Poet attempting suicide. However, upon further evaluation, I think the song is actually a nightmare that The Poet has, in which he is confronted by individuals that condemn his actions post-suicide. It's like he's in a state where he watches as those around him mourn his death, and the only voice in his head is someone asking "how could you be so selfish as to do this to them?"
This shift in perspective is important to note, because we're getting to the point where The Poet is genuinely losing his personal desire to carry on. It's essentially communicating that what's holding him back is the fear of what people will say, and of what will become of the people he leaves behind.
Also, this might be completely in my head, but the rhythm of the chorus sounds vaguely like you could overlay the vocals for "Hey, Rachel" and have it match perfectly, which is SO not o-fucking-kay given the lyrics, "can you see your sister staring at your grave?" #Crying. Again.
If you're done being depressed, then you should probably skip the next track just for your own good. However, if you're a bit of a musical masochist, please enjoy every second of "The Hurt, The Hope," because it's jumped its way to my favorite track off the record.
First off, this song is dripping with complete and utter resignation. The Poet has officially given the fuck up. In terms of slow ballads, this track is more daunting and heavy than "The Question, The Answer," and the lyrics, "because we all need to feel release, because we all wanna be at peace // all alone I've lost the hope that I'll find myself again" are sung with such despair that you can feel your heart breaking with The Poet.
The song later continues, "despite all the pain, the tears and the rain, it's gotta get better,"
which gives them impression that The Poet doesn't want to be so done with everything, and that he's clinging to that last thread of hope just PRAYING that the pain goes away soon.
If this record was the soundtrack to a movie, I imagine this song would be the build up to the final suicide attempt. This is when the fear builds in the audience's mind. We know what's coming, and we want so desperately to stop it, but we're left watching helplessly while this person's world literally crumbles around them.
I've heard some arguments that the track is "uplifting," and that it shows The Poet finding the strength to carry on, but I think it's actually showing him at the end of his rope. He's chanting "it's gotta get better" for the entire outro, but the fact that it's a fade-out and not a hard end sonically illustrates The Poet's resolve getting weaker and weaker..
Which brings us to "The End."
The lyrics for this song are pretty straight forward, and while I'm not the authority on this album, I don't think the story has as ambiguous of an ending as some people might hope..
"Am I awake, or am I asleep // Is this the end, or just another dream // How can you tell // when you can't feel what can't be seen // but oh my god is it real // Because I don't need you to see this // and I don't want you to feel this // but I only have so much spark to offer in all this darkness // and I screamed for you until the day I gave up and lost my voice // so with crimson arms and this broken neck, you fucking tell me who made this choice!"
Like I said; I'm no authority, but judging from the direction of the story, the pain in ACT FOUR, and the lyrical content itself, I think The Poet did in fact commit suicide, and now we're all really crying.
What strikes me the most about this particular track and its ending to the album's story is that it gives a voice to those who have considered, attempted and/or committed suicide. The monologue from The Poet conveys the absence of any solid ground to stand on in this scenario, which is exactly how The Poet has felt this entire time. Nothing is real; and yet and that which is unseen (depression) has the biggest impact on his reality. It's the screen through which everything is mediated, and he's lost all hope of moving past it.
Rather, he cares too much for those around him to be the cause of their suffering. The interesting twist is that we do see him get angry -- he calls everyone out on the fact that they expecting him to just magically get "better" when they said things like "it'll be okay" or "we're here for you." What they didn't do is actually express that they accept him EVEN THOUGH HE IS NOT OKAY.
Let me be clear: there's a big difference between trying to "save" someone from a depressed state, and being an ally and a friend to someone who experiences depression. Guess what: telling someone "just be happy" doesn't fucking help. Doing something nice for someone, and then getting upset when they're still suffering from depression afterwards DOES. NOT. FUCKING. HELP. In fact, getting angry or making accusatory comments at someone for not being overly grateful and/or somehow becoming "cured" at your random (and rather self-serving) act of kindness TENDS TO HAVE THE OPPOSITE FUCKING EFFECT.
Here we see The Poet, who seems to have committed suicide in an effort to end his own suffering as well as the suffering of those around him, actually tell everyone that this decision wasn't just his. He made it because he felt he was becoming a burden, and he believed that he wasn't going to get better; because it wasn't acceptable for him to be "not okay" around everyone else, his ONLY choice was the one he made.
He's asking how is it his choice when he's not accepted as he is? How is it his choice when the people he cares about now blame him for their own suffering? How is it his choice when he is not welcome if he's not okay?
I'm not saying this as a romanticization of suicide or to say that I agree with The Poet's actions. This album is fucking depressing. It's hurtful, it's heartbreaking, and it should make you want to scream and cry and want to be better, whatever the fuck that means. The point I am trying to make is that our mentality needs to shift away from just "curing" depression with random acts of kindness, and at accepting those suffering for who they are with depression. IT'S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY. Obviously we don't want someone to suffer perpetually -- we don't want to make mental illness "trendy" or romanticize it, but we also can't demonize and ostracize people if it doesn't just disappear with your kindness.
On a separate note, I don't find it coincidental that the last track on the record is titled the same as the opener for The Black Parade. Let us imagine, for a moment, that this album was written as a prequel to MCR's fabled tale: In this album, we have three characters: The Poet, The Wife, and Death. In The Black Parade, we have The Patient, The Loved One (which could easily be The Wife), Mother War, and The Conductor of the Black Parade.
As this album clearly tackles issues surrounding mental health, self harm and suicidal ideation, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that The Poet attempted suicide, was admitted as a patient in a hospital, gave up on all hope and succeeded in a second attempt, and was then escorted through the afterlife to reflect on his decisions in life with the help of The Black Parade. Based on the final three tracks in Act Four, it sounds far more than plausible.
I'm not saying that's for sure what's happening here, but I can definitely see it...
All in all, this record is just about as perfect as an album can be. It's absolutely emotional and heart-wrenching, but then again, isn't that why we're all here?
In the immortal words of Professor Keating,
"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"
Always remember: it's not a phase, it's a lifestyle. And it does get better.
Stay emo, my friends.
