#it was difficult holding myself back from making every album and song twenty one pilots 😩😩 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thefigureinthecorner · 5 years ago

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finished the covers for my caleb and adam playlists! putting them together because like......... i have to. i can’t separate them

there is a caleb/adam playlist too but i’m gonna post that cover separately bc i have a different idea for that one

playlist notes under the cut!

caleb

yes, this playlist is 40% sleeping at last. no, i am not going to apologize for that. they have an album called emotions, it was kind of impossible to not use those songs.

falling for the first time- barenaked ladies: this gives me some strong caleb vibes, and i think it’s because it’s kind of an upbeat but also vaguely self-deprecating song? i mean, come on. I'm so cool, too bad I'm a loser/I'm so smart, too bad I can't get anything figured out/I'm so brave, too bad I'm a baby/I'm so fly, that's probably why it feels just like I'm falling for the first time

son- sleeping at last: And I will try, try, try to breathe 'til it turns to muscle memory I'm only steady on my knees One day I'll stand on my own two feet And I'll run the risk Of being intimate with brokenness Through this magnifying glass I see a thousand finger prints On the surfaces of who I am

soul meets body- death cab for cutie: it’s got some caleb/adam elements, but ultimately i chose to use it as a caleb song, because it feels more specifically like caleb seeking out adam’s emotions because they make him feel more like himself; So brown eyes I'll hold you near/'Cause you're the only song I want to hear/A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere

joy- sleeping at last: i just really love the way emotions are described in the songs on this album (well, except for fear, which has no lyrics and is also not on this playlist). i also just really love The clumsy start of adolescence/The glue that mends our broken remnants/An overwhelming sense of reverence/It's a glimpse of light in a mine of gold for caleb

a new mission- josh whitehouse: ah. this song. this was the song that made this playlist really, really difficult to make, because it was the first song i added and it set a very high bar for literally every other song on the playlist. it just feels so perfect as a caleb song to me, especially early on, when he was still figuring things out and he was constantly overwhelmed by all the feelings around him and in him.

Sometimes I can't control a feeling that I get inside my chest Even with those who are close to me, the ones I call my best I lose sight of all my confidence, in a heavy single step It's happened ever since my childhood, things I thought I'd put to rest I can keep my mind intact by getting on with a new mission I can push myself, having heavy ammunition When something gets me down, for a second I'm distracted I look back amongst the lights I consequently lit my path with

anger- sleeping at last: I mean, it kinda feels like this song has to be on here, yknow? especially with this part, which genuinely feels like how caleb describes anger sometimes: Like wildfire, it starts in my chest/The silence grows louder, ringing out in my head/I feel the Earth shaking under my feet/I feel the pressure building until I can't breathe/And it takes everything/And it all spills out, reckless but honest words leave my mouth

if i say- mumford and sons: aaand now we’re at the sad part of the playlist, because i can’t make happy playlists apparently. this one is definitely a safehouse caleb song; Show me your hands/Are they cleaner than mine?/Show me your face/Did you cross the line?/Show me your eyes/They any drier than mine?/Your soul survives/But peace, you'll never find

organs- of monsters and men: also a safehouse song, but more aftermath than in the middle of things. it’s sadder, more subdued.

sorrow- sleeping at last: more safehouse! who would’ve guessed!

I feel out of focus, or at least indisposed As this strange weather pattern inside me takes hold. Each brave step forward, I take three steps behind. It's mind over matter-- matter over mind.

Slowly, then all at once A single loose thread and it all comes undone

up with the birds- coldplay: caleb likes coldplay, so i had to include one of their songs, and this one is just. kind of perfect?

The sky is blue, Dreamed that lie 'til it's true, Then takin' back the punch I threw, My arms turn wings, Oh, those clumsy things Send me up to that wonderful world And then I'm up with the birds

adam

some of these songs are here for tone; the line between what adam would listen to and what helps me draw him is very thin compared to most characters. i did try to make sure they were all songs that fit him at least a little bit, though.

all the kids are depressed- jeremy zucker: i mean. i feel like the title kind of speaks for itself here, honestly. also the lyrics fit pretty well. there isn’t a ton of explaining that needs to be done for this one.

three- sleeping at last: yes i am back on my sleeping at last bullshit no i don’t care this song is perfect go look at the lyrics they’re all good here’s some of them: Maybe I've done enough/Finally catching up/For the first time I see an image of my brokenness/Utterly worthy of love/Maybe I've done enough

velodrome- dessa: this was one of the songs i included primarily for the tone; it’s one of the songs i listen to full volume on my Nice Headphones when i’m feeling too much at once because it kind of just gets rid of everything somehow. it just creates this kind of,, pleasant hollow feeling, if that makes any sense at all. but i realized after i added it that some of the lyrics do kind of fit: With a bell to tell us when we're hungry/There's a bell to tell us when we're tired/A bell that tells us to rise and fight/A bell to rise and die/It's just all bells/Sometimes I ring myself/To see if I might chime

drowning- jay brannan: a lauren playlist song, because like. fuck. that is all i have to say on this song: fuck

trapdoor- twenty one pilots: adam is a top fan because of course he is. i listened to this one a lot in high school so i’m passing it on to adam, and it also felt like a good follow-up to drowning

marching bands of manhattan- death cab for cutie: god this song is perfect. also, another song i listened to a lot in high school.

And it is true what you said That I live like a hermit in my own head But when the sun shines again I'll pull the curtains and blinds to let the light in

Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole Just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound But while you debate half empty and half full It slowly rises, your love is gonna drown

nine: sleeping at last: god, this song. it fits way too well and it hurts. it’s genuinely difficult to choose lyrics from this song, and i recommend looking at the full lyrics because holy shit, but like

Who am I to say what any of this means? I have been sleepwalking since I was fourteen Now as I write my song, I retrace my steps Honestly, it's easier to let myself forget

Still, I check my vital signs Choked up, I realize I've been less than half myself For more than half my life

Wake up; fall in love again Wage war on gravity There's so much worth fighting for, you'll see Another domino falls either way

better days- radical face: 90% of my playlists have radical face songs. adam especially needed one, though, because his playlist notes mentioned he’d probably actively seek out queer artists, and also there was a youtube q&a where ben cooper said he never writes songs while he’s happy, and honestly the whole discography has adam vibes imo. anyway: When you're always drifting out to sea/Because the ground won't stay beneath your feet/And your head is pouring gasoline/On the person you prefer to be/Try to remind yourself/That it's probably gonna take some time/But there are better days to find

the little things give you away- linkin park: it just has that drowning vibe. i mean, it makes sense, they reference drowning, like, a lot in the song, but i feel like the tone of it adds a lot to that too. like, i can feel that guitar, you know? or maybe that’s just me. idk, it just works, i think.

in a week- hozier: you ever just listen to this in a dark room lying on your back with your eyes closed and yeah? because like, i do sometimes, and i kinda feel like adam does too. i needed a hozier song on this playlist and this felt like the most fitting one to add, and a nice subdued end to the playlist.

#the bright sessions #caleb michaels #adam hayes #i am v proud of these playlist covers honestly #i think that might be one of the best calebs i've ever drawn

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shhhnottom · 5 years ago

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I Got Bored. Here's A Book

Just a quick warning before we actually start this mass roller coaster of bullshit. If you are easily offended, feel free to stop and reverse your hand to the home page.

Also, this is not a story of any kind. It's just a random bunch of subjects that mean something to me and I ramble on about. I drank quite a lot whilst typing 90% of this and watched a fair amount of Netflix

Just take a look at these chapters. I think you could see where this is going to go:

Depression

Anxiety

Television

Self Harm

Procrastination

One Word Chapter

Didn't See That Coming?

Swearing

Panic Attacks

The End?

Just another warning, there will be a fair amount of swearing in this so if you want to censorit out, feck off. It's safer, trust me.

Depression

Yeah, lets start off dark. That seems like it's going to be a great plan. Let's face it, everyone has their bad days. Try to lie, I dare you. I have mine and they get me to a point where I just want to throw myself into a keg of ale and a couple bottles of whiskey. Has to be the good stuff, otherwise my sadness is made more sad. I mean, who wants to depressed and drink a bottle of Tesco value blended shite when there is a long list that will make you feel slightly better, like Jameson's, Tullamore Dew and Paddy's. Yeah, I went straight for the Irish whiskeys, sue me.

Anyway, after my lengthy dabble with the art of drinking myself into a coma every night, waking up for work in the morning, finishing work and continue to drink, I decided that I need to ruin all of the relationships I have built over the years with a combination of heartfelt insults and trying to throw myself into traffic when they are looking. I'm a lovely person, aren't I?

What I decided to do after several attempts on my own life, well two attempts anyway, is to take the fucking hint and realise I'm not supposed to die. Did you know, that therapy is actually effective and gets you to the place where you feel a lot better and not suicidal any more. You see, it's almost as if the doctors who say you are depressed and need therapy are speaking the truth. Who knew? You know what I found doesn't really help. If you decide that you don't need therapy and that finding pictures of celebrities who have decided to end their own lives and post that shit to Facebook, saying that “Even The Happiest People Are Sad”. Its almost like they decide, before they leave the house, that they don't want people on the outside who have cameras and social media accounts to take pictures of them whilst they are having a bad day, and post it all over the fucking place. Fucking hell, I went to therapy for a year before realising that I'm just a massive idiot and if I thought a little bit differently, I could get over all of that nonsense that was going on inside my head. I, now, look at my depression like its one big fucking meme and take the piss out of myself because that's how I can deal with it. I mean, I don't read books and here I am fucking writing one.

The main reason why I look so differently at depression now is because of the millennials who think because something hasn't gone their way, they have to post shit over social media complaining about how hard life is. You haven't even hit 20 yet, you pricks. Wait until you get to 25 or 30 and come to realise “I'm in a dead end job, going nowhere and I have no money”. Oh Jaysus, wait until that comes along. You will think that not getting laid in that shitty club is a holiday.

I mean, there are some great positives to come out of having depression, going to therapy and getting to a point where you are comfortable with living the life you have been given. I, myself have reconnected with people who I thought I had lost, through my incessant need to push them away. I have a better relationship with my parents, now that we have started communicating properly again. I am a lot less selfish, and have developed a form of empathy I had no idea I had inside. I've even tried to help some people in their times of need, when they were feeling at their worst. I once wrote a letter to someone to try to make them stop going down the same road I went down:

“I have this incessant need to do stupid things to hurt myself

I have broken my hand multiple times to avoid mental harm but have inflicted physical harm on myself

I have destroyed possible relationships in the desire to remain alone, to stop myself inflicting my mental harm upon others

I have kept myself busy in order to stop myself from pursuing a premature non existence”

Told you before that I was a lovely person.

It turns out that maybe, my experiences, aren't as bad as other peoples. It might also turn out that your experiences aren't as bad as mine but I'm not going to presume. Hopefully, you've enjoyed the first chapter, I have no idea what's going to happen in the next few chapters, mainly because I haven't written them yet.

Anxiety

Disclaimer,

I was fucking hammered and heavily depressed writing this chapter and tried to write it completely in the 3rd person. Enjoy.

Have you ever noticed when people get really offended they decide to inhale very dramatically and hold their chest as if they have been hurt so badly that their heart has been hurt? Imagine if those people develop a heart condition. You'll never be able to tell if they eventually do have a heart attack or if you've just told a really funny joke.

Just to reiterate, “this book” is just my thoughts written down whilst I have a couple of drinks and watch Netflix.

Someone once told me that a persons feelings are subject to the person they are. I know people that are massively bitter and their stomachs always hurt. All they do is moan about what other people do or think and then constantly moan that they are ill.

Here Tom, isn't this chapter about anxiety? I'm fucking getting to it. Chill the fuck out.

Getting back to what I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. This person also told me that they get a sore throat every time they want to say something but they force themselves not to. Can you imagine what that's like? To not say what it is you want to say, just to not offend people.

I get super anxious around people who are better than me. I know someone who is literally the most caring person I have ever met. They care more about other people and how they feel than they do about how their life is going. Another thing I get anxious about is when I think that I've not accomplished what I thought I would have done by this point. I mean, I could claim that I was from a broken home, had to move from my home country to another and had to start my life from square one but I, then, realise that there are so many more people that go through that and I'm not special.

I've just poured another glass of whiskey. Its just about a half a glass. This shit is difficult to write about, can you tell?

If you haven't noticed yet, I like to make stupid jokes just to pass off that I'm OK in the head. “shakes head dramatically”. I put that in because you cant physically see me and I'm shit at drawing my head shaking.

I know a lot of people who smoke an arse tonne of weed just to get over their anxieties. Have you ever smoked weed? That shit is scary. I remember one time, New Year I think, I was working. Showed up at 10am, was supposed to be on until 6pm but it was so quiet that I got sent home after 2 hours. I went to the nearest town and drank like half a bottle of whiskey, well Jack Daniels. Does that count as whiskey? Its basically sugar with some ethanol. Along with several pints of beer and a shit burger from a Wetherspoons. Anyway, after drinking myself into a stupid comatose state where I was still somewhat functioning, myself and one of my friends went back to his house and he broke out the weeds, the green, the marry Joanna. After quite a lot of smoking and a bit more drinking I decided I needed to rest my eyes for a moment, just a single moment. Suddenly, I felt slightly ill in the stomach. I remember saying to him, “If you don't get a bucket, I'll throw up all over your floor”. However the video suggests something different. Yeah, there's a video. It goes something like this: “mmmmmmmmmmm mumuumumumu bucket muumuu floor”. The point is, there was a massive stain on his bedroom carpet for 6 months after. He didn't let it go. At all. The bastard.

That whole story doesn't explain how weed doesn't help my anxiety but I ran out of shit to say and I thought that would break some tension. Hopefully.

I'm currently listening to a song that tells you how to kill yourself. Yeah, this got dark really quick. Although, it has a great message. Don't rely on pop stars to write a song that will resonate with your feelings. Lady Gaga doesn't care if someone found her lyrics about the paparazzi inspirational enough to make them not kill themselves. (There are many pop stars out there who do the same thing, Lady Gaga was just the first person who came to mind). They've made their money, after that they just carry on making new “inspirational songs” and go on a new tour, make more money and the cycle continue. I listen to Twenty One Pilots' album Vessel when I feel really anxious. Seriously, those guys write about what they feel instead of what some songwriter thinks what other people feel.

Hey Tom, how are you going to bring this chapter out of the hole its in? You expect me to be funny and make a point? Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah,Nah....Hey Jude.

I've been at this chapter for too long now. I'm fucking done. Good luck understanding this mess I've just read this back. I mean, seriously, if you've got through this well done.

Television

Ah now for fucks sake. Who's idea was it to put in Television as a chapter? Mine? Nah, doesn't sound right. I'm not that fucked up to put this in here. I mean I'd put in music or video games. I'm more interested in those than I am in TV. Fine, Fucking, Fine. I'll talk about this stupid subject. I mean, fuck me. Dumb ass.

At this current moment in time I am watching the second season of Jack Ryan and I can conclusively say that I am not disappointed. Two episodes in and it has been a massive thrill ride. I mean, to go into Venezuela at the current moment is brave just to film a TV show. They must have spent more money picking the safest place to film there than it cost to pay the actors. I could imagine that John Krasinski isn't that cheap to hire after the first series and after the US Office. Not including his directorial debut in the Quiet Place. Magnificent.

I've also watched the Netflix series Daybreak about a dirty bomb going off in L.A and only people under the age of 18 surviving. Very clever concept for a show, and the fact that they managed to film in parts of L.A is even more impressive for a small time TV show.

3 paragraphs I managed to get through before getting to a point. I decided to throw on the last thing I was watching on Netflix to emphasise said point. Yeah, I'm watching the last series of How I Met Your Mother. DONT START. Seriously, I know. Up until the last 2 episodes it was OK. It was a great story overdone by bad direction.

4 paragraphs, look at me.

OK, by this time, I'm sure you're getting it. TV is a great way to distract yourself from the real world. A great way to distract from your problems in the world. I mean, you've got to find the right show for you but there are so many out there at the moment and so many ways to watch them. There will always be people who say that you shouldn't waste your time sat and watching TV, go do something with yourself. Just imagine what those people do when they get in from their days at work. They come home, sit in an empty chair and look at their walls. I mean, they could be reading a book. Preferably, this one. Or maybe not, but my point is still valid. You could read your books and force your brain to imagine the world that the book is coming to or you could spend the time to celebrate the people that have done that before you and decided to 'Do something with themselves' and make their favourite book into a magnificent visual performance. I mean, at this point, I have switched to the modern Sherlock Holmes series, which as everybody knows is brought to life from the many stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle. This TV show is 90 minutes long per episode and is very entertaining, so you never seem to notice that the time goes by. This means that if you are feeling a certain way at the start of the show, there is a 90 minute period where your feelings could change, your opinion of the world could change.

OK, I have nothing left to rant about here. If I were to speak about another music or video games I would have been here for another 6 pages but I figured your time would be spent better here.

I mean I wrote the names of the chapters before I wrote the actual chapters themselves so you're as stuck as I am with what gets written. I could change this but where's the fun in that.

Good luck reading the next chapter. I promise, I will be completely hammered writing it because I'm going to continue writing after this chapter. I am currently on the verge of tears now so, I guess good luck to me too. Thank you for reading up to this point if you have. I've tried to keep it fun but now I'm into serious mode.

Self Harm

Hey people, lets enter dark mode. I mean every other company on the planet has already done it. I mean, apart from Facebook but those bastards let political propaganda through, so I guess that counts.

I mean, that's the shortest joke I've told so far so, for the people that know me, know that this will be a bastard of a chapter. And also ,for people that know me will also be looking at this chapter going, 'He's not seriously going to talk about this, is he?' Yeah, that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Over the last five years, there have been several moments I am ashamed of. All of which are my own fault. I once launched an egg at someone because the oil that I was supposed to put it in splashed at me.

Did you know that even talking about a certain subject can sometimes bring up feelings you hate? Coming to realise that.

I fell for a woman. Gorgeous, smart, beautiful. We had a lot in common. She was my perfect equal apart from she was caring and humble about it. I'm an arrogant bastard. She was single at the time and I thought I had some form of chance to win her over not knowing everything about her. At this time, I was a very possessive person. I would have done anything to be with her. I let this attribution take control of me at the worst time. I wanted to play the long game, get to know her and eventually ask her out. I went out for drinks with a friend one night. Got absolutely rat arsed. I found out, that night, that she had been asked out by somebody else and she had accepted. I didn't know her very well by this point but because of my possessive compulsion, I took this very personally. It was neither of their fault, just myself.

Some time had passed and I was trying to prove my self worth to this woman. She was still with the same man and I was still jealous. Another night, another time these people were around me, another time that I tried to make it about me.

9 shots of tequila later. 9 exactly. Someone kept count by keeping a tally on my arm. In marker, before you get to excited. I'm not sure of how many other drinks on top but it was 9 tequilas. Anyway, I'd had some minor thoughts in the past of how my life should end but that night my head went into overload. You know, that summer was so bad for me I don't even know if this was the same night. Anyway, after some time and a lot of drinks later, I figured that this was the end of the night for me. Well, end of something for me. I had decided that this was the last straw for my bad luck in this world.

There is a point where half the people I know think a certain habit started but in actual fact this story is where my habit actually began. Everyone has their own stories, where they cut their wrists to fill some form of void, to feel. There are some people who look for it sexually, unfortunately I'm not the lucky. I decided this night out of pure frustration to pull said woman aside, point at a wall and told her that was how I felt when I was around her at that point. I was a brick wall. I wanted noting else at the time to kill that brick wall. So, what I did next is, by far the thing I regret the most. Out of everything I've ever done and believe me, I've done some bad shit. Over and over again, I punched that wall until I could no longer feel my hand and then, I carried on until I broke my hand and then, I carried on until somebody pulled me away from the wall. By this time, I had broken my hand in 2 places, I was bleeding all over the place and I had broken every friendship I had built and every relationship I had hoped to build. I think the most embarrassing thing for me was, the person who bandaged me up was the person who had the balls to ask the woman I had fallen for. Could you imagine? This was the person I had blamed for driving me to the place I was. He helped bandage me up and the woman who I had fallen for was consoling me and trying to help me get through what was in my head. I could not take this. In my head, I would never be able to recover from this. I continued for another 18 months to cut myself, punch walls, headbutt walls, kick and break my hand and other bones in my body. I was always in a mental state where I never thought that I was good enough until I decided that enough was enough.

Surprisingly, when people say that therapy works, they are telling the truth. Big wow. I think its safe to say I am definitely stupid enough to continue writing this nonsense. Well there's a few more chapter so lets see where we end up.

Procrastination

OK so its been a solid 2 months since I wrote the last chapter, which is long enough by anyone's standards, but for me, being the stubborn prick that I am, is no time at all. I mean, I can not do something for an extended period of time. It took me a year to launch a business I could have launched in 6 months only because I changed my mind on whether or not I wanted to start the bastard thing in the first place. It took me spending a grand on my first design to actually say, “Yeah, I'm in too fucking deep here to pull out”.

I've gone through 90% of my life not doing things when they needed to be done in favour of doing them the very last second, mostly because I was scared that they would never work out in the way that I wanted them to and that I would constantly be they failure I feared I always would be. I never believed that anything I was doing was worth the time or effort to do. I decided at the very end of college that I wanted to go to university but by the time I had decided this, it was too late to take seriously and I missed out. I did 3 years in college whilst everybody around me only did 2 because of this. Still, I never went to university so I guess that third year was pointless but the point was that I spent so much time on the internet playing online games instead of revising for exams and concentrating on my coursework.

This got very serious when it got suggested to me that I might need to go to therapy to sort out what was going on inside my head. I kept telling people that I would go eventually because I never though that I was “that” bad but going by what you have read in the previous chapters proves that I made the mistake of putting it off. Big woop. I did go in the end but it took some serious relationship breakdowns, quite a few broken bones and the attraction to my inevitable early grave to accomplish.

I think the message here is to not be afraid of what you thin will fail. Give what you want a try and if it fails, get back up and try it again in a different way. Never give up on something if you really want it to happen and listen to the people who you care about, who also care about you. Especially when they are telling you something is wrong and they are concerned.

One Word Chapter

Vukei

Didn't See That Coming?

Yeah, you probably should have seen that one coming. Its literally called a one word chapter.

It took me two minutes to choose the word. I had an unlimited choice to go with across multiple languages, so me being me went for the most obscure language of Fijian. What does the word mean? Do I look like Google?

There is no moral to this chapter. I just needed to fill in a gap to make this “book” look more full than it actually is. I mean, the moral could be that I've got to a point where I am comfortable enough to actually start doing what I say I am going to and then do it. I still get people telling me to do the most ridiculous things and saying that I will never do them because of the person I used to be. Imagine the look on their faces when I actually come through with the goods. I started a joke with a friend where , when we worked together, we would always listen to Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus whilst we worked and when we stopped working together, whenever the song came, we would SnapChat the other whilst the song was on. We said that this wouldn't last long so I personally made sure that the joke carried on. At the time of this being written we haven't worked together for over a year and the joke is still going.

Swearing

Welcome to this shit storm of a chapter. Do you ever notice that when you hurt yourself in a bad way you cant help but swear. That's because it releases a small amount of dopamine into your brain to help ease the situation you are in and stops some pain in the process. Weird, right? I'm in the strange occupation of chef where I am constantly getting burnt, cut and verbally abused in different languages, so swearing is one of those things that helps with the day to day survival of working in kitchens. I could fall into one of the other 5 habits that a chef develops as a result of the stupid work that we have to do. Those habits being:

Drug Abuse

Alcohol Abuse

Gambling Addiction

Caffeine Addiction

Smoking

I do suffer from 2 of these. Not saying which ones but I do have people around me that think I'm on at least 4 of them so that's nice but in every profession there is the secret, hidden thing that helps them through the day and that's the swearing aspect. I don't think, in the last 3 years, I have gone a day without telling someone that they should fuck themselves or that they are a cunt with them being aware that I am just taking the piss out of them an I don't mean half the shit I say. It just becomes habit to tell people to fuck off or suggest that they shove a large object up their rectums.

I used to knock the shite out of walls to relieve stress but I would always swear like a cunt after I would do it thinking to myself “You are a stupid prick and I hate you”. I would then look at my hand, laugh and say out loud “Ha you are a cunt”. The thought was always I would get over some of the pain if I constantly just swore to myself and carried on as if nothing had happened. Of course, my hand would always hurt for days afterwards and I would be swearing until it healed only to find another wall to knock shite out of and the process would start all over again.

Panic Attacks

A friend once said to me, “Bring A Harmonica Everywhere You Go, So If You Have A Panic Attack You Can At Least Make Some Music”. I never bought the harmonica but it is a very good way to portray what its like to have regular panic attacks. Could you imagine just busking in town, guitar in hand trying to be the next Ed Sheeran and then suddenly, your heart starts to blast out of chest, you feel light headed and you start to hyperventilate. That would be the best time ever to pull out your harmonica. You'll be on the floor with tears rolling down your face but you'll be smashing that cover of You Don't Know How It Feels by Tom Petty.

I starting writing this back when I was having regular panic/anxiety attacks, every 2-3 days in fact, but getting to this point its a bit more every month so, yay progress but I wrote the chapters out months before and I said I would follow through with it so here I am.

Funny story, I once had a panic attack in a nightclub whilst sat on a replica of The Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, whilst my friend was out on the pull. That's the whole story, seriously, but could you imagine having a great time up until the point when you realise you are surrounded by 250+ people you don't know, with a severe case of crowd anxiety and your friend abandons you for the prospect of sex. My head exploded and there was a very attractive looking wall outside that I felt needed a makeover. Never got the makeover, the lucky bastard.

I used to make the biggest mistake for myself whenever I felt anxious, panicky or depressed because when my depression was really bad, my drinking made it so much worse because I lost the control that I had over myself. My mistake in recent times is that, when I started to feel like my old self, I would have a drink to try to combat it. That is the mistake I would make. Try to stay away from my old self by doing what my old self would do.

Its got to a point now where, even where I am reading this back, and nothing in my body reacts. No anxiety, no panic and no depression. Well, saying that, I still have those feelings but they are not nearly as hurt filled as they were in the past. My secret, apart from therapy, on how I deal with life and why I am the way I am now is.

The End?

I mean, is there really an end to a story, an idea? I do have secrets, everyone does. My biggest is that I made a character in myself to try to avoid loving myself and anyone else. I acted as if I didn't care about other people to make it easier on myself if it came to a point where they let me down or, in the more realistic circumstance, where I let them down. I always tell people that I'm not a nice person to put them off this fact so that they see me as the character I made up. I make certain jokes to people to put them off and I say things to them to give them the idea that they need to avoid any form of relationship with me so that they don't get hurt in the crossfire of what I am.

In the 2 years since I have made this character, only 3 people have seen through it and seen me underneath, no matter how much I have tried to put them off. One of which is my mother, another being the woman mentioned in the Self Harm chapter and one more person who I fell for but not in the way I have before. Only because I am afraid of what would happen to me if I had made the same mistakes from before. Its really irritating trying to get people to keep the secret that I am a horrible bastard so I can stay in my own little bubble.

At the time in which I am typing this, I have not been to therapy for 2 months. In this time, I have learnt that:

Not everyone is out to get me

Not every decision I make will fail

I have the self control to not hurt myself physically or mentally

My emotions are not here to hurt me

I am capable of loving myself along with someone else

I am a nice person and I don't need to hide behind my old self

Swearing actually does help, I don't have any regrets there

Bring a harmonica to a panic attack if I want to be the next Tom Petty

Don't throw away the opportunity to love if given it. It will bite you in the arse if you do

Safe to say, even though I have my bad days, I have, recently, barely gone a day without having a smile on my face. For those who know me will know that this is a rare occurrence.

I don't think there will be a day where I don't think about the person I used to be. I'm sure I will use this as a defence mechanism in the future but I know that I will eventually get over it. If you ever see me later, if I ever just clench my fist. Just know that I am trying to counter act my old self. Not very helpful but still.

I want to thank every person who has helped me become who I am now because who I was previous was, to put it lightly, a total cunt. I have become a functioning person, with some glitches, only a couple though. I decided to thank everyone who helped me in person months ago but it needs to be said again to solidify my authenticity.

If you have read it to this far, you are one of the people who have helped me, inadvertently, but still thank you.

Tom

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hiddenlakes · 8 years ago

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9 favorite albums tag!

I was tagged by @baratkat 🌱💕✨

(actually i was tagged a while ago but i was at two concerts on two nights in a row and i’ve been in a post-concert coma so i haven’t been able to do this but holy shit asking alexandria and the word alive were amazing)

anyway, here we go!!! this turned out to be more like an “important albums” list rather than a favourite album list but i think that’s okay. i listen to a fuck ton of bands/music so i have a lot more than 9 favourite albums so this was easier.

1. 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day

I was 9 years old when this album came out (I’m an infant I know) and I remember saving up to it until one day I went to get it with my dad and man I was excited! I feel like if it weren’t for Green Day and this album, I wouln’t be the person I am today. I didn’t understand anything when I was listening to this album growing up but nowadays I really relate to it and love every single song on it. I could go on forever but the main point is that I really love this album and Green Day is still my favourite band after all these years and I wish I could thank them for everything directly.

Fav songs: Peacemaker, !Viva la Gloria¡, East Jesus Nowhere

2. Danger Days by My Chemical Romance

Of course I had to include MCR like the true emo kid that I am. This one kind of goes into the same category with 21st Century Breakdown, really affected me growing up and I still love it a lot. Not necessarily my favourite MCR album but it’s impossible to pick a specific one so this one feels like the right choice.

Faves: Na Na Na, Bulletproof Love, Planetary [GO!]

3. Collide With the Sky by Pierce the Veil

This album saved my life. Literally. It helped me through the toughest time of my life and Hold On Till May is still a song that I go to whenever I feel like the world is being too rough on me, if I feel like going back to really bad old habits or if I feel nervous, scared, anxious or like I can’t do something. “Darling, you’ll be okay” is just as reassuring and gives me chills every time and I’m so glad that I got to see Pierce the Veil a few years ago and scream/cry that line out with Vic. Every song on this album is extremely important to me and I’m not sure if I’d be alive if I’d never discovered it. It also introduced me to this music scene that feels like a home to me and I’ll forever be thankful for that.

Faves: Hold on Till May, A Match Into Water, I’m Low on Gas And You Need a Jacket

The rest of this list isn’t really in a particular order.

4. Enema of The State by blink-182

It was a tough battle between Enema and Self Titled but this is an album that doesn’t have a single song on it that I’d feel like skipping. I feel like this doesn’t really need any reasoning, it’s just purely amazing.

Faves: What’s my Age Again, Aliens Exist, Adam’s Song, The Party Song

5. Don’t Panic! by All Time Low

This album was also a small part of my journey of finding who I am and actually finding my place and my taste in music. It was the start of that journey, actually. I still love every song on it and even though I don’t really like ATL’s new stuff as much, I’ll love them forever mainly because of this album. Long live us.

Faves: Backseat Serenade, The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver, If These Sheets Were the States

6. Vessel by Twenty One Pilots

I have laughed, cried and danced to this album. I have felt every single feeling in the world to this album. It’s so incredibly powerful and full of beautiful songs and lyrics. I actually thought I could never like them back in 2014 but I found myself falling in love with them and this album just a few weeks later and I’ve gone through a lot with twenty one pilots by my side and as bittersweet as it is for me to say, I think they deserve all of the success that they have while hoping that people would actually listen to what they have to say.

7. Dark Matter by The Word Alive

Holy shit where do I even start with this one. I only started really listening to this band a few months ago but it was pure love from the first second, first note and the first lyrics. My life’s been changing a lot ever since and this album/this band has been there for me all the time and I’ve pretty much felt every emotion with this one too. I often feel alone and abandoned in this world despite having people around me but this album and these songs make me feel a little less alone. I haven’t gone a day without listening to this album since discovering it and seeing them twice just a few days ago, having eye contacts and little moments singing with Telle during their set and being able to hug him & Tony on two nights in a row after the shows while telling them how much their band means to me and them being super lovely and warm towards me and seeming like they actually cared about me and about what I had to say, making sure that I had fun at the shows and pulling me into a hug, telling me that it’s all okay when I was apologizing for shaking and being nervous made me feel like I’m actually worth something. I’m actually listening to this album as I’m writing this tag with occasional tears coming out of my eyes and I think that might say something about how important this band and this album (along with all of their other ones) mean to me.

Faves: Dark Matter, Made This Way, Branded, Insane, Face to Face, Trapped

8. Around the World and Back by State Champs

I hadn’t felt a good, old-fashioned band obsession in a long time before stumbling upon this band and this album about a year ago. Amazing album for any mood, I think there’s something for everyone on this one. One of the best modern pop punk albums in my opinion.

Faves: Secrets, All or Nothing, Perfect Score, Tooth and Nail

9. Sempiternal by Bring Me the Horizon

I started listening to this album around the same time as I started listening to Pierce The Veil. Again, a huge influence when it came to me finding my taste in music and discovering this scene that I love to death. That’s all I really have to say about this one, it’s amazing.

Faves: Sleepwalking, Can You Feel My Heart, The House of Wolves, Hospital for Souls

I feel like I missed so many amazing albums and this was so fun and difficult to make, but these were all that I could think about.

I tag @sosiopaatti (what a loser) & anyone else who wants to do it!! You don’t have to write a novel after every single one like I did but definitely tag me if you decide to do it, I love reading about these things.

#tag #shut up laura nobody cares

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nathanorenstein-blog · 6 years ago

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Twenty One Pilots - Trench

Release Date: October 5, 2018

Genres: Alternative Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, Reggae, Pop

Reviewing Trench by Twenty One Pilots was definitely a strange experience for me. There are very few bands and artists where my opinion of them changed so drastically. Before Twenty One Pilots blew up, I considered myself a massive fan. Vessel was on repeat for several months and I knew basically every word to every song. Blurryface rolled around in May of 2015, and I wasn’t really a fan, but I eventually forced myself to like it. I saw the duo live in October of 2015 and had an incredible time at the concert. However, as time passed, the band’s tragically annoying fanbase (nicknamed ‘The Skeleton Clique’) wore on me, and my love of Twenty One Pilots came to a screeching halt. It wasn’t until now that I finally returned to their music, and I tried to have an open mindset, although that was difficult at times. I revisited their albums before writing this review, and I found that there were a lot of shining moments, but mostly an abundance of potential. Vessel has many of the bands best songs to date, and Blurryface, although it admittedly had some rough song writing and overblown production, shot the band into the ears of anyone with a radio, whether they liked it or not. I was never a huge fan of the band’s debut, but even that self-titled record had some great songwriting that carried into their other projects. All of these albums eventually led to this one, Trench, and after a strangely silent three years, Twenty One Pilots have come back stronger than they have ever been.

Before I get into the actual review, I want to explain Trench’s narrative as quickly as possible, considering it is a genuine concept album. There is a fictional city named Dema, which is controlled by nine Bishops (Nico and the Niners). A rebel group, known as the Banditos, is working to escape the control of the Bishops, and to ultimately leave the city of Dema. The Banditos wear jumpsuits that are lined with yellow tape, and Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun are both members of the the Banditos. Nico is also Blurryface (from the previous album), which is basically the representation of Tyler’s insecurities. Leaving Dema and escaping the Bishops is essentially an extended metaphor for escaping your insecurities and being able to live how you want to live. There’s even more lore than all of this, and you can easily find a lot of fan theories and Reddit threads that go deeper into it all. If you’re interested in a learning more, but in a more enjoyable and accessible fashion, I would recommend watching the music videos for the lead singles “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and the Niners”. Hopefully that crude explanation of the album’s concept is sufficient because I’m moving on.

The most notable and all-encompassing improvement on this new Twenty One Pilots album is an overall sense of cohesion that can be seen in every aspect of the album. Although it might sound absurd, the album’s overall narrative actually works pretty well with the themes of the album. There are really only four songs that are truly devoted to the album’s narrative, those being “Jumpsuit”, “Nico and the Niners”, “Bandito”, and “Leave the City”. Aside from “Nico and the Niners”, none of these songs really force the narrative down your throat either. The lyrics to these songs are packed with metaphors, and they all happen to fall in line with the narrative arc. And although the rest of the songs don’t make any serious allusions to the story, Tyler Joseph's metaphor-filled songwriting has led to many fan connections and theories that aren’t necessarily far fetched by any means. The narrative holds up, and many of the songs support it well. It’s vague enough to keep much of it open to interpretation, but what is directly stated builds a solid framework for the story to work itself out in.

Keeping up with the theme of cohesion, the songs on Trench have solid structures that don’t jump around too often. The rapping has been dialed down a lot on this project, and though that may upset a lot of die-hard fans, it ultimately lends itself to smoother songs with cleaner structure. That’s not to say there isn’t rapping at all. “Levitate” is the best rapping that Tyler Joseph has ever done on a track, hands down. His flow is nearly flawless, and he honestly stands his ground among a hip hop heavy mainstream in 2018. “Neon Gravestones” is also rap-centric, but in a completely different way. My roommate told me that he thought it sounded like Hamilton (the musical), and I definitely agree. “Neon Gravestones” is actually a very important track, as Tyler expresses his discontent with modern society’s glorification of death and suicide. “Levitate” and “Neon Gravestones” are the two best tracks on the album (in my opinion), but I still think the decision to remove a lot of the rapping on the album was a smart and justified one. Tyler Joseph is able to convey a lot of different emotions through his voice, and that range is evident throughout this project. “Jumpsuit” contains almost childlike vocals from Tyler, which reflects the song’s themes of fear and protection quite well. His falsetto on the chorus of “Morph” is earcandy, and he uses it again on the incredibly peaceful “Bandito”. “Smithereens” and “Legend” both remind me of the older work of the group, and a lot of that can be attributed to Tyler’s signing. And I can’t even explain it, but something about his vocals on “The Hype” are just so addicting to me. The tracklisting here is littered with impressive showings from Tyler Joseph, and he comes across as a impressive singer here more than any other project, rather than just an introspective songwriter who happens to rap over alternative rock production.

In terms of lyrical content, Trench sees the band as much more optimistic and accepting individuals, rather than the emotional wrecks that we’ve seen on previous efforts. That isn’t to say that this album isn’t emotional, it’s just much less “emo” than before. “Legend” sees Tyler addressing the recent death of his grandfather, but his outlook on the situation is beautifully optimistic. “Leave the City”, the album’s closer, ends the albums narrative, but its metaphor shows Tyler accepting his mental health and he seems to have come to terms with living with it. “Smithereens” is similar to Blurryface’s “Tear In My Heart”, but sadly the ode to his wife comes off as cheap and simply unappealing. Tyler Joseph also writes about some new topics too. On “Chlorine”, he sings about the cleansing power of music (it’s not as cheesy as it seems), and on “Pet Cheetah”, he addresses the writer’s block that afflicted him while writing the album. “My Blood” is a simple, radio-friendly take on brotherly love, and its sincerity is tangible and powerful. The song topics across the album are fairly varied, and it keeps the overall effort feeling fresh all the way through.

In terms of the album’s actual musical composition, the album is much more reserved than the bombastic Blurryface. Twenty One Pilots is often seen as a genre-hopping group, which is just as often a detriment as it is something to be happy about. On Trench, they tone things down and iron out a lot of these musical inconsistencies. Sure, there are definitely hints of many different genres here, but the overall package is simply a solid pop record. Josh Dun’s drumming is consistently a highlight in the composition of each song, and the production is created in a way that almost seems to be built around it. “Jumpsuit” opens the album with a pounding bassline that comes in and out at the chorus, but it’s Dun’s drumming that carries the rest of the song and controls the build ups. The chorus of “Chlorine” exists in a open void with only a twinkling production effect and some mellow drumming to uphold it. A lot of the ukulele that made up several of the older Twenty One Pilots songs is now reduced to a supporting role, which honestly works much better. It’s used more consistently, and it supports the production better than it would have led it. The consistency throughout the album unfortunately leads to some stale production however. Much of this is due to tracks being too long with the production unable to hold it up. “Chlorine” drags on way too long for its own good as the final two minutes are completely unnecessary. “Bandito” has a really slow start with choruses that drag on too long, but it’s luckily saved by an explosive finale. “Cut My Lip” is sadly boring all the way through. The lyrics are boring, the production is boring, and everything just feels way too slow. Like the other aspects of the album I’ve looked at, the production is good for the most part, but it isn’t without its problems.

Overall, Twenty One Pilots have delivered a very solid record that is a good listen from front to back. Nothing here is that new, but rather they have built upon a lot of the foundation they have established in their previous albums. Much of the album is an improvement on the past, though some of the changes here don’t quite pan out all the way. Making Trench a concept album works surprisingly well, and it holds the album together in a strong way. The songwriting isn’t as emotionally potent as albums like Vessel, but the songwriting is still strong despite this. As a whole, Trench is definitely worth a listen, especially if you leave behind any previous notions you may have had about the band and its fanbase.

Best Tracks:

* “Jumpsuit”

* “Levitate”

* “Morph”

* “My Blood”

* “Neon Gravestones”

* “Nico and the Niners”

* “Leave the City”

Worst Tracks:

* “Smithereens”

* “Cut My Lip”

Final Score: Solid 7/10

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