Catharsis

Album: Catharsis (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Speaking with Pete Bailey of the Binge Thinking podcast on Primordial Radio, Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn explained why the band titled their ninth album after this song:

    "I think when we started looking at the record and what was on the record, it was… it's an eclectic record. It's a pretty diverse, weird record. And it had so many different, varying emotions. On the one hand, you've got songs like 'Volatile' or 'Bastards', which are very social, political commentary. On the other hand, you've got a song like 'California Bleeding' or 'Razorblade Smile', which is just, like, 'Let get f---ed up' — it's just a get-hammered song. Songs like 'Eulogy' about depression, songs like 'Hope Begets Hope', which is just about [having] faith.

    About halfway through the writing sessions, when the song 'Catharsis' came to be, and there's that line in there, 'The only thing keeping me sane, the music in my veins, and if these words are my fists, this is my catharsis.' And it just summed up everything we were trying to say."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Harold Brown of War

Harold Brown of WarSongwriter Interviews

A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.