Gone with the Flesh competes tonight to open at Fuel concert in Pensacola
September 20, 2011 4:33 PM
NAVARRE — A local band’s military background has influenced the hardcore heavy metal music they write and play.
From deployed days to weapon references, the military experience flows through many of the songs written and performed by Gone with the Flesh.
Bassist Jenn Goode said one subject close to the hearts of band members is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“We all have family members or friends that have been affected by PTSD which is why we are so strongly emotional about getting the word out there,” Goode said. “Our music is what helps us deal with all of our personal issues; it is definitely a great stress relief.”
Goode, a medic in the Gulf War, said she came back with a minor case of PTSD after working a mass casualty event and treating victims of an improvised explosive device.
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There is a growing canon, if you will, of metal bands who are addressing these types of issues. I'm thinking of Lamb of God's "Ashes of the Wake" and much of "Resolution," much of Dream Theater's two recent albums, Queensryche's "American Soldier." Often, though, those messages go unheard. One of my big gripes with metal music reviews is that they get so caught up in the riffs and growls that they almost never mention the lyrics, and most folks of the older generations have little or no time for metal music at all. In both cases, their loss.
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