By: Jennifer Chou, SFU Student
Content warning: if you choose to search up the songs and read the lyrics, some of them reference death and violence.
Have you ever wanted to scream in anger and frustration because of a group project? If you have, these are the songs for you — they scream so you don’t have to ruin your vocal cords. A lot of these songs are on the angsty side, but with a little imagination, they can be surprisingly applicable to group project settings.
While listening to these songs can be cathartic, it is important to be mindful of others’ circumstances. Your group project members may be dealing with things you don’t know about, so whenever you feel like screaming at them, listen to these recommendations instead!
Warning: turn the volume down before listening unless you’re really angry.
Denial: “Let’s Bury The Hatchet . . . In Your Head” by Ice Nine Kills
Despite the violent title, this song represents denial to me. No one can argue that there is clearly a lot of anger here — you can hear it in the way the vocalist screams “I’m f****** done with you” four times in a row. However, unlike the other songs on this list, there is hope “to find a better way” repeated in the chorus, which is lighter than the rest of the song. Whether that “better way” is getting through to your group project members or having a chat with your professor, you believe that there is still a chance to salvage the project.
Anger: “Hypocrisy” by Sworn In
You can hear the anger right from the beginning. This song is perfect for when you have no patience for unreliability; having no trust is a recurring line screamed by the vocalist. If you’re looking for a song that is heavy all the way through, listen to this one — it’s as heavy as the workload on your shoulders.
Depression: “Raccoon Dead” by a crowd of rebellion
Raccoons are beloved on SFU’s Burnaby campus, but there is a reason why you are supposed to stay away from them. This song explores these reasons and how to “survive in the world of raccoons.” It starts off by saying “life isn’t easy,” and themes of being lost and trapped are repeated throughout the rest of the lyrics. Heavy parts of the song are mixed with a lighter, melodic chorus, reflecting the duality of someone carrying the weight of a group project: angry and frustrated within, but trying to be understanding of others on the outside.
Bargaining: “Leech” by AngelMaker
Right off the bat, the title is very apt for a group project setting. The song starts off heavy, screaming about “coward[s who] . . . suck the life out of [you].” Despite there being themes of injustice, there are hopeful elements scattered throughout the song: you’re sure you will “learn” and “grow” after completing the group project. This song reflects your struggle to find meaning through the pain of your workload. Hopefully your group project grades can help the anger fade away.
Acceptance: “If You’re Looking for Your Knife . . . I Think My Back Found It” by Zebrahead
Despite the title, the song has a more cheerful beat with less screaming. At this stage of the group project, you’ve just accepted all the work you need to do: you claim “[you’re] doing fine” and tell others to just “give it to [you]” when there is uncompleted work no one is willing to do. Despite the song opening with “I want to burn it down,” you’ve accepted that you have to do what must be done to complete the project — there’s nothing “left to gain” and you’re ready to say your “last goodbye.”
