8 rock and metal songs about grief, from Metallica to Slipknot.

Rock and metal are full of songs about grief that explore the pain of losing a loved one. When artists find the strength to create from this place of suffering, they release true anthems of personal and collective overcoming, giving voice to a feeling that can seem very lonely. 

When listing the best albums released in 2021 so far , the Wikimetal team noticed a common theme in many of the chosen records: loss and grief. Especially in the face of a deadly pandemic, which has already claimed the lives of more than 500,000 people in Brazil alone, we selected seven songs with this theme that convey powerful messages.

Lacuna Coil – “My Spirit”

Written on the night of April 14, 2010, when Peter Steele , vocalist of Type O Negative Cristina Scabbia commented about the track to LouderSound .

Alter Bridge – “In Loving Memory”

Part of the band's debut album, "In Loving Memory" was written by Mark Tremonti after his mother's death as a way of thanking her for all the love they shared throughout their lives. "I grew up in Detroit, and when I feel a nice breeze, it reminds me of the time I spent with my mother when I was young and spent time with her. When someone who is very close to you dies, you never feel like they're gone, you still feel they're there in spirit and protecting you," the guitarist told FaceCulture . "This song makes me feel better about the situation."

Avenged Sevenfold – “So Far Away”

The album Nightmare was released a few months after the death of The Rev , drummer and founding member of Avenged Sevenfold , from an accidental overdose. The album is marked by the grief of losing a friend and partner, feelings condensed in the ballad "So Far Away," a composition by Synyster Gates initially intended to honor the musician's late grandfather.

Pearl Jam – “Last Kiss” 

Pearl Jam 's single "Last Kiss" is a cover of Wayne Cochran song. The song never became a hit for the original artist, and was supposedly written about a tragic car accident that killed two teenagers during a romantic date in 1962.

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The Pretty Reckless – “Harley Darling”

Pretty Reckless ' fourth studio album , Death By Rock And Roll Taylor Momsen 's grieving and depression after losing two close friends: Chris Cornell and producer Kato Khandwala . The latter died in a motorcycle accident, which inspired the album's poignant closing track, "Harley Darling," where Momsen addresses the Harley motorcycle that took her friend's life and laments, "You took everything from me and now I'm alone again."

Slipknot – “Goodbye”

Following the death of Paul Gray in 2010, Slipknot took four years to release .5: The Gray Chapter , an album dedicated to the band's bassist. The project is completely marked by the pain of mourning the loss of their friend and fellow band member, but the track "Goodbye" perfectly captures the feelings of the day Gray passed away. "It's specifically about sitting at home two hours after receiving the news, just shocked, completely numb and completely overwhelmed by what we were dealing with," Corey Taylor told Rolling Stone .

Metallica – “Fade To Black”

Elected the best song on the album Ride The Lightning Wikimetal readers , “Fade To Black” is also among the saddest metal songs for our audience. Written during a time of sadness and setbacks for the band, the track is a farewell to life. “It’s a suicide song, and we received a lot of criticism for it, as if young people were going to kill themselves because of the song. But we received many letters talking about how people related to the song, and how it made them feel better,” explained James Hetfield in an interview.

Linkin Park – “One More Light”

Linkin Park 's most memorable songs is definitely the single "One More Light," the title track from their last album recorded with vocalist Chester Bennington . According to Mike Shinoda , the song was written as a letter dedicated to those who had lost someone, but the song took on a new meaning after the death of Chris Cornell . The day after the sad news, Linkin Park performed on Jimmy Kimmel and Chester dedicated the song to his friend. Two months later, the vocalist would also commit suicide, immortalizing the song as a tribute to his memory.

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