Musicians and other performing artists have been forced inside in recent months as a response to COVID-19. While a good decision to slow the spread of the virus, it also leaves almost everyone in an uncertain position with no timeline for when things might improve. Because of that, Gruesome drummer Gus Rios and Filter drummer Mika Fineo will participate in a special episode of Rios’ podcast, The Gus and Sethmetal Show, dedicated to the two musicians’ personal experiences with depression.
“Depression, anxiety and ultimately suicide are all too common themes in many songs,” Rios tells Decibel. “In particular within the metal community, we even have an entire subgenre dedicated to it, doom metal. To say that mental health issues are prevalent in the musician and artist community would be quite the understatement… yet we don’t really talk about it. The stigma persists and people keep dying feeling hopeless or living in pain. My good friend Mika Fineo and I were recently discussing our own struggles and how the current situation has greatly exacerbated them.
“I invited him to be a guest on the Gus and Sethmetal Show (a show I started doing on the Sick Drummer magazine Facebook page since the pandemic started) because I thought it would be good for him. He then suggested that we maybe START the conversation about mental health, which is way out of my comfort zone but this is bigger than my fear. We want to hopefully start a bit of a #metoo movement in the music community in regards to depression and anxiety. It’s OK to not be OK… and hopefully talk to somebody and get help. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!”
Fineo will appear on the Gus and Sethmetal show on July 3 at 5PM EST. You can find the official page here.
