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One of the most beautiful things about music is the way it reflects the essence of its own creation. Through music, we can see moments in time. Memories, sorrow, conflict, love – all frozen, like a polaroid photograph of a time long passed. In modern day, this is much more literal, thanks to the recording technology we possess. But for classical music, a performer can, if they really listen, feel everything the composer felt when the piece was written. Centuries ago, someone channeled their emotions into a piece as a means of catharsis, and those feelings still survive. 

Emotion is likely humanity’s greatest strength. Without our complex emotions, art would not exist in the first place. Music can come from many places, depending completely on its composer. It can reflect the beauty of the world around us, the warmth and devotion of true love, and even our darkest, scariest feelings and thoughts. It is no wonder, then, that those predisposed to feeling emotion more intensely than others are capable of astonishing creative works.

Many great composers of the Classical period suffered from severe mental illness- the kind that can take over one’s entire life. Bipolar disorder is the most common amongst them, though diagnosis was essentially nonexistent at the time. Early names for the disorder included circular madness and manic depression. It can be hard to diagnose bipolar disorder even in the modern era; its many colors and symptoms have eluded explanation since the condition’s roots in the Paleolithic era. We know, now, what BP can look like. With that retrospect, the lives of some of the world’s most prolific composers can be analyzed through a new lens. No longer mad geniuses, but creative, passionate people who suffered with an incurable disorder in a time where there simply was no treatment.

Statistically, the percentage of classical music composers who suffered from a mood disorder ranges between 34.6%  and 41%. Musicians, overall, have a higher rate of mental illness. In at least one third of these cases, the symptoms have dramatically affected the flow of the composer’s creative work, relationships, and lives. Robert Schumann (a romantic composer, technically) is an excellent example of a bipolar musician. His musical output increased and decreased over the course of his life, reflecting the ever changing state of his mood. Other composers cited to be on the bipolar spectrum include Berlioz, Brahms, Cherubnini, Duparc, Gluck, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Rossini, Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Wolf.

So, why are there so many bipolar classical composers? It’s all based on the way mood disorders affect the brain. Bipolar disorder alters the entire way one experiences life. I’m a bipolar musician myself, so I think speaking from experience would be the best way to communicate what it’s like. During manic episodes, I’m able to get a lot done creatively. I practice more, write more, and improve rapidly. Unfortunately, mania also brings a massive increase in anxiety, irritability, and impulsive behavior. 

When the mania ends, there’s a crash. Depression sets in, and suddenly everything good I’ve done can feel distant, like it never happened. I can try hard to be creative, and sometimes I can, but it will always reflect the pain I feel. No matter what state I’m in, every emotion is dialed up to 100%, every little bit of stimulus feels huge. So, it makes complete sense that the way bipolar people experience music is different. 

Neurobiologically, the association between music and mood is within the right hemisphere of the brain. Those with bipolar disorders are more likely to have different pathology in the right hemisphere, which facilitates the experience of music and poetry. This explains why studies have shown that bipolar patients show high levels of creativity. Every emotion comes through stronger, whether you’re listening to, performing, or writing music. It’s important to clarify, though, that this creativity does not guarantee greatness. Bipolar people have to fight just to function at all, and being able to actually make something of their boundless creativity is a huge accomplishment. Many people would be surprised to find out how many remarkable artists in history were bipolar. For example; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

Mozart is possibly the most famous and influential classical composer of all time. His 600 works for piano, choir, chamber music, opera, and symphonic music have become standards for performance and analysis. It’s well known that Mozart was a child prodigy, but less people know that Mozart suffered from bipolar disorder. In his letters, he mentioned his deep sadness, tearfulness, and depression. He also had difficulties concentrating, experienced massive energy loss, and had inappropriate feelings of guilt. From today’s diagnostic standards, these symptoms meet all the criteria for a depressive episode.

Mozart also experienced manic episodes. During these episodes, he would often wake up at 6am and work until 2am, reflecting a disturbed sleep schedule and increase in goal directed activity, two hallmarks of mania. He also wrote letters which were almost incoherent and full of very inappropriate humor. He also had difficulty handling money, and needed his father’s help with finances. Mozart also could not tolerate being alone, and demanded a lot of attention from his wife, father, and other important people in his life. He is also noted to have had temperamental outbursts during these times. All of these symptoms meet the criteria for a manic episode.

Mozart died too young, at age 35 in Vienna, Austria. His death has attracted a lot of speculation. It’s commonly said that he died of disease, but nobody can seem to identify which. Unfortunately, this too is typical of bipolar disorder. A recent study shows that those with the condition are more likely to die from a number of causes, and to die almost a decade younger than the average population. These rates are not just because of suicide, as is commonly believed. In fact, bipolar sufferers are at an increased risk of dying from a number of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, the flu, and pneumonia. Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly why this happens. We do know, now, that bipolar disorder often affects the entire body.

Too many bipolar musicians have died young; from Mozart to Kurt Cobain. The statistics can be overwhelming, making this disorder feel like a death sentence to many. But there is a lot of inspiration and comfort to be found in the art they’ve left behind. Yes, there is a lot of pain, but there’s also so much creativity and passion. For me, personally, to know that people with my condition have the capability to be truly great means everything. Their music is hope. It’s full of all the big emotions I and so many others live with every day, and in that there is both solidarity and comfort. 

The term “mad genius” just isn’t fair to all of these great people. Bipolar disorder is not madness, and reducing it to such diminishes the accomplishments of some of the greatest artists of all time. They weren’t a stereotype, they were (and are) real people whose brains happened to be wired differently. The creativity of bipolar people is the illness’ one gift to (some of) those who have it, but it’s often hard to work through the pain and use it. Great bipolar musicians; Mozart, Schumann, even Hendrix and Cobain, were not great because of their illness.

They were great in spite of it.

Hellfire is a fitting title for Black Midi’s newest album, which sees Black Midi at their most infernal. Their sound, which draws from a seemingly infinite catalog of genres, has been described as post-punk, experimental rock, math rock, and avant-prog. The band was formed in 2017 in London by vocalist and guitarist Geordie Greep, bassist Cameron Picton, drummer Morgan Simpson, and guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin. Their current lineup is a trio including Greep, Simpson, and Picton. keyboard player Seth Evans and saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi are frequent collaborators, appearing on recorded and live performances. 

Black Midi’s first album, Schlagenheim, was released in 2019 and received critical acclaim for the band’s raw, volatile take on post-punk. In 2021, they released the more avant-prog Cavalcade, which saw the band incorporating a wider range of influences. On their most recent album, Black Midi takes what they learned from Cavalcade to new heights. Hellfire, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, was released in July of 2022 to critical acclaim. The album’s chart position in the UK peaked at spot 22, landing it in the top 40 for a week. On this record, the band reaches new heights in songwriting, storytelling, and orchestration. The result is a concept album that pulls the listener into another universe rife with chaos, suspense, and a touch of humor.

Black Midi has been recognized for their storytelling abilities since their first release, Schlagenheim, but Hellfire takes it to the next level. Greep’s lyrics tell captivating stories with a touch of absurdity that only Black Midi could pull off, given their ethos of doing whatever they want. He fully embodies his characters in a broadway-esque fashion, whether that’s the protagonist, a narrator, or someone else entirely. Greep adeptly weaves rhythmic speaking with expressive, dramatic melodies. His most impressive moments on this album, however, are his rapid-fire, auctioneer style rants, which he fires at the listener like a submachine gun. I don’t know how he manages to deliver these kinds of vocals while playing guitar the way he does, honestly. His playing is complex, versatile, and tight in each song.

It cannot be understated how well the arrangements on this record contribute its storytelling. Black Midi’s songs are many things, but never formulaic. Along with the lyrics, the music follows a plot, evolving in different directions on every track. The band are masters of dissonance, using it liberally to build tension which explodes dramatically into perfectly orchestrated chaos. Each part compliments and interacts with the others, especially the drum parts. Morgan Simpson’s drumming is vital, never becoming dull, repetitive, or stagnant. It’s clear that his jazz background has made him an incredible soloist and given him the ability to fluidly move the band from one extreme to the other. Cameron Picton’s contributions are no less impressive. Throughout the album, Picton’s mastery of bass sees him complementing his fellow members while also displaying his technical proficiency. He takes on lead vocals and guitar on two songs from Hellfire, Eat Men Eat and Still. His guitar work on these tracks seems heavily influenced by flamenco and classical guitar.

The album starts off with Hellfire, a track packed with mania and raw panic. Greep’s rapid fire vocals are delivered from the perspective of the devil himself, and detail the fragility of humanity and the fleeting nature of our lives. In the final section, the listener is welcomed into hell by the devil as his erratic rant comes to a close. The track’s sense of existential terror is amplified by the dissonant, staccato stings that recur throughout. The chaos, however, is balanced out by lush passages that compliment Greep’s lyrics about the passage of time. Hellfire sets the tone wonderfully for the rest of the album, informing the listener that the tracks that follow will be just as wild of a ride.

Next, the album carries the listener into Sugar/Tzu, which details the events of a boxing match between two 600 pound boxers in the year 2163.  The song is from the perspective of a man who shot one of the two boxers, solidifying both their place in history. Instrumentally, this is one of the most technically impressive tracks Black Midi has ever released. The sections differ in tone, beginning with a smooth jazz section which erupts into rapid-fire runs that seem physically impossible to play, complimented by tense, ascending horn lines. As Greep describes the match’s violent ending, the music takes on a more low-key, mysterious tone, but retains its feeling of tension. From there, the track returns to the pummeling runs from earlier, but builds into an insane, chaotic release.

Next, we’re launched into Eat Men Eat full force, featuring Cameron Picton on lead vocals and guitar. Picton tells the story of two men’s escape from the evil, blood drinking captain of some sort of mine. This track effortlessly shifts between dreamy, mirage-like sections and pure intensity. Picton’s guitar work stands out for its flamenco inspired sound, which is mixed so clearly you can hear every string. His vocals sometimes go flat during the more melodic passages, but he more than makes up for it with his frenzied vocals later in the song. The drums are fantastic as well, with Morgan Simpson’s creativity on full display. The instrumentation is rounded out by strings, horns, and saxophone, all used perfectly throughout. The song ends with Black Midi’s signature elephant horns, setting the tone perfectly for the next track.

Welcome to Hell is a contender for the best track on this record thanks to its intensity, perfect sense of groove, and sense of constant forward motion. This song doesn’t give you a second to catch your breath, but never becomes stagnant. The story introduces a young soldier named Tristan Bongo, a recurring character in the album, taking us through the night he was discharged from the military. Instrumentally, Welcome to Hell is tight, quick, and relentless. Every instrument sounds incredible, and the players compliment each other perfectly. The song features Morgan Simpson, who erupts into a tight, complex, drum break, moving into a short dialogue between the drums and guitar. Greep really sells the 1940s military sergeant thing, but also delivers some Sinatra moments. His lyrics can be interpreted as satire, presenting an effective criticism of toxic masculinity, nationalism, and bigotry through the lens of a character who embodies it.

Next up is Still, the last of this album’s A side. Cameron Picton is back on vocals and guitar. This may be the only track on this album that doesn’t have a predetermined story. Lyrically, it seems to be about a relationship that is falling apart. The whole song carries a profound feeling of yearning, emphasized by beautiful orchestration. It’s possibly the calmest track on the album, though Black Midi’s contrast skills are still at very much at play. Still’s ending section is one of the most beautiful moments on Hellfire, leaving the listener with a sense of peace and resolution. This sense of peace, however, is violently interrupted by Half Time, a Songs for the Deaf style radio intermission which starts off the B side of the album with the host announcing a “song like no other.”

The Race is About to Begin is the most insane song on this record. At 7 minutes and 15 seconds, the song covers a lot of ground. Greep is back on vocals and guitar, painting a picture of a high stakes horse race from the perspective of multiple characters, mostly Tristan Bongo. The song continues to make use of contrast, alternating between urgent, intense sections and loving, dreamlike descriptions of the race. Then, Black Midi throws the listener a massive curveball, launching into Geordie Greep’s finest auctioneer rant of all time. He’s going faster than the speed of light here, providing a perfect look into Bongo’s mind as he descends into madness. It’s the absolute peak of the song. The final section of The Race is About to Begin is stunning. It’s the pure opposite of the prior section, exhibiting Black Midi’s most sensitive and beautiful playing. Greep ends the song instilling hope in the listener that people can change and things can get better. Ending a song this intense with hope and melodic sensitivity is an unprecedented move, and Black Midi pulls it off flawlessly.

Dangerous Liaisons follows, presenting a scene reminiscent of a Noir film, both musically and lyrically.  The story is captivating, with Greep singing from the perspective of a farm hand who agrees to strangle a man to death for pay. The lyrics are as engaging as any crime film, if not more so. The band builds and releases tension effortlessly while maintaining active dialogue between instruments. Dangerous Liaisons follows a steady build, but still has Black Midi’s signature chaos. The band repeatedly erupts from 1940s cabaret into an organized explosion, matching Greep’s intensity all the way through. The track closes with intense, dissonant stings as the main character is dragged to hell. 

We’re introduced to The Defence with Greep’s gentle voice, accompanied by acoustic guitar and minimal bass playing. Greep speaks from the perspective of a Christian pimp, telling of his own lifestyle through a positive light, as if he’s proud of what he does. The music reflects the protagonist’s self image, sounding triumphant and proud throughout. This song draws heavily on the band’s jazz influences, with Greep crooning like a lounge singer. The Defence has the most simple song structure out of all the songs on Hellfire, and is by far the least discordant and intense. It serves as a nice palette cleanser before 27 Questions, the final and most insane song on the album.

27 Questions is a fitting end to a truly insane album. Loaded with dissonance both harmonically and rhythmically, the song paints a scene of horror and mockery, making it a perfect summary of all the album’s themes. The story describes “the show of a lifetime,” in which a man named Freddie Frost gives his last will and testament live on stage through performance. The music intensifies as Greep describes the show from the perspective of an audience member. Frost, long ago a star, has since declined and is treated with pity and ridicule by the audience throughout the performance, which features a film, an opera performed by his 65 daughters, and one final song by the dying man. As the music takes on a rather sweet tone, Frost asks all of the questions he’s never asked, ranging from existential to absurd. He doesn’t quite get to 27, as he begins to feel ill. Just when you think things will end on a peaceful note, Black Midi delivers their most hard-hitting, brutal, discordant explosion yet, sounding like something out of a horror movie as Freddie Frost dies in the most absurd manner possible. This, too, is laughed at by the audience, bringing back Sugar/Tzu’s theme of violence for the sake of entertainment value. It’s a dramatic, perfect ending to an insane album.

Hellfire is, from start to finish, boundary pushing and groundbreaking. There’s not a single dull moment on Hellfire, thanks to Black Midi’s musical diversity, technical ability, and incredible storytelling. It cannot be understated how valuable the band’s diverse influences are on this record, which pulls from cabaret, country, flamenco, and show tunes while maintaining a firm footing in their avant-prog sound. I, personally, have never heard a record more interesting and wild. Hellfire is easily my favorite album release of this year, and I eagerly look forward to seeing what Black Midi does next .I happily give Hellfire by Black Midi a 10/10, and recommend that anyone looking for masterful, innovative, and chaotic music give it a listen.