Plenty of artists pour their personal experiences, alongside the realities of working within the music industry, into their music. Far from holding an artist back, it could possibly help. That’s because Headcase is the title of Madame Mayhem‘s new album, due from Metalville Records as of the 27th November.
Fronted by Madame Mayhem herself with Jared Cannata on guitar, Percy Trayanov on bass, and Jason ‘JBomb’ Harrison on drums, Madame Mayhem the band dig into the thoughts and emotions you’re not supposed to say out loud: anger, grief, betrayal, frustration, insecurity, and the moments when you wonder how much more you can take but then discover that you are stronger than you know.
In a real sense, Headcase is about owning that aforementioned chaos rather than apologising for it. Despite these supposedly modern times, as a woman, being emotional, angry, outspoken, or intense can still get you labelled “crazy” or “too much”. Headcase takes that label and turns it into something powerful. The songs came from different experiences, but together they tell the story of what happens when life keeps knocking you down and you have to figure out how to get back up.
At the centre of that story is ‘Survived The Monster’, according to Madame Mayhem herself, who explained: “The monster isn’t necessarily one person or one experience. It represents everything that has tried to break you: betrayal, disappointment, complicated relationships and the emotional toll of trying to survive. There’s a difference between defeating something and surviving it. Survival doesn’t mean walking away untouched. You can still carry the scars, anger, and hurt. The victory is realising that whatever you went through didn’t destroy you. ‘Survived The Monster’ is that moment of finally being able to look back and say, ‘Wow. I made it through that.'”
Such experiences run throughout the album. ‘Fake Friends’ and ‘Sinking Ships’ pull from the realities of the music industry: learning that some people only stand beside you when there’s something in it for them, watching promises disappear, and realising that loyalty doesn’t mean you have to go down with a situation that’s destroying you.
‘Can You Hear Me?’ turns inward toward family, using music to express the things that can be almost impossible to say in a conversation. It brings a different kind of vulnerability to an album that isn’t afraid to be angry.
Ultimately, the album is about survival in all its messy forms. It’s about being disappointed by people you trusted, questioning yourself, and continuing even when the world gives you every reason to stop. That’s why ‘Survived The Monster’ feels like the heart of the record.
“After all the anger, loss, frustration, and chaos, the message is simple: I’m bruised, I’m different, maybe I’m a little more guarded, but I’m still here,” said Madame Mayhem.
Headcase‘s full track listing is: ‘Welcome To The Shit Show’, ‘Fake Friends’, ‘Survived The Monster’, ‘Headcase’, ‘Drag Me Back’, ‘Immune To You’, ‘Kill You First’, ‘Get It Right’, ‘No More Chances’, ‘Better Than A Bullet’, ‘Can You Hear Me?’, ‘Parasite’, ‘Sinking Ships’ and ‘Battle Cry’.
