Sarah Jacoby is the Associate News Director at SELF. As an experienced health and science journalist, she is especially interested in the science of skin care, sexual and reproductive health, drugs and drug policy, mental health, and helping everyone find their personal definition of wellness.
We like her coverage of important cannabis topics like “How the War on Drugs Fuels Racist Police Violence” and “What to Know About the MORE Act…,” so we asked Sarah to share her favorite music to listen to while partaking in the plant that’s winning hearts and minds. It’s a spirited list of her heavy metal faves from Destryur to Windhand for a new Weedsday playlist.
1. Windhand – Winter Sun
Windhand is one of my favorite bands and this is probably my favorite song of theirs. It’s heavy, it’s slow, it’s full of riffs, and it’s got a distinctly witchy vibe. What more could you want? I’ve read that the band intentionally makes it difficult to pick out the lyrics and avoids explaining their meanings in interviews, but I’ve always loved the defiant chorus that is (I think) “Wanna put me under water/Gonna see how well a witch can float.”
2. Zeal & Ardor – Come on Down
The first time I heard a Zeal & Ardor song, I have to admit that my mind was pretty blown. It is not often in the metal world that someone comes out with a completely new sound, but I had never and still have never heard anything quite like this. The combination of blues-y gospel sounds, fierce black metal vocals, and rage-filled satanic imagery is so unique and powerful. It’s hard not to feel like a badass—and like some otherworldly power has your back—when you’re listening to this.
3. Destryur – Corpse Boogie
I saw Destryur, a Brooklyn-based dark synthwave artist, open for Magic Sword a few years ago and that was such a fun night! Much of Destryur’s music is clearly inspired by John Carpenter soundtracks and other horror themes. And this song, which comes from a collaboration album with STRNGR, adds some extra edge that I particularly appreciate. It’ll make you wanna dance, do a little air guitar, and maybe even kill a few zombies. I truly cannot listen to this song just once!
4. Gatecreeper – Emptiness
Gatecreeper has always been fantastic, and their latest album shows just how much their sound has grown and developed over the past few years. This song, which closes out the album, shows off a slower death/doom approach than they’re known for, but it’s still got plenty of riffs to keep you interested. (The one that comes in around the 9-minute mark always gets me!) And, as a fellow Arizonan, I will always have a special place in my heart for the desert-inspired desolation their music evokes.
5. Sunn O))) – Hunting & Gathering
It’s not an exaggeration to say that seeing Sunn O))) live changed my life. And these days, nothing makes me miss live music more than listening to them. There really is nothing like the experience of hearing music so loud it rattles your entire body and kind of makes you forget what it’s like to be a person (you know, in a pleasant way). But I’d suggest taking a few puffs, putting on your best headphones, cranking this up as high as you can stand, and getting real comfy on the floor for a while.
