I own a pillowcase with a group photo on it, a car decal of their logo, a mousepad with another group shot on it, three shirts, a sweatshirt, stickers, a replica mask of one of theirs that I made, all of their songs on multiple devices, and a flag with their logo on it. Some may say I’m a little obsessed with the band Hollywood Undead. However, I didn’t start out this way.

Up until about a year ago, every time I heard someone mention Hollywood Undead, I would roll my eyes. All I had ever heard about them were their songs about some guy’s weenie “that he loves to show” (which I now have memorized and loudly/poorly scream sing it every time I hear it) and an upbeat happy song about suicide, and I wasn’t impressed. Well, about a year ago all of that changed. I got into my brother’s car one day and he was playing some of their music, and I realized it was actually kind of catchy, but I still wasn’t hooked. Then Max informed me that they were coming to the city he lives in, and asked me to go with him. I had never really been to a concert, aside from some WeDay events with the Jonas Brothers (RIP) that I went to for school, so I decided to go for it. To show how little I knew about these guys, I literally walked right past them taking group pictures with fans and just thought they were all one big group of friends excited for the concert. The opening bands didn’t impress me too much, and I assumed I was in for a rough night. But then, HU came on stage.

They opened with a song called “Usual Suspects.” This song starts off with the repetition of the words “I think I’ve lost my mind,” and during this part I was just kind of looking at Max like “Yeah, this is cool,” with an extreme amount of false enthusiasm, but then the bass dropped. I know that sounds super typical, like “the bass dropped and the party started” kind of thing, but that’s exactly what happened. They started singing and I realized that they were actually really good, and the song was really catchy, and soon I was starting to really like these six masked musicians.

They start off all of their concerts with their masks on, and then eventually take them off. Well, they did this and for the first time I saw what these guys looked like under their masks, and the lead singer, Danny, was hella gorgeous. This, obviously, made me pay even closer attention that I was already, and when the concert was over I was sitting in the passenger seat of Max’s car Googling everything I could about these guys. By the end of the week, I was what the internet calls a fangirl. I knew all of their stage and real names, personal life facts (which I realize is kind of creepy, but once you start Googling, there is no stopping), and was learning all of their songs.

Many people do as I did and brush HU off as some rock and roll band who just talks about sex and drugs, but they’re so much more than that. They have a song for whatever you are going through. Songs about friends dying, love, heartbreak, for those times you just want to party, for times when you feel all alone, songs for when you’re angry, sad, happy, confused, or going through some weird life realizations. Some songs of theirs have made me cry, and others have made me laugh. They even go through different genres of music, it’s not all rap and rock. They really cater to whatever mood you’re in and whatever musical preference you have, and they do it really well.

I had always heard stories about people finding a band that really speaks to them and makes their world a thousand times better, but I never thought that would be something I would experience. However, the Hollywood Undead lyrics that I had written on my whiteboard in my dorm room to get me through the year would prove me wrong. As would the countless times I’ve sat down with Max and discussed potential lyric tattoos, the countless times I’ve drawn their dove and grenade logo on the side of my class notes, and the fact that they’re all I listen to when I’m in my car, because it makes any day better.

Everyone deserves to find that band that makes them complete, and I truly believe I’ve found mine. As they say, “Hollywood is your friend, and the Undead are your family.”