Rock Bottom doesn’t just make music—he lives it, breathes it, and bleeds it. After stepping away from the industry to deal with personal loss, this St. Augustine-born artist is back, with an album that’s nothing short of an emotional gut punch. The Diaries of Misfortune, released on January 10, 2025, is the soundtrack to his rawest moments—written, recorded, and produced during some of the darkest days of his life.
“This album was my way of surviving,” Rock Bottom says. “When I lost a close family member, I had all this pain bottled up. Music was the only way I could deal with it. Writing, producing, and playing every track helped me process everything I was feeling.”
The result is unlike anything he’s done before. Forget formulaic song structures—there are no neatly packaged verses and catchy hooks here. Instead, Rock Bottom blends rock, metal, hip-hop, and rap into a sound that’s chaotic, unpredictable, and painfully honest. “I didn’t care about following any rules,” he admits. “I just needed it to feel real.”
Breaking the Silence
For years, Rock Bottom kept his music under wraps. Sure, he was always behind the scenes, producing and recording for others, but he wasn’t ready to face his own story. “I was afraid,” he says candidly. “It felt easier to hide behind other people’s music than deal with my own emotions.”
But his wife, kids, and closest friends refused to let him stay hidden. “They were relentless,” Rock Bottom laughs. “They kept saying, ‘You’ve got all this music sitting here—why aren’t you putting it out?’” Eventually, their encouragement broke through, and he teamed up with Nota-Frayed Records to release The Diaries of Misfortune.
It wasn’t an easy process. Some songs were so personal that recording them took everything he had. “There were tracks that took dozens of takes because the emotions just hit too hard,” Rock Bottom recalls. “But I realized that the rawness—that vulnerability—was exactly what the album needed.”
Not Here to Play the Game
Unlike many artists chasing radio hits and record deals, Rock Bottom isn’t interested in playing the industry game. “The big labels are all about numbers—how much money they can make, how many records they can sell. That’s never been my focus,” he says. “Music is about connection. It’s about creating something real that resonates with people.”
That authenticity is what sets him apart. With The Diaries of Misfortune, Rock Bottom isn’t sugarcoating anything. The slower tracks are heavy, emotional gut-checks, while the high-tempo songs hit with the kind of force that makes you want to crank the volume and lose yourself in the noise. “I wanted every track to make people feel something, whether it’s sadness, rage, or catharsis,” he explains.
The Next Chapter
In just a few short weeks, The Diaries of Misfortune has found an audience across multiple countries, with listeners ranging from ages 18 to 60 connecting with Rock Bottom’s story. The response has been overwhelming. “It’s surreal,” he admits. “I’ve always made music for myself, but knowing it’s reaching other people—that it’s helping them in some way—that’s what makes it all worth it.”
So, what’s next for Rock Bottom? More music, more stories, and a promise to keep pushing boundaries. “I’m back,” he says with a grin. “And I’m just getting started.”
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Listen to The Diaries of Misfortune now: rockbottom.hearnow.com
