QUEEN Guitarist BRIAN MAY Opens Up About Holiday Depression That Paralyzed Him With 'Hopelessness' And 'Fear'

Brian May has opened up about his battle with depression, saying that he hasn't wanted to go outside most of this Christmas period because his face was "grim."

The QUEEN guitarist spoke out on Instagram, where he posted a photo of him smiling and offering a thumbs-up alongside a painting of another legendary musician, Jimi Hendrix.

"Inspiration for the next 10 years ? Thanks to my dear friend Joe Elliott @defleppard I have this great image of my hero Jimi Hendrix on my wall to remind me to keep reaching for the stars," he wrote.

Sensing that the sentiment might be perceived by some as a little too "glib," he continued: "Well, that's my brave face. Most of this Christmas period I haven't wanted to show my face because my face was grim."

He added: "There's something about this time of the year that paralyses me. Depression, hopelessness, fear … I get engulfed.

"Is it logical? No. Should I be grateful for my life and therefore NOT depressed? Yes. But none of that makes any difference when you look up and the colours have gone out of the world."

Nearly two decades ago, May admitted he felt suicidal after the death of QUEEN singer Freddie Mercury in 1991.

"My life was falling apart," he told Astronomy.com. "I was deeply depressed. I suppose I would call myself a spiritual person in a sense, but I don't really subscribe to any of the formal religions."

May, who is also an astrophysicist, added: "I went to this clinic in Tucson, Arizona, when I was very down, and they said, 'We have to find your spirituality — what you most enjoy.' At the time, I couldn't think of anything I enjoyed. I was just in a very black place. And then eventually I figured out, because of the beautiful skies there, that one of my greatest joys was just looking at the stars. So I feel anchored to the universe in some way. It's quite a powerful force in my life."

This spring, May will re-team with his QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT bandmates for their European tour, which will launch in Italy on May 24, with its final stop in Madrid with two shows on July 7 and July 8. Along the way, it will play in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland, as well as the U.K., where dates will center around 10 London shows at The O2 beginning on June 2.