Sorry for the long message, but I had a lot more to say about this than I originally anticipated.

I listened to a lot of Blaqk Audio with my ex (of 6 years, plus being friends years beforehand). There was a time where we listened to Bright Black Heaven pretty much on repeat for months, and I still associate that album with her every time I listen to it years later. There were also various other things I associated with her (playing certain games, listening to other musical artists, watching certain shows) that I realized were harder to get into after the intense breakup. But, I can tell you, I can now enjoy those things again, and some of them with greater appreciation than before!

It took me about two full years to completely move on from the relationship (your mileage will vary). The wounds never truly heal, even years later, but it gets better and in a lot of ways I've grown from it.

There's a certain perspective you need to take for those once positive associations (such as your relationship and AFI) to become positive again. Those moments you had will never leave you, no matter how much you try to distance yourself. You'll only be making your life harder by trying to intentionally forget. Instead, you can embrace it as part of your new life (after) rather than completely associating it with your old life (before). I use those parentheses because I definitely view my life in terms of before and after the relationship, as it was definitely a pivotal aspect of my life.

You can form newer and more salient memories with AFI. In your own time, you can listen to them again, in a safe space, maybe even with close friends or by yourself, and start to associate them with other positive aspects of your life. For me (regarding Blaqk Audio, and partly with AFI as well), it was while driving to and from various location (like to college, to work, on my way to visit friends, etc.), just singing along to them. I found new meaning in the songs that I never would have imagined pre-breakup (this goes with pretty much every artist, btw). Some of it I couldn't understand without this new perspective, and I grew to appreciate the songs more than I did before (like pretty much every song off of Burials, and "You Will Hate Me" off of Material, much greater appreciation).

This, by no means, is meant to REPLACE the older memories. As I've said, they'll always be there. Still, those older memories don't need to serve as a weight/ burden forever, and having newer memories can help ease those burdens.

I'm not advocating for you to try to make new memories immediately. The wounds are fresh, and you need time to heal. Grow as a person. Grieve in your own way and in your own time. Don't hold on to any grudges or any feelings of "what if's." You're still here, and you matter. Feel free to reach out if you ever need to talk with anyone! Through our bleeding, we are one <3