Getting Into: Type O Negative
| Written by: | Baz Anderson |
| Published: | November 30, 2010 |
Every once in a blue moon one of these articles comes along. These "Getting Into" articles present a fair, full description of a band's discography of studio albums with a clear rating out of five, as a means of aiding people who want to get into such a band but have no idea where to start. Usually reviews have different authors and are written at different points in time - so this is a clear guide of how to get into the band in question.
Type O Negative
Doom / Gothic metal
U.S.A.
Perhaps one of the most distinctive bands of the last two decades; emerging in the early nineties when grunge was in full swing, the band bulldozed its way through drug use and personal tragedies to bring us six dire albums coated with themes of death, depression, and a hint of romance. Forming in Brooklyn, New York, the band were soon signed by a growing Roadrunner Records and left to their own devices. Throughout, as their first album hinted, Type O Negative have delivered slow, deep and hard metal with a very depressing but at times humorous theme. Certainly not everybody's cup of tea, but with Pete's distinctive, ultra low-pitched, booming voice at the helm - they were going to make you listen.
  | Slow, Deep And Hard (1991) The band's debut album set the rough tone of things to come. Slow, crushing riffs with long songs, this is the rawest Type O Negative album and the album that has the most amount of harsh hardcore or thrash elements mixed in there. Don't let that fool you though, "Xero Tolerance" is probably the harshest song on the album, but on the whole Slow, Deep And Hard is still a gothic-laced doom fest of dreary, but also angry and real songs from the naïve band at the time. Not the most representative album, and one probably best left for later. It is worth a mention that The Origin Of The Feces is simply the band's debut album re-recorded in a basement with a fake audience put over the top as a result of money given to them to make a live album being spent on alcohol instead. |
| Bloody Kisses (1993) This was the album that changed everything for the band. Not only was the production of album much better than the debut, but in songwriting and musical terms too. Bloody Kisses is always thought of as the definitive Type O Negative album, as it is the band's most commercially successful album. It was the first album Roadrunner Records ever released that went on to be certified Platinum in the United States. And yes, arguably this is the band's best album. "Christian Woman" and "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" are still thought of as two of the band's classics, they are both long songs and put the band a mile away from the quality of the first album. This was Type O Negative at their best, darkly romantic, very gothic and deeply haunting. "Kill All The White People" and "We Hate Everyone" were both written with a mocking, joking tone in mind, and musically are the last nod towards the first album's slight hardcore edge. The album is deep and dark, archetypal Type O Negative and without any doubt a true classic of nineties metal. |  |
  | October Rust (1996) Three years later the pressure was on for the band to produce a worthy follower to their previous album. This manifested itself with October Rust being an overall more accessible album, with songs not quite reaching the length as they had been on the previous album, and the obvious commercial punt of "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend". "Love You To Death" is once again Type O Negative at their very best, offering a strong emotional journey for the listener, and songs like "Be My Druidess" and "In Praise Of Bacchus" might not be quite as deep or emotionally stirring, but are still absolute top quality songs. It is fair to say that October Rust is another fantastic album, and worthy follow-up to the previous album. It might even be worth delving into this album first, as it is a much more welcoming album and easier to digest upon initial hearing, while not compromising any of the band's classic sound. |
| World Coming Down (1999) There is nothing remotely amusing about this album. Pete suffered numerous deaths in his family prior to this album, and subsequently started using different substances to numb the pain. World Coming Down is just that. This is the album of a broken man, with songs almost exclusively focusing on death, addiction and depression. "Everyone I Love Is Dead" and "Everything Dies" are heart wrenching, musical manifestations of pure hurt and depression. Even the interludes "Sinus", "Liver" and "Lung" are haunting reminders of our mortality and inevitable impending death. This is one of the most depressing albums in history, and thus is not an album easily and casually listened to. The quality of music on this album is still great, but the unrelenting barrage of depression prevents this from being an album you can even consider listening to lightly. |  |
 | Life Is Killing Me (2003) Four years on and the band had made the conscious decision to pick up the pace a little and bring back the humour. This album is by a long way the band's most accessible and commercial album, perhaps uncharacteristically glib at times with the opening popular hit "I Don't Wanna Be Me". The song lengths are also the shortest on-the-whole of any Type O Negative album, but nevertheless this doesn't mean the band lost their way. There are some great, dark, gothic songs on here, most notably the moody "Anasthesia" and "The Dream Is Dead". Life Is Killing Me does bring back the humour with the more up-tempo "I Like Goils", written after Pete drew unwanted male attention after his Playgirl appearance, and also a cover of "Angry Inch" detailing a botched sex-change operation. This album is therefore the most light-hearted Type O Negative album there is, and so probably also the most accessible - but not representative of the bleak sounds we had come to love from the earlier albums. |
| Dead Again (2007) And so as events would pan out, this would be the last album. After a spell in prison and a stretch of drug rehabilitation, it was then fitting that Peter and company would create this last album almost as a mosaic of styles of their past catalogue. Long songs are back, perhaps not to the same morbid degree as before, but "September Sun" especially is an incredibly memorable and haunting piece. Title track "Dead Again" and follow-up "Tripping A Blind Man" once again give a nod to the old Type O Negative with thrash elements present. Dead Again is an extremely long album and does waver in consistency from time to time, but is once again quite accessible in comparison to the older material. This wouldn't be the best place to start, but wouldn't be the worst either. This album showcases the different elements Type O Negative have brought to the table over the years, but does not quite have the original and eerie atmosphere of the band's best days. |  |
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Overview
Among the joke intro tracks, Peter himself believing at one time he was Jesus Christ, the drink, the drugs, the depression and prison, the weird cover songs, the Nazi accusations, fake live albums, the Playgirl magazine, the Jerry Springer appearances, the fake death rumours and ultimately the real death of Peter Steele - Type O Negative were never a dull band. Peter made the band what it was with his humour and depression, but most importantly his unique voice. He will never be replaced, and so it is with these six albums that the memory of Peter Steele will live on.
Written by Barry Anderson
Comments
Comments: 15
Visited by: 365 users
| Deadsoulman Elite Posts: 8004  |
Nice article for a band that is definitely not easy to get into. It takes a lot of effort to appreciate what they were trying to achieve (musical freedom I guess). I really enjoy their last four albums, especially October Rust which is the one I discovered first. But man, I don't think I will ever understand what people see in Bloody Kisses. It has to be one of the most boring albums I have ever heard. Christian Woman and Black No.1 are great songs, but the rest is a huge pile of uninteresting crap in my opinion.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62017  |
Good one, I have all albums, even I havnt listening band long time, some songs, deep, deep meening, good lyrics whit pfilosophical messiadge, I might disagree whit Collin its not hard to get into this , not for mee, since 1th time I heard Everybody Dies I fell in love whit this band and still I love, after Peter Steele dead band be more cult how they were, because there no chances for new albums, maybe some forgotten studio song, nothing more and all those now are more and more cult albums 1993, 1996 and 1999 albums are my fav once and Christian Woman, Black Nr 1. , Kill The All Whiet Poeple, Summer Breeze, White Slverey, Everyone I love is dead, Everything dies are awesome songs Good band has spotify I gonna listen all albums soon(CD left in Lv ), this article bring me nostalig feelings, and we all gonna die , this band make me accept death
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Admin Posts: 15287  |
I agree with Froggy-C in that October Rust is probably the way to get into the band. they were "big" in the goth/alterna club i used to go to with all the goth bunnies for "Christian Woman" (so I liked Black No 1 for making fun of said goth bunnies)... but disregarded the band. caught them on Ozzfest (the one with the reunited Sabbath) while supporting October Rust and really enjoyed their set. Enjoyed that album.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| LeChron James Helvetesfossen Posts: 3561  |
"Everything Dies" was one of the first metal videos i had ever seen as a kid growing up, always has a special place in what's left in my heart. RIP Peter Steele.
---- Kick Ass, Die Young Less is More Stay Pure Stay Poor Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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| Susan Smeghead Elite Posts: 6941  |
Excellent article Barry, and a great homage to a unique band. Bloody Kisses and October Rust were a big part of my high school metal days but I never explored the band much more beyond those, except hearing the other albums just here and there. You've kind of put me in the mood to listen more, though! 
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Although Slow, Deep And Hard is Type O's debut album it is clearly a transitional album between Peter Steele's previous band Carnivore with it's hardcore/thrash sound with some slight infusion of doom to what would evolve into the more more slick gothic doom sound the band would get famous for. Btw, for me Slow, Deep And Hard is the clear favourite of their discography due to its rawness and more hardcore thrash influences, which imo give it more original sound than their later stuff. Close second for me is Bloody Kisses followed at some distance by October Rust. World Coming Down and Life Is Killing Me I regards as their worst by far. Dead Again saw the band redeem themselves a bit. Maybe it helps you people undrstand where I am coming from by stating I got into Type O because of Peter Steele and I loved Carnivore when that stuff was released. So I grew from Carnivore into Type O instead of the other way around (like loads of people)
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Admin Posts: 15287 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 02.12.2010 at 08:21 oh fuck off. you got into peter steele because of the playgirl spread!  "October Rust" was my album to put on when i had some special alone time with the ladies for about a calendar year.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by BitterCOld on 02.12.2010 at 08:34 I thought we had agreed that you would never spread the beans on that 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 02.12.2010 at 08:21 Hehehe... A couple of days ago I boguht my very first Type O Negative album: World Coming Down, I found it very good tbh (the ambient track sinus is VERY creepy... I can almsot smell the cocaine). So your posts makes me quite glad since we have similar tastes most of the time so it's good that the "worst" was still good for me, Maybe I will get Life is killing me next and go from "worst" till best so I will never feel like the albums are bad 
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| bloodwrage Pagan Angel Posts: 445 |
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| rational.gaze Posts: 15  |
Written by Susan on 02.12.2010 at 07:45 I have to totally agree with you on that. Bloody Kisses/October Rust were pinnacle albums back in the highschool days in regards to my walkman lol. I listened to World Coming Down briefly upon its release, but since then Type O was buried beneath the plethora of new bands and styles made easily accessable via affordable internet. After reading this article though, I went and re-purchased October Rust and Bloody Kisses at a local music store, and have World Coming Down on my Christmas list. When Peter passed away, naturally I was sad and left in mourning nostalgia. Now that I have matured musically and emotionally since my first introduction to the band, and since Peter is forever gone, the songs all have a whole new meaning and weigh 4 tons more emotionally and aesthetically.
---- .never.let.them.see.you.coming
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| wildchild Warchild Posts: 4650  |
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| INÆRIS Posts: 204  |
I agree with you on just about everything. Great writing. I wish I had seen the band live before Peter died. October Rust is my favorite, but all of their records are great and worthwhile.
---- Still Life, Still Death
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| baseyg Posts: 9  |
This is an excellent summary. Type O Negative are one of my favorite bands and i hope this guide helps get more people listening to this band who i fear will be forgotten about due to the face they were so different to anything else and now they wont be releasing anything new. If i wrote this i would of been a little less hard on the first album (3.5/4 stars) and not so generous to bloody kisses (4.5 in terms of quality i'd say its equal to October rust) but I agree with pretty much evreything in this article. Well done
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| Aristarchos Posts: 817 |
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