Type O Negative is a hard band to label. They have never been mainstream, or terribly popular in the traditional sense, yet they have one of the most dedicated fanbases in all of music. That is a fact I have witnessed when I have been able to see them live.
The last time I saw them was while on tour for their last album, 2003's Life is Killing Me, and at the time Peter Steele seemed to indicate that Type O Negative may be coming to an end. Fortunately that has not happened and The Drab Four are set to return to the road with the impending release of their seventh studio album, Dead Again.
Dead Again has been a long time coming. I had sadly given up hope of a new collection of dark dirges from my favorite purveyor of gothic doom. Then there was the disappearance of Peter Steele and his rumored demise, fueled by the image of a tombstone on their official website in October of 2005 which had "Peter Steele 1962-2005." That turned out to be a joke, as Peter resurfaced with the band as they signed a new deal with German label SPV/Steamhammer. The first result of that union was the release of the concert disk Symphony for the Devil, a show that was filmed in the late 1990s. Now, while that is all well and good, it is not what I wanted.
This new collection of doom and gloom features a new sound from the band. Dead Again harkens back to the Peter's pre-Type O Negative days with the post-nuclear hardcore band Carnivore, and even Type O's debut Slow, Deep, and Hard release from 1991. There is an injection of punk speed and aggression into the slow chugging excursions into the gloom that had become their trademark. I have to admit, I cannot say that the album grabbed me the first time through, I was not prepared for the speedy qualities that wind their way throughout.
Article comments
1 - Glenn
Mmm...good review, i think. Cant wait to hear this album but.
2 - G
You might wanna check out this guy, who is stealing your otherwise excellent reviews:
/G out
3 - Chris Beaumont
Hey, G.
Thanks for looking out, but that one actually happens to be my personal site.
4 - Tom
nice review , cant wait to have a listen.
just under 2 weeks till its out !.
i heard that its less depressing, i hope its not.
thats what i love about T.O.N , their bleak outlook on life, i hope they havent changed too much.
5 - Jet in Columbus
Found your link for this article over at BC forums, very interesting, I'll have to look for some of their material
Jet
6 - nikhil
september sun is the song i adored the most !!!!!!!!!!!
7 - E
Great Review!
Been listening to the album since it's release and you hit the nail on the head with the "growing on you" comments.
Like all type O albums (for me at least) I tend to be slightly disappointed after one run through. But it has already begun to "dig itself into my gray matter." and I've no doubt it will dig deeper with time.
An acquired taste...but once acquired it's utterly addictive.
8 - Carrie
I have to say each Type O album is unique and awesome. I haven't heard the newest albulm, but I am seeing them this Wed. at Lupos in Providence. I think that may be a good opportunity to hear the new material...reguardless I am buying it. Thanks for the review.
9 - BongZ
As it goes with type-o-negative, unconditional love is not what their albums is about. Having been a "fan" since Carnivore, I have blindly bought every album they released. Some may deem this as misplaced trust but every time, a new album by the drab four tends to grow on me like a fine wine. Same with this album, first time I listened to it, realising this was unmistakenly a type o negative album. But hadn't I heard this before? No... Apparently I hadn't...
Again it needs time, and grows on you, possesses you, takes over.
With dead again they have seemed to found rejuvenation, understandably with all that has been going on.
Great album...