Published on Sep 29, 1999
It takes guts to stick your neck out and do something in a
different manner than other people do the same thing. But I’ve
noticed that people who do this are usually the happiest. When I
worked at a suburban Chicago high school years ago, I knew one kid
who dressed like he rummaged through Salvation Army bins after the
circus had left town – but he was one of the most charming people I
ever knew in my short time working there.
In that case, Peter Steele and Type O Negative should be
incredibly happy. In an era of heavy metal where the key seems to
be speed and screaming, Type O Negative take the “Chili’s
hamburger” approach to their songs: they take their time and put
their all into the one song they’re working on at the time.
The latest result,
World Coming Down, occasionally hangs, but for the most part
suggests that this band is doing things right, as it’s a great
listen – and one that might not even freak out your parents if you
walk in with this album.
There are a few snippets on this disc that you should be aware
of. The opening one, “Skip It,” might have you thinking that the
disc is damaged and skipping like a schoolgirl on a caffiene
bender. Relax; nothing’s wrong with the disc, as you’ll see in a
matter of seconds. One other snippet, “Sinus,” might send some
chills down your spine if you can’t stand the sound of people
fighting colds. Being a bronchial asthmatic who has problems with
my sinuses (especially during allergy season and in wet weather), I
never realized how god-damn annoying I sounded hacking and
sniffling and clearing my throat… not that I’ve been able to
stop, of course.
As for the music, well, take your pick of favorites.
Bassist/vocalist Steele mostly intones his lyrics, though he knows
both when to turn on the vocal charm and when it’s time to raise
the volume and intensity. Tracks like “Everyone I Love Is Dead” and
“Pyretta Blaze,” themselves great songs, are sealed as winners
thanks to Steele’s vocal contributions.
But it is the efforts of the whole band – including guitarist
Kenny Hickey, keyboardist Josh Silver and drummer Johnny Kelly –
that make
World Coming Down such an intense, enjoyable listen. When
you hear how this band is clicking on tracks like “White Slavery”
and “All Hallow’s Eve”, you can tell that this is a band with a
rare chemistry among its members. And, you’ve gotta admit, it takes
some balls to do a medley of Beatles songs framed around “Day
Tripper,” but Type O Negative pulls it off with incredible
success.
If there is any drawback to
World Coming Down, it would be that it’s not always the
easiest disc to follow or to listen to in one sitting. Tracks like
“Who Will Save The Sane?”, “Creepy Green Light” and the title track
all seem to blend together, especially if you’re not giving this
disc your undivided attention.
If there are still people out there who think that metal – or,
more correctly, creative metal – is dead, you may wish to hie them
down to the music store and snag a copy of
World Coming Down for them. This disc is an eye-opener, and
even though it’s not the easiest disc to get absorbed in, is a
refreshing blast in the metal genre.