Type O Negative Album: “Life Is Killing Me [Clean]”

The extra tracks really make this disc a good reason for old school Type O fans to come out of the shadows. A far cry from the commercially pleasing "October Rust," but more depth and variety than "World Coming Down," this disc is a long awaited gem. Again, Type O Negative preserves their neo-gothic sound while mixing in elements of metal, rock and new age/industrial.

Notable tracks include "Nettie," "Anesthesia" and "Drunk In Paris." The highlight of the second disc (or of the whole album) is the "Suspended In Dusk" track from the import version of "Bloody Kisses," and the "Out Of The Ashes" mix of "Blood/Fire" from the Mortal Kombat Soundtrack. These two are a must have for Type O fans, conveniently added to this two disc set, as well as the spine-chilling intro to the second disc. Bravo for Type O!

It has been 5 years since the last Type O Negative album, and many thought that Type O was done for good. If you thought that I can not stress how wrong you were. Although World Coming Down was a very good album it still did not live up to their albums like Bloody Kisses or October Rust. This newest release "Life is Killing Me" is in my opinion their best album since Bloody Kisses, and their second best release overall. Unlike World Coming Down, this entire album is good with no weak, boring songs. This album kicks off with an upbeat number "I dont wanna be me", followed by more good songs like "less than zero" and "I like goils". However, this album hit its peak in the middle with tracks 7-10, which are 4 of the best songs Type O has ever written. These four songs, "How could she?", "Life is Killing Me", "Nettie", and (We Were) Electrocute" are all unbelievable songs that remind you why you started listening to Type O Negative in the first place. In conclusion, this is the first Type O Negative CD to actually challenge Bloody Kisses for their best album. In the end this album is right behind Bloody Kisses, and shows that Type O Negativ are still here, and have officially sealed themselves as music legends.

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And being about the same age as Peter, Josh, Kenny & Johnny, I can totally appreciate the melding of the two. The love-of and influenced-by really shows up on this album, and the result is a pure winner... more "October Rust" in form and style, a bit of a departure from the funeral dirge of "World Coming Down", a little lighter perhaps, and more musically diverse (and therefore interesting). LIKM has everything TON fans have come to expect: the cover tune (Angry Inch), the politically incorrect tune (I Like Goils), the play on words and love gone wrong tunes (How Could She, A Dish Best Served Coldly), songs of self-loathing and disenchantment (I Don't Wanna Be Me, Life is Killing Me). Musically, TON is in top form here. As usual, Peter and Josh produced the album (can anyone imagine anyone else producing a TON album??), so it has the flavor we've come to expect. You know, the kind that can only be cooked up by the world's foremost Brooklyn NYC goth metal band? The only thing missing from this album is the goof intro track... these are dear to my heart, as one of my fondest memories was the afternoon I came home to find my husband cursing the new DVD/CD player because it wouldn't play CDs right... he'd grabbed "World Coming Down" off the TV cabinet and track 1 (Skip It) was giving him fits... I'm looking forward to seeing Type O Negative when they hit town in early August. Life is good again (even if it's killing Peter Steel).

For their sixth studio album, Type O Negative take their familiar goth metal sound and spice it up with punk influences (think of the Ramones if they were really, really depressed) and go for a more straight-ahead rockin' album. Another reviewer mentioned that this takes less patience than other albums before it, and it is true. Any Type O Negative fan will find this album strangely addictive from the start and easy to get into. So have they sold out? No way. They have just made possibly their most focused and most professional album to date, and it was all self-produced. All of the typical Type O Negative topics are covered here, from the self-loathing of "I Don't Wanna Be Me" (which bears a slight thrash influence) to the hilarious homophobia of "I Like Goils," the band is in top form. Peter Steele delivers the songs with the same haunting vocals and the always appreciated ironic statements. The true highlight would be "(We Were) Electrocute," which has the band reaching into ballad territory just a bit. It's rough, but gentle, catchy and haunting. I'm not quite sure what the song is about, but to me, it seems like a reflection on the band's time together. Other key tracks include "The Dream Is Dead" and "Less Than Zero." If you have been a longtime fan of Type O Negative (they've had my ear for almost 8 years now), there is no doubt you will be able to appreciate this album. Everything the band has accomplished and learned has culminated into this album. It stands just as strong as other Type O classics like "Bloody Kisses" and "October Rust." I highly suggest this CD to everyone interested, and if you are new to the band, this would be a great place to start.

While perhaps lacking ever so slightly the passion of their earlier efforts, "Life is Killing Me" is nonetheless an awesome, solid album. The music of Type O Negative is always a treat for the senses, and this release does not disappoint. Peter, Josh, and Kenny sound great as always, and I'd even go so far as to say Johnny's drums sound better than ever. "I Like Goils" is absolutely hilarious and ROCKS! (More fast songs like this please!) My other favorite off this CD would probably be "The Dream is Dead", a heartwrenchingly beautiful song. Josh's keyboards and Kenny's guitar shine especially on "A Dish Best Served Coldly"...great lyrics too. Check out the cover of "Angry Inch"...to hear the lyrics delivered by Pete Steele is priceless! I could wax poetic about this CD for pages, but these are merely highlights. Just buy it already and hear for yourself!