21/05/2003
	Uncle Freddy Died? I Don't Wanna Be Me Life Is Killing Me Anesthesia The Dream Is Dead Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things) (We Were) Electrocute Less Than Zero ...A Dish Better Served Coldly Loud And Queer I Like Goils How Could She? Nettie Angry Inch IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme That)	Peter Steele (vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards) Kenny Hickey (guitar and vocals) Josh Silver (keyboards and vocals) Johnny Kelly (drums and vocals)

*TYPE O NEGATIVE: "Life is killing me"* www.typeonegative.net ROADRUNNER MUSIC**
*Review by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo____*
Let me think, let me think, which is that German magazine that proposed a review about SOL of Paradise Lost in which a couple of points were taken off from rating value, or they would have been so gladly taken off, simply cause the label proposed to the journalist songs marked with a "beep-sound" inside? Ah whatever , but me, that among the first ones has the Roadrunner promo cd, where the mixes are works in progress (not final mixes) and not only, where every track has an audio stamp ( a cool male voice telling "Type of Negative - Life is killing me- the new album-in stores- this june") what should i do? eh? taking off 5 or 6 points for that? is that a philosophy? No, and while waiting that labels finally understand that all these expedients are anyway absolutely useless against "piracy", let's examine this "Life is killing me" without penalizing the band because of extraneous audio stamps! And from the moment i imagine that the interest around this TON new album is very remarkable, let's at once list the fundamental characteristics i have noticed: IN GENERAL 1) "Life is killing me" is imo far better than World coming down 2) It is an album which will rise some discussions but that will be, all in all, loved by the fans 3) One gets the impression that Type o Negative tend to speed up, though slower melodic tracks are anyway presented in good number(for example Anesthesia, Less than Zero, ...a Dish better served coldly) 4) The typical TON style is present 100 % and this means that Type O are always Type O without changing their peculiarities , on the contrary, some characteristics are even better. On the one hand Type o negative remain faithful to the musical schemes of October Rust and of Bloody Kisses, on the other hand they try to present also some innovative touch, which is not however a new experimentation. Anyway the whole album showcases a new freshness and it's not the exact copy of previous stuff. 5) Some tracks could be considered a kind of modern gothic metal but other ones have very doom flavours mixed to a strong rock structure. 6) Peter Steele 's voice is outstanding and fortunately he spares a lot 8though not completely) his usual sighs, breathings in, aspirations and consonants rollings, losing not however his strong erotic and sensual timbre. 7)Distorced sounds and deep atmospheres which spread sometimes suffused, and sometimes vivid and metropolitan, are in general excellent. 8) This album impacts better if you listen to it in the evening or during the night. Though TON are not always considered gothic (I could call their style doom-dark modern gothic with a small touch of industrial and heavy) are one of the few bands that i personally consider deeply nocturnal. 9) Heaviness is not missed absolutely 10) The tracks are less wandering, where, as wandering, i mean to begin in a way and to end in a complete other direction, there is a stronger logical sense and structure in every track. 11) Artwork is a bit poor but the production is brilliant. "MINUS" SONGS Unfortunately, in my opinion, "Life is killing me" presents also false steps and songs candidates to the everlasting failure: 1) (We were) Electrocute is a song more than mediocre, (i could say a track for 13 years old girlies) and since there is a great instrumental work in it in order to save the insipid musical scheme, it may not appear immediately how weak it is, though the sharp contrast with some great tracks before and after it should let it appear in all its emptiness. It has even some passages that remind me of the most stereotypedl expressions of the English pop songs (some how Beatles too, and this is not a compliment). 2) The slow and severe instrumental opener Uncle freddy died? is horrible and, in my opinion, totally meaningless, it has only the advantage to launch even better the formidable I don't wanna be me that is the real opener of this album, so why not to begin immediately with I don't wanna be me? the track 1 , fortunately short, will be skipped anyway. 3)Life is killing me, the title track, is , yes, agreeable , enough catchy, with interesting change of rhythm, beginning slow and heavy like cement: typical TON, with a very atmospheric insert and suffused ethereal, a bit church- like chorus, suddenly speeding up, becoming more aggressive and dynamic in full October Rust style. Unfortunately is not that miracle of song, you will develop anundecided feeling towards this song, sometimes you will find it enjoyable but sometimes even boring. It burns too quickly and it will come the moment you will skip its ashes. 4)the hypnotic and slow ...A dish better served coldly has good starting points and some remarkable passages, but there is no escape: at the end you will find it boring and also a bit too psycho and irregular: skip. 5) I like Goils (or maybe girls!) is one of the uptempo songs. In it, the sexual thematic is treated with a certain humour but the result is just a caricature, catchy yes, too much catchy in the hope to conquer at once the listener, above all if addicted to discos: this is a pathetic goal that must be paid with a mega skipping. "PLUS" SONGS Fortunately the plus song are so brilliant that are able to obscure the above mentioned 5 patetismi. if in the album these minus songs would songs would have been excluded it would be an excellent-CD to be rewarded with the best rating. But patience, in these difficult times , bands si concedono the luxury of deturping their masterpieces, a kind of suicide and masochistic attitude. But now let's pass to the pearls of this album: songs that will go under your skin and will dance in your mind for a long, long time I don't wanna be me - this is brilliant , enthralling, speed, metal/rock track with a heavy implacable upbeat progression which takes you till the bones. maybe one of the most upbeat songs TON have ever played. You find yourself headbanging and jumping in a pushing, galloping but also irreal atmosphere without that you can try even a pale resistance. It's success and overwhelming force at first listening. This song will be simply consumed in your hi-fi devices, from the moment you will play it and play and play. Anesthesia - thumbs up! we are in front of a super song! slow, romantic , gloomy, miserable, sweet, desperate, emotional, beautiful, atmospheric, with vocals like velvet,and piano effects. It is October Rust like October Rust has never been. It will be take you in another dimension full of desire and sadness with a gothic attitude. Guitars span from tender to heavy and distorced sounds, while the sharp and hypnotizing background let you fly over meadows, seas and lovers' skin , under an eclipse of light and heart. Beautifully morbid. The Dream is dead - It too reminds so much to October Rust, it may be simple and a bit predictable but it doesn't bore and it's fascinating and light like springtime -air in its easy proceeding. Todd's ship Gods (Above all things) - Irreal and crunchy, catchy and rhythmed, at the borderline between dynamic mid paced and up tempo Less than Zero - Almost oriental, indians sonorities give a new colour to gothic metropolitan tones in both American and European style. Loud and queer - Short instrumental with class How could she? - Distorced metal guitars open a song that already from the firts notes will give you a dark and sweet injection of pleasure, hypnotic, rhythmed but soft too Nettie -A bit slow, oppressive but very agreeable and catchy, romantic , it begins with very deep vocals which shade into a more normal timbre, when the song gets rhythm and more power, becoming in the middle so atmospheric and dark, with modern gothic flavours, to be heard! and fall in love immediately! Angry Inch- For many it will be a kind of revelation that TON have done this cover: TON speed up with a good quantity of aggressivity and attitude for playing rock oriented rhythm. The very first notes are really similar to those which open I wanna be me but the song will take immediately the path of an enthralling up tempo rock of its own, galloping, interrupted by an effective slowing down. Vocals are practically provided by the whole band and presented in a bit different way. IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme that) - it has a heavy slow suffered and doom beginning, it seems not catchy and disagreeable, ok! let our Steele song a couple of verses and repeat all this another time, if you resist you will discover then the refrain chords,supporting the words -if you don't kill me, i'm gonna have to kill you- that are simply irresistible, atmospheric crunchy overwhelming in their pulsing simplicity powered by rhythmed heavy guitars sorrounded by an irreal delicate and hypnotic background. You will never get enough. The track opens before your eyes and ears like a black rose among a jungle of thorns. Pure extract of sensuality, misery and desperation, attention!!! So this albums ends in such a cool way: the best way to say good-bye. CONCLUSION AND RATING On the whole a good and sensual album that could have been simply exceptional. One of the best CD's of Type O Negative anyway, with a very good work done by all members of the bands (cool guitars and keyboard effects). Re-listenings and re-listenings and re-listenings and re-listenings and re-listenings of the "plus" tracks are a must.
rating - 8/10 dalia fc di giacomo