Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me
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Free Music Notes for Life Is Killing Me
Free Music Review: Another Stunning Album From Type O Negative!
Hit: 5 Stars
By now, you would think that all the fans of goth metal would be exhausted on Type O Negative's tongue-in-cheek approach to goth metal, but surprisingly, we still haven't gotten the joke that Peter Steele plays on all of us. I would dare say that this is a strong album from TON, and quite possibly their most ambitious. The classic formula remains well intact, but there a quite a few more faster songs than on previous albums, and a bit of experimentation. "Life is Killing Me" is definitely their most varied work, and is highly reccommended for newcomers to the band.
Soundwise, nothing has changed about this band. Same fuzzy guitars and overdriven, and Peter's booming vocals still guide the sound through upbeat thrashings all the way to the slower, crushing dirges that TON are known for. However, it seems like the band is more focused on keeping the songs refreshing than taking a depressing melody and dragging it out into a passage. The song structures never tire or grow old, and are much more complex than on previous outings. That's not to say that they've turned into a wankathon of technical abilities, but you see a lot of things here you wouldn't see on an album by a band like TON. Pizzacato strings, sitars, and a few short ambient pieces are thrown in from time to time, and although it may seem odd at first, it all becomes part of the experience later. To put it simply, this album has some experimental elements to it, but is most likely TON's most rock-based album.
1. Thir13teen- A nice sludgy opening instrumental with the signature guitar sound of TON with a Black Sabbath feel to it. A suiting opener. 5/5
2. I Don't Wanna Be Me- The most well-known song on the album. Has some great chunky guitar work, but the main melody will have you headbanging in a snap. The chorus has a catchy quality to it as well, and the lyrics are quite funny, in typical TON style. 5/5
3. Less Than Zero (<0)- A stoner feel permeates this whole song with a pounding rhythm and the strangely fitting sitars. The chorus is fairly catchy as well, but all around this song just doesn't seem to stick very well. 3/5
4. Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things)- Nice crunchy, straight-forward riff work here. The drumwork is refreshing too. This song seems like one of Type O's "happier", more upbeat songs. Decent at best, doesn't have many elements that will stick to you, but it has some nice mini-solos. 4/5
5. ...A Dish Best Served Coldly- Very haunting lyrics and acoustic guitars at the beginning here. It soon busts into an agonizing, slow crunch-fest. A classic TON song with some great variations in mood, alternating between sludge passages of doom, trippy stoner dirges, and more upbeat parts. Definitely a stand-out. 5/5
6. How Could She?- Great soloing here, and a fist-pumping, intense chorus. The song soon breaks loose into an all-out thrash assault. Onw of the most varied on the album. 5/5
7. Life is Killing Me- A crushing song with a bleak main riff, one of my favorite moments on the album. Definitely a staple of the album, and a standout moment. 5/5
8. Nettie- A slower, more light-hearted song with some ironically romantic lyrics. Peter's vocals are excellent here, and the chorus is sure to stick in your head. 4/5
9. (We Were) Electrocute- A slower, more atmospheric song with a rather 80's feel to it, right down to the background clapping. A top-notch track with Peter's superb vocal work fronting the addictive chorus. 5/5
10. Iydkmigthtky (Gimme That)- A typical song, I would say. Follows the standard pattern of other songs, but has some great sludge riffs, and an anthem-like chorus. This is also one of the more experimental tracks on the album. 4/5
11. Anesthesia- Shows a return to the depressive doom of "Bloody Kisses"... A truly genius and heartbroken track, and has some great keyboard work.... Spellbinding. 5/5
12. Drunk in Paris- One of TON's best instrumentals, but I wish it was longer! 4/5
13. The Dream is Dead- Seems like a bit of a joke track with its sarcastic lyrics, oddly happy guitar riffs, though it has some dirges as well. But it's a suiting closer, and sums up the album well. 4/5
Though while this album may take some getting used to, I would reccommend this to anyone into goth rock or goth metal. This is TON's heaviest album most likely, and their most ambitious work. highly reccommended.
Free Music Review: Great rock CD with an interesting goth/industrial inflection
Hit: 5 Stars
Dark, Moody, Happy, Uplifting, Rock, Goth, Industrial, Catchy, Kitschy, Playful, Poetic, Silly; all this and more rolled up into one CD. Though I don't skate directly into the hardcore Goth music culture, I enjoy flitting about the edges of the genre and sampling what looks to be tasty offerings.I thought that Type O Negative was strictly for heavy Goth aficionados, but I was wrong. If you like rock or industrial or both, you will probably like this CD also. Type O Negative's Peter Steele manages to blend all these different variations and inflections into a mix that doesn't deny any of its origins.
The first song, "Thi13teen" is a short instrumental, only one minute and not worth much mention as it is mostly an introductory piece. Following it is "I Don't Wanna Be Me", which is so darn catchy it's addictive. Fast and fun, I find myself singing this ditty in the halls at work.
"Less than Zero" uses a sitar in its hypnotic melody, with dark and gross lyrics that talk about snot and poop, pus and blood; all combine to form another of my favorites from this CD. I love the grinding of the guitars in combination with the relaxed sounds of the sitar and a bit of added conga drums to spice up the exotic flavor of the music.
"Todd's Ship Gods" is more about remembering what Father told you, bringing to mind how big adults were when we were little, and how whatever they said was taken for granted. I'm sure this is just my interpretation, but I like the song nonetheless and found that despite rather moody lyrics, the tune has an uplifting quality that is subtle but undeniable.
"I like Goils" is very catchy, kind of like "I Don't Wanna Be Me", and has some absolutely hilarious lyrics involving vocalist/songwriter Peter Steele letting the world know which way he swings, a special message to the high heeled boys that "he likes Goils".
"A Dish Best Served Coldly" is a dreary and sullen seven minute ride through a stupor of vengeful thoughts, not one of my favorites.
"How Could She?" takes a silly lyrical tribute to the past babes of TV, both real and cartoon, and places it to ballad versus and thumping choruses, and wraps up with a little thrashing before falling back into the ballad. Not a favorite, but certainly a fun piece.
"Life Is Killing Me", the title song for this CD, is a showcase for Steele's Goth influenced vocals, with the melody practically stopping while he intones his dissatisfaction with the medical institutions and professionals; then speeding up to a fast and catchy chorus. This is one of my favorites, another one of the tracks I find myself humming in the hallways at work.
Though "Nettie" starts out with heavy Gothic vocals, it quickly turns into a pure rock chorus compete with a driving "railroad" beat. This would be the "love song" of LIKM, with Steele actually penning some affection into the words.
"(We Were) Electrocute" is a playful, nostalgic glance back at our wasted youth, with an amusing "Na na na" chorus and some excellent drum and guitar work at the ending.
"Iydkmigthtky (Gimme That)" is one of the more "Gothic" tunes on the CD, Steele using his deep guttural voice especially on the third verse, and the tune is dark and rather monotonous, following the morose humor of the genre.
Now "Angry Inch", this song is Punk all the way, with a heavy "Murderdolls" influence to the music and side-splittingly funny lyrics about a sex change operation gone wrong. One of my favorites! :o)
"Anesthesia" is a haunting song, beautiful and poetic and moving. It's a love song, but its about lost love and the numbness that follows that loss. There are also some interesting synthesizers in this tune, sometimes piano and sometimes organ, and you can practically hear the tears in Steele's voice. Beautiful song.
"Drunk In Paris" is a short, one and a half minute instrumental that has the mood of one of the old-time scary movies; Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee and Vincent Price, masters of the B&W horror flicks.
"The Dream Is Dead" is also a song of lost love, but moodier and more desolate than "Anesthesia", with some excellent guitar work and a pulsating beat, there is more angst and less hurt in this version of painful reminiscing.
What an awesome CD, quite flexible to all my moods, with sound vocals and talented instrumentals. If you are a fan of either rock, industrial, or goth, you will be able to find what you like in this excellent recording. Enjoy!
Free Music Review: They've done it again!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
They're back, the drab four, the gothadelic masters of misery, Type O Negative! Four years after what was probably the band's most depressing album (and probably one of the most depressing albums ever!), "World Coming Down," they have come back with "Life is Killing Me." Chock-full of the band's trademark sound, a virulent mixture of overdistorted guitars, mesmerizing synthesizers, brutal drumming, lyrics that run the gamut from doom-and-gloom to laugh-out-loud-funny, and Peter Steele's morbid baritone voice, the Brooklyn quartet have released what is probably the most energetic album of their careers. Not since "Bloody Kisses" has the band played with such speed and such passion and such humor, proving that they are serious about what they do, but not without the sense of the ridiculous.Kicking things off is the short instrumental dirge of "Thir13teen," apparently an homage to "The Munsters." We are next treated to "I Don't Wanna Be Me," definitely the fastest song the band have played in the last ten years. Recalling the post-thrash energy of "Slow, Deep, and Hard" and "Bloody Kisses," this song hits you right in the face, and shows Kenny Hickey playing one of the best solos of his life. The song shows what the rest of the album has in store. "Less than Zero (<0)" slows the pace slightly, but it's still a song with lots of punch. "Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things)" begins eerily, like the soundtrack to a haunted shipwreck, but again the song ends up as upbeat as the previous two songs, with lyrics that are both beautiful and saddening, in true Type O form. "I Like Goils" is fast, powerful, and above all...funny. The lyrics deal with homophobia, but in such a lewd and impolite way that it comes out more humorous than offensive. Former drummer Sal Abruscato makes a guest backup vocal appearance on this song. Now, it wouldn't be Type O Negative without the obligatory 7-minute-plus song, starting with "...A Dish Best Served Coldly," which begins with a beautiful acoustic intro, the song deals with the virtues and the ills of revenge. "How Could She?" is another 7-minuter, but laughable in its dealing with the complications of dealing with the female sex, recalling TV icons such as Wilma Flintstone and Edith Bunker. "Life is Killing Me" is one of Peter Steele's best set of lyrics. The all-too-familiar subject of suicide is given a just poetic treatment in this song, while nothing new for Type O, it's definitely their best work on the subject. "Nettie" is as close to a love song as Type O has ever gotten. "(We Were) Electrocute" is a funny reminder of how cute goths were in the '80's before the realization that it was fake and silly. "IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme That)" is just a great song about knowing your enemies and dealing with them before they deal with you. "Angry Inch" is the funniest song on the album. Imagine a sex-change operation gone-wrong...how would you feel? Thrashing things up yet again, this song is pure comedy gold. "Anesthesia" is the opposite of a love song, as it speaks of the benefits of loneliness. "Drunk in Paris" is the only filler besides the intro song, and "The Dream is Dead" runs along the same lyrical path as "Anesthesia."
All-in-all, it's a very typical album for Type O Negative, but it shows the band feeling more energized than they've been in the last decade. The lyrics are full of the problems of identity crisis, relationships, and death...like all Type O songs, but it's done with a great deal of humor and genuine feeling. This album finds the band in a good place in their lives...the cynacism is on high as usual, but it shows that they have never felt so ready to share it with the world. This is without a doubt one of Type O Negative's best albums, and could even beat out "Bloody Kisses" for the best-album-ever-by-this-band category. It's morbid, funny, and above all brutal! Type O Negative are back again....
Free Music Review: Type O's 2nd best album. Vast improvement from WCD.....
Hit: 5 Stars
Life is Killing Me is the first impressive record from Type O Negative that I've heard in a long time. They've finally put out an album that can be mentioned in the same breath with their masterpiece Bloody Kisses. Life is Killing Me does not have one bad song on the entire album. Nearly every song has great emotion & a very sensual vibe. This album also has some cool, thrashy, up-tempo songs as well, which gives the album nice variety. Type O also incorporates more industrial effects on this album like they used to in the past. They've also brought back those beautiful, angelic female voices on a couple of songs as well, to give the album more atmosphere. Another thing Life is Killing Me brings to the table is humor, something that was desperately missing from their last two albums. "I Like Goils" & "Angry Inch" are hilarious, and display Type O's classic sense of humor. The main thing about this album that stands out to me are the quality of the songs. They're the best collection of songs the band's put on an album since Bloody Kisses. My complaints with October Rust were that the entire album was just a little to romantic sounding. I initially rejected that album, but I've since grown to enjoy it, but I still would not call it a great album. And I've yet to get into World Coming Down. Sounded like the band was just going through the motions & nothing impressed me about that album. But Life is Killing Me, however, is very impressive. I recommend it to all. Here's a brief rundown of the tracks:Thir13teen 7/10 - Brief opening jam.
I Don't Wanna Be Me 9/10 - 1st single of the album. Very good song. Nice guitar work from Kenny.
Less Than Zero (<0) 9/10 - Beautiful, melodic song. Great atmosphere. Tripped-out, experimental vibe. Love the Tabla.
Todd's Ship Gods 9/10 - Possibly my favorite song on the album. Love the chorus. Really good song.
I Like Goils 7/10 - Up-tempo, funny song.
A Dish Best Served Coldly 7/10 - This song has yet to make an impression on me like some of the others.
How Could She? 9/10 - Awesome song! Great thrashy part in the middle of the song. Also like the samples.
Life is Killing Me 8/10 - Very cool song. Up-tempo at times. Cool chorus. Nice sludgy guitars.
Nettie 8/10 - Another good song. Very emotional.
(We Were) Electrocute 9/10 - Very soothing, melancholly song. Great atmosphere. Very beatleque.
IYDKMIGTHTKY 8/10 - Pretty good song. Another good chorus.
Angry Itch 7/10 - Pretty hilarious song.
Anesthesia 8/10 - Another nice, chilled, melodic song.
Drunk In Paris 8/10 - Brief little instrumental. Very cool though. Could have been longer. Type O needs to do more instrumental songs.
The Dream Is Dead 8/10 - Good closing song to a great album.
So again pick up Life is Killing Me and continue to support Type O Negative. Without a doubt one of the band's best albums.
Free Music Review: Type O At Their Best!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been anxiously awaiting Type O Negative's latest release, pretty much since the day after I bought their last record, and as always with every Type O release, they did NOT disappoint. "Life Is Killing Me" is a perfect blend of their previous works, more notably "October Rust" and "Bloody Kisses".1.Thir13teen: This is their version of "The Munsters" theme music.
2.I Don't Wanna Be Me: There is a punk vibe to this tune, and it also has one the catchiest choruses on the album.
3.Less Than Zero (<0): The song started to send a chill up my spine when the lyric, "The sheep within, wearing wolf's skin" comes into the song. A cool tune.
4.Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things): A heavy Beatles influence in this song about Peter Steele's father telling him not to cry. "Above all things boy, be a man".
5.I Like Goils: Another punk inspired song. It's Peter's reaction to homosexual men trying to pick him up.
6....A Dish Best Served Coldly: A song about revenge, with a lot of Beatles inspired "Ooooing" and "Ahhhing". Great song.
7.How Could She?: A TV audeince's reactions are heard throughout this song. This song asks one question to all of the television women mentioned, "Why don't you love me anymore?"
8. Life Is Killing Me: This song makes transitions between heavy moments, and The Bensonhoist Choir laying down their eerie vocals. This is an amazing song.
9.Nettie: It's about Peter's mother. "Nettie, no need to cry, let me wipe those tear drops from your eyes".
10.(We Were) Electrocute: Two words about this song: Love sucks, but the song does not.
11.IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme That): The composition of this song is great. As a bass player, I'm amazed at Peter's ability and this bass part continues my amazement.
12.Angry Inch: A cover of Hedwig and the Angry Inch's original about a sex change operation getting botched."My first day as a woman, and already it's that time of the month".
13.Anesthesia: Another "love sucks" song. Musically and lyrically this is by far the best track, in my opinion.
14.Drunk In Paris: It's an interlude of sorts. Just a minute and half of jam type music. It's a nice change.
15.The Dream Is Dead: "Another lonely Valentine's Day, I can't believe things turned out this way, and though I hate to see you go, I know it must be so, another lonely Valentine's Day". This is a great song to close Type O's latest album.
"Life Is Killing Me" is going to be in my CD player for a very, very, long time. If you enjoy their music, then this album will NOT disappoint you.