Dead Again but Certainly Not Rusty!
It has been over four years since gothic doom metallers Type O Negative have released a new helping of their delightfully dark and dismal creativity but winter is slowly relinquishing its grip upon us, the weather is dark and grim and the timing is right for a dose of something frosty and deliciously melancholic to feed our hunger for a clean slate of metal for the new year. Type O Negative's music, in a strange and cryptic way, can be described as nothing short of spectacularly beautiful and whether in the driving, clamouring guitar riffs or in the seductive and almost purring voice of Peter Steele, there is an element of pure winter about their sound that makes them instantly recognisable. On listening to their famous 'October Rust' album images of snow clad forests and figures dressed in black come to mind, there is definitely something unique about their style, something almost pagan at times; perhaps induced by the vampiric quality to the vocals and the frosty glittering backdrop of the keys.
But this new offering, 'Dead Again', is something very odd indeed and for those fans who were hoping for something more alike to the cascading melancholia and decadent beauty of 'October Rust' and 'Life Is Killing Me', it may seem a bit of a disappointment. In fact this is an album of many elements, at times sounding like a revisit of their older works influenced by a more raucous and faster paced punk concept, at other times there is a scattering of that choral decadent distorted style that is so typical of this band and at others there are some completely random surprises, including a slight modal Indian influence. At times the music even shifts to a catchier sense of rhythm, constantly speeding up, slowing down and changing riff patterns with melodies full of contagious and almost sing-along quality. The music on this album is constantly changing and evolving, at times the sound is tormented and disturbed and at others dreamy, the style is always twisting and turning from one element to another and it's this innovation that makes 'Dead Again' completely apart from the rest of Type O Negative's work and truly special.
The album kicks off with the title track 'Dead Again' which starts off with a slow and stately doom metal feel that oozes with choral decoration, the voices beautifully harmonising over the slow and heavy chords, eventually trailing off into slides that fade and merge into an energetic riff that starts the song and bursts forward with a danceable, catchy but still undoubtedly gothic appeal. The lyrics and rhythm are undeniably Type O Negative, the same old cynical wit which drives through into a fantastic chorus that leaves an elated listener with the words firmly implanted in their head for weeks on end, perfectly complimented with a repeated section of "oohs", an element rarely used by Type O Negative but perfectly carried off in this instance. 'Dead Again' marries the faster elements of 'Life is Killing Me', in particular the track 'I Don't Wanna Be Me', with the much more bitter sound of 'Bloody Kisses' and proceeds to the next track 'Tripping a Blind Man' wonderfully.
'Tripping a Blind Man' is a curious track that changes its tune and style almost every thirty seconds; its moods and whims are so varied and dramatic that there's a little bit everything in it to please everyone, there's no getting bored with listening to this track. Starting off with a jumping riffs not unlike the beginning of 'October Rust's, 'Be My Druidess' into an insane medley of experimentation with every single style of playing that the band have ever played with, the riffs and melodies always changing, never fully blending together but yet sounding oddly harmonious at the same time. Whether it's an infectious sing along verse, the soaring elegance of the wintry intervals or the gruff and abrasive guitars matched with demented screaming, this track is a little bit of everything Type O Negative has to offer rolled into one.
But if you're feeling a little deprived of the ever so sensitive side to their music that 'October Rust' had to offer then do not despair, 'September Sun' is the track for you. It is solemn, elegant, melancholic and full of the dark emotional chemistry that makes Type O Negative so powerful but is set apart from many of their songs in that for the greater part of the first half of the track it is largely piano/vocal led. Strange though this may seem at first it really heightens the impact when the dancing guitars stroke through the melody like sunbeams on a forest floor and brightens the piece with a new sense of passion. In this track there is definitely a new side to be seen to Peter Steele's voice too, it seems softer and more sensitive as it glides over the organs and epic guitar solo. It is truly a highlight of the album and a beautiful addition that clearly reinforces a new clean slate in Type O Negative's creativity.
So while 'Dead Again' may at first seem a strange and bold contrast to previous works it is certainly not overshadowed, in fact it shines proudly over them for the sheer fact that it demonstrates a new leaf in Type O Negative's musical development, the heightened scope for guitar soloing and improvisation to name but one. For these reasons 'Dead Again' is sure to become as much a classic as well loved as anything they have so far produced and perhaps ever will produce.