In order for one to truly understand the dynamic of Type O Negative, one must understand their history. This is a band that rose from the ashes of Carnivore in 1991, which was one of the first real thrash metal acts that toured the pits and dives of Brooklyn, making their fame at a club called “L’amours.”

After Carnivore decided to go their separate ways, singer Peter Steele got a new idea; a Goth metal band. But, as with all great ideas from slightly skewed minds, there was a catch. 

Peter decided that this Goth band would serve to mock real Goth bands, as well as the whole musical scene. Behold example A: On their third album, “Bloody Kisses,” Type O Negative composes “Black no.1,” a song which would rise to gain them notoriety. However, critics and some fans alike took the song to be about killing oneself. 

In reality, the song is simply about posers and hair dye. Behold example B: Their second album, “The Origin of the Feces,” was a live album. Or, that’s what everyone was meant to perceive. The album, including Peter’s various ramblings to the “audience,” was all recorded in a sound studio. The ambient crowd noise that can be heard throughout the album was tracked in later, and the album was thus released under the dotage of being “live.” Type O Negative lives on a level somewhere between true Goth and true metal.

At will, they can sound like either, and often will make the change in mid-song. All of their albums, be it the comparatively sprightly “October Rust,” or the down-trodden “World Coming Down,” features an undeniable sludgy dirge that is unmatched in the world of music. Never before (and not since,) has a band sounded so plodding and methodical in their rhythms. Each note, every chord, every bass-laden riff, sounds as though it took a Herculean effort to release. This sets the stage for their newest release.

“Life is Killing Me” is no different. Although the band has gotten a little older, and they’ve loosened up a bit in terms of maintaining their brooding image, the band still kicks out the low tempo metal that their fans have come to expect. Most of the songs here sound as though Peter poured through the darkest portions of his brain, looking for inspiration both lyrically and musically. “Less than Zero,” “Todd’s Ship Gods,” “How Could She,” and especially “Gimme that,” give off the impression that the CD is not playing at the proper speed. So slow and so relentlessly driven, the listener cannot help but move with the beat of the music. The album is so well crafted, it feels as though the riffs get inside the listener’s body, and well up all the appreciation for music that the listener might have. Each chord is well placed, thought out, and the songs are well polished and refined. More on this album than on previous efforts, the band musically confesses their allegiance to Black Sabbath, coming just short of saying it in their lyrics.

So, when the lines are traced far enough back, it is conceivable to say that Type O Negative is equally influenced by traditional blues, and merely channeled that sentiment through Black Sabbath, and that quartet’s legendary blend of blues, rock, and just a touch of controversy. More than half of the songs on the album sound as though they could have been ripped directly from Black Sabbath’s “Master of Reality,” or “Sabotage.”

Taking away the vocals of Steele and Osbourne, it is doubtful that fans could decipher which was which. Differing from the norm is the fact that Type O apes some other acts on this album, and exposes some of their lesser-known influences, including more than a few pop culture references. “Thir13teen,” according to the liner notes, is “pastime music from ‘the Munsters’ television show.” “I Don’t Want to be Me,” shares both its title and its styling with a Ramones song. As further evidence, “Angry Inch” is a brasher version of the title song from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” a rock opera with an underground following that challenges that of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”  

While being socially acceptable is not always a requirement for Type O, their influence on the metal scene has been profound to say the least. And now they put out another album, possibly their best work, and succeed in putting a lot of their followers to shame. Bottom line: Type O Negative defined metal then, defines metal now, and should they choose to, will define metal for many years to come. Their unique dichotomy of emotional blues and destructive heavy metal continues to ring true, even a dozen years after their first release. This is a fine release, a gem representative of what an experienced and talented band can do. An easy 8, a 9 or dare I say 10 for Type O diehards.