Customer Reviews

Bloody Kisses

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am writing to address the last few comments being made saying that this is a dark CD. The truth is that these guys dont really get the subtle, sarcastic humour within all the songs. Type O Negative may appear dark on the surface but deep down they are making fun of just about everything and everyone. Case in point, Christian Woman mocks religion. Black Number One mocks gothic girls. Kill All The White People is making fun of racists. Too Late:Frozen and Blood And Fire are making fun of one of Peter's ex-girl friends. Finally, We Hate Everyone is making fun of....well, everyone! So to call this an album dark and depressing really does an injustice to the intent of the brooklyn foursome! And beyond that, it's really an amazing album. The music is deep, complex and sensual. It seems to just echo from the speakers, taking the listener on an ethereal journey. The music is eclectic, as the band touches base upon pop, rock, metal, industrial, hardcore, gothic and even classic rock (in songs such as Set Me On Fire, Cant Lose You and the choruses in Too Late:Frozen and Blood & Fire). This is certainly a band which has been influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath, the Doors, Deep Purple, the Beatles and Pink Floyd, as elements of all the aforementioned artists can be found on this CD. In my opinion, this is the best Type O Negative CD, although World Coming Down and October Rust arent very far behind. But next time you find this CD a bit too dark or depressing just remember that the band was smiling and laughing as they recorded these songs...

Say what you will about Type O Negative, "Bloody Kisses" is one of the finest albums ever crafted, and Type O's defining masterpiece. I first caught wind of this album after hearing "Black No. 1" on the radio (it seems like that was forever ago) and I loved it instantly, it was that classic chorus that hooked me in: "Loving you was like loving the dead". While that song is a masterpiece in its' own right, "Christian Woman" and the eleven minute title track are epic dirges. "Kill All the White People" changes the mood around and is just plain hilarious and recalls the days of Type O's punkish past. "Blood & Fire" is my personal favorite, everything about that song means so much to me, and it has one of my favorite lines from a song ever that I can relate to: "Of all the women I've ever known, they're not you, I'd rather be alone...". Peter Steele and co. really did create an epic masterpiece that is truly underrated (then again, Type O is quite an underrated band). "Bloody Kisses" helped me through a lot of tough times in my life, and for anyone and everyone who has ever felt remorse, loss, or heartbreak should dive head first into this album. A true masterpiece.

Please note that there are two versions of "Bloody Kisses." This review seems to have appeared on both of them. The one star review is intended for the re-released version (as described below). For the original I agree with all of the 5 star reviews: simply a brilliant album.

When I asked for "Bloody Kisses" as a gift (I had owned it before, but needed a replacement) I was given the new version and was so disgusted that I threw it out and bought the original. The major changes on the new version are:
A.) The replacement of the wonderful "Kill all the White People" and "We Hate Everyone" with "Suspended in Dusk," one of the few genuinely bad TON tracks in their entire catalogue.
B.) The rearrangement of the track order.

The overall effect is to not only decrease the overall song quality ("We Hate Everyone" is WAY better than "Suspended in Dusk"), but to ruin the cool attitude of the album by getting rid of the humor (which was a crucial element in the original). Don't get me wrong, the album is still brilliant (it's TON after all), but not *nearly* as much so as the original. Seeing, then, as how the original is still available here on Amazon, why not get that instead? You'll know it by the presence of "Kill All the White People" and "We Hate Everyone."

***Update***
I can no longer find the older version on Amazon, which sucks. Still, it's worth looking around to see if you can find it somewhere else (possibly used).

There are two versions of "Bloody Kisses" floating around out there. There's the controversial European version (which got the band pegged as neo-nazis in Europe and Britain) which has two additional tracks ("We Hate Everyone" and "Kill All The White People") and a different track listing.
Then there's the American version which has additional tracks ("Cant Lose You" and "Suspended in Dusk") and a different track listing.
As far as I can tell, Amazon and most retail stores don't carry the "other" version of Bloody Kisses. But if you can get your hands on that version, it is definitely worth it. "We Hate Everyone" is a friggin' hilarious up yours to the bands critics and showcases the overlooked sense of humor of Peter Steele.
Also missing from the American CD is the famous "machine f*ck* opening.
Having said that, all my favorites are on here. The title track, "Christian Woman", "Black No. 1", "Too Late: Frozen" and the rest. This is a cracking good album whichever version you're listening to. The American version just seems a tad bit incomplete.

Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses is one of the most essential metal albums of the decade. But do NOT buy this version of the album. The essential version of Bloody Kisses is the original one, which starts off with "Machine Screw", "Christian Woman", and "Black No. 1" as the opening tracks. Unfortunately, this re-release which for some reason struck Peter Steele as necessary, feels like only half an album.
The original version contained joke tracks such as "Machine Screw" and "Fay Ray, Come Out and Play", as well as two more thrashy tracks: "Kill All the White People" is fairly simplistic, but powerful, and a lot of fun. But the worst offense is the ommision of "We Hate Everyone", a brilliant song which touches on all of Type O Negative's musical bases, and delivers some piercing lyrics as well.
I guess they figured that these tracks were at odds with the more serious sounding tracks on the album. But the album's appeal lies in the fact that while it is undeniably beautiful music, it doesn't take itself too incredibly seriously, and when it does, it's usually making fun of itself. Without these omitted tracks, the album sounds completely different, and the new ordering makes absolutely no sense. Do yourself a favor, and get the original release. It's still available, and an essential purchase.

I'm not surprised that Roadrunner re-releases most of their catalog as they've been doing for years especially the last year or so including reissues from Death, Sepultura, Madball, Front Line Assembly and Life Of Agony. The latest: two from Type O Negative. The first was their debut Slow, Deep And Hard back in March. Now, Bloody Kisses. I'm sure fans are fuming to see this classic reissued especially after it was first reissued a year after it originally came out. The difference with that one was not only did it feature a newer track and an altered tracklisting, but two of their best songs were omitted due to certain stylistic differences with the songs and the overall tracklisting. Here, you get the whole deal. Not only is the album (original tracklisting and all) remastered, but you get a bonus cd with "Suspended In Dusk" and other tracks. In my opinion, this is THE Type O Negative album to own. If you had to get just one, this would be it. Even if you're not a fan, it's a hard one to pass up. Get the "Top Shelf" Edition.

I have to agree with a vast majority of the other reviews here, when they sing the praises of this album. BLOODY KISSES was my first introduction to Type O Negative (courtesy of a friend - thanks Jim!), and of course became my first TON album added to my music library. The instant sellers on this album (for me, anyway) were (and still are) CHRISTIAN WOMAN, BLACK No 1, SUMMER BREEZE, and the title track BLOODY KISS (A DEATH IN THE FAMILY).

With the exception of SUMMER BREEZE, all these songs are epic classics running anywhere from just under 9 minutes to a little over 11 minutes each. What made these songs such instant gems (aside form the excellent musical arrangements), was the unique, unmatched vocal styling of Peter Steele. His deep, baritone vocals stand alone in a class all their own, and in effect, make the songs that much more unique as well. I have yet to meet a woman who was not "affected" by his voice. Aside from other, um, "attributes" that Peter Steele possess, his voice is something that many men would envy (I sure do, anyway).

An almost 180 contrast to their debut album (SLOW, DEEP, AND HARD) where the tracks were more typical metal, with the speed & thrash elements one would expect from such a genere, BLOODY KISSES slows things down, but not in a boring way, rather in a deeper, more emotionally connective sort of way. You can almost "feel" the despair, sadness, and melancholy in some of these songs, just from the music alone, before even a single lyric is uttered. It almost makes one wonder if these two albums could actually come from the same band. But they do.

Where I feel SLOW DEEP AND HARD was an experimental album for Pete & Co to get themselves on the music map (amidst the thrash & speed of SDAH, there is a balance of slower, heavy riffing which would become more evident and refined in following albums), BLOODY KISSES is the album where I feel the band finds their perfect niche that firmly places them among other great bands of the goth metal genre.

Additionally, while a lot of the music can invoke feelings of melacholy, some the very same tracks can also simultaneously invoke more positive feelings as well. Not a lot of music can do that.

As mentioned in many of the other reviews, this album had two "versions". An original 14-track version, released in a standard jewel case, and a remastered 9-track version, released in a digipak. There is so much contention as to which is the "better" version - I say they're both good in their own right, and any true TON fan will make sure to have both in their collection/library, even if it's for 1 song.

While the original version boasts more tracks, those etxra tracks (which were omitted from the remastered release) are really not all that great, as they are mostly made up of these bizarre interludes (not the last to be seen/heard from TON however!), which seem to only serve to segue from one musical track to the next, and hardly warrant the fuss over the original version of the album being "better". These "interlude" tracks would be 3.0.I.F. (which sounds like some auto accident scenario), DARK SIDE OF THE WOMB (the crying infant and macabre sounds suggest to me some sort of "Rosemary's Baby" thing going on), MACHINE SCREW (mechanical eroticism, I guess you could say), and FAY WRAY COME OUT AND PLAY (the overall sounds and ambience here suggest to me like it's a tribute to the classic 1933 movie King Kong, when the tribe make their female sacrifice to Kong).

I find these tracks do serve rather well as intros to specific main musical tracks, but they're not anything you'd really miss, especially if you never heard them. In other words, you wouldn't miss much. Among these omitted tracks, however, only 2 are actual musical compositions (KILL ALL THE WHITE PEOPLE and WE HATE EVERYONE), and while these are not bad and pretty good, respectively, I have to strongly disagree with any reviews that say these (or any of the omitted tracks, for that matter) are better than SUSPENDED IN DUSK, which was the "bonus track" included on the remastered digipak version, in these other tracks' absence.

In fact, if there was any track that made buying a second copy of BLOODY KISSES worth while, it would be the digipak for SUSPENDED IN DUSK. If you have an avid interest in vampires, you will agree, this song makes it worth a second investment in the "same" album. But even if you're not a vampire enthusiast, this is one of those great songs that rank alongside CHRISTIAN WOMAN, et al.

Speaking of CHRISTIAN WOMAN, the one thing that DOES suck about the digipak (aside form the fact that it IS a digipak! grrr), is that Pete's spoken intro for the song ("Forgive her... for she knows not what she does") was also omitted (at least it was on MY copy!). That makes no sense to me.

Maybe because I got the digipak first, and then the original later on, (not knowing I got them in "backwards" order), perhaps this may have influenced my acceptance of the digipak version as being "just as good", cos in essence, my second purchase was like getting stuffed added on, rather than left off. Still, had I gotten them in their proper sequence, I think I would have been ok with paying a full CD price for one song (and not just cos I'm the kind of music junkie who wants ANYthing and EVERYthing released from whatever band I am into), cos SUSPENDED IN DUSK is actually THAT good. In fact, I recall thinking the original wasn't that great after all, since the "extra" tracks weren't even "real" tracks, and the 2 that were, were mediocre at best.

If you value quantity over quality, then the original BLOODY KISSES will suit you fine. If you prefer quality over quantity, you may prefer the digipak (except for that clipped CHRISTIAN WOMAN intro!) instead. However, if you are a true Type O Negative fan, then not only will you not be sorry to have both versions, but you will also make a point of doing so - for collector's item reasons if nothing else.

In closing, I would have to say that while all the albums that followed were very good (even excellent!) in their own right, there is just something about BLOODY KISSES that makes it stand alone as an unmatched classic. A must!

I give 5+ stars, in the context of both versions combined as one release.
Seperately, I'd give the original version 4 stars, and the digipak 3 stars (the only reason it did not get an equal 4-star rating, is for the omitted intro to CHRISTIAN WOMAN, and for being in a digipak - I HATE those things! So in essence, the 3-star rate goes to the one song not on the original : SUSPENDED IN DUSK).



WTW

Back in high school some friends of mine were huge Type O Negative fans. Wanting to give the band a shot I borrowed this album and October Rust from them. My impressions were that it was a hodge podge of boring goth rock and utterly nonsensical tracks. Keep in mind however that I was mostly listening to extreme metal and classical in those days and hence my reaction. On a whim I decided to pick this album up used years later and WOW, what a difference eight or so years makes. I found this album to be thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. The tracks which I found boring before I now find engrossing and the hodge podge material is actually quite amusing. While I feel this album is just shy of five stars I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the band. Best tracks are: Christian Woman, Black No. 1 and the title track.

Be warned: this Digipack version of the CD has only 9 tracks where the original had 14. The tracks are also in a different order. To add insult to injury, the digipack includes the insert for the old version of the CD, with track listing and the lyrics for the missing tracks. The only positive thing about this version is there is a previously unreleased track right before the end.

*Note*- I have the original full version of this album, not the minimized digipak, which features radio edits of two of the biggest songs on this album, and many cut tracks... Find the original version of this album at all costs! It's far better!

"Bloody Kisses" is an album that will either go down in your book as one of your favorite personal albums, or as an overblown circus of tongue-in-cheek goth metal. I personally cannot stop listening to this album with its romantic, dark, and sombre atmosphere, yet have a sound that is so crushing while maintaining a sense of unseen and crude humor, which is clearly displayed in the lyrics of the songs. Peter Steele has crafted a masterpiece of gloom and doom, yet somehow still seems to sit back laughing at his own tragedy and heartbreak. To say the least, the lyrics of many songs on this album are NOT to be taken seriously. For instance, "Black No. 1" pokes fun at goth culture, and contains a lot of irony, since TON are considered "goth" metal. "We Hate Everyone" is a surprising return to Peter's days in barbaric thrashers Carnivore with some assaulting and crude lyrics, yet somehow comes off as truly hilarious.

The moods here switch here a lot. Some songs are crushing, funeral-like dirges, such as the title track. Others are more up-beat and catchy with 60's like trippy keyboards, and a few are total thrashers. The choruses here for the most part are very catchy, and have a punk-like feel to them with simultaneous yelling. "Bloody Kisses" shows TON sticking to their guns the only way they know possible, but also has a lot of experimentation. There is a perfect blend of stoner rock, crushing goth metal, and some weird "hippy" rock, shall I say? It may seem ridiculous, but it adds to the overall feel of the album, and works out quite well. The guitars use a tasteful, fuzzy distortion seen on all TON releases, and adds a grungy, dirty, raunchy feel to every song. The bass uses a similar overdrive, which gives the songs an added feeling of warmth. The drums are simple, but fit well. There's a little bit of everything to be seen here.

But I couldn't go without mentioning Steele's booming vocals. He's like a more ominus, manic depressive version of Barry White... And a lot more pale as well, lol. Some screams are strung throughout, and he does some catchy punk-like chanting every now and then. His oddball lyrics ("Kill All the White People"?) may raise a few eyebrows, but it's clear to see that despite his hidden misanthropy and gloom, he comes off as somewhat of a jokester. But he could just as easily write serious and sexual lyrics, such as on "Can't Lose You" and the mournful dirge of the title track.

1. Machine Screw- Hehe.... I'm not even going to go into this... Let's just say it sets the mood with some rather... interesting (?!) sound effects.

2. Christian Woman- One of my favorite TON tracks ever. Starts out with a calm, atmospheric intro with haunting keys, and builds into a slow passage with great backing vocals and a dreamy atmosphere, contained through the rest of the song. Features some good acoustic guitars and builds into my favorite part.... "Jesus Christ looks like me..." Ah, I love that. The lyrics are dark but laughable, giving the whole song an ironic feeling for its cathedral-like atmosphere. A stunning song. 5/5

3. Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)- One of TON's best songs. Features a catchy main line and chorus, and some pretty funny yet darkly romantic lyrics as well. Clocks in at 11 minutes, and has an indescribable atmosphere. 5/5

4. Fay Wray Come Out and Play- This is the beginning of the interludes on the album. Has some strange, vodoo-like chanting with ominus tribal drums booming in the background while a woman screams... Kind of gives me some mental imagery I'd rather not dwell on.... Haha.

5. Kill All the White People- A catchy thrasher with a dirty stoner feel and Peter's bravado screams fronting the Celtic Frost-like assault of fast to slow-paced guitar lines before kicking into a slow breakdown with sounds of war in the background. Very catchy song, and one of the heaviest here. 5/5

6. Summer Breeze- This is one of the most famous songs on the album. It was originally a rather up-beat, happy feel, but TON slowed it WAY down and gave it a sexual, raunchy feel. Very catchy and trippy, a superb song. 5/5

7. Set Me on Fire- Meh... Didn't do much for me... Just a proto-type 60's song with cheesy organs and Josh doing his back-up vocals of the same line over and over.... Next! 2/5

8. Dark Side of the Womb- Another interlude with babies crying sampled over an industrial beat. Nothing to see here.

9. We Hate Everyone- YES! A truly addictive uber-thrasher with a fist-pumping feel and punky chorus. Great lyrics, which openly ridicules any critics of TON. Definitely one of my favorites on the album. 5/5

10. Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)- Wow... A funeral-like dirge of true goth metal with a drag-horse tempo and suicidal atmosphere. Another one of my favorites... If you were happy before hearing this album, you won't be after hearing this song. 5/5

11. 3.O.I.F.- Another skit, and quite a disturbing one at that...

12. Too Late (Frozen)- Another catchy, mid-paced track with great back-up vocals and a "boppy" atmosphere. Very nice, a change from the rest of the album. Not too memorable, but still good. 4/5

13. Blood & Fire- A more typical TON song with a provocative, sexual, and raunchy feel, (just look at the lyrics) seems to sum up the album best. Though, for some reason, I can't help but to see an AC/DC influence in this song... But the vocals are really good, and that does more than compensate for this oddball of a song. 4/5

14. Can't Lose You- A very romantic, sombre, and dark closer. Much like the title track, and closes the album very well with a trippy and sexy atmosphere. 3/5

A soundtrack to sexual activities? An epilogue of bitter heartbreak? Or just an all-out misunderstood album?? Ah, who knows... This is definitely TON's best album, and I would track down the original version at all costs. Highly reccommended to fans of goth rock and doom metal. Highly reccommended!