Customer Reviews

Dead Again

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

So I got sucked in and picked up DA Red. I knew going in that the main album had nothing new outside of the color on the CD, that's fine. What was somewhat disappointing about the bonus DVD was how little effort seemed to go into it. The video is non-anamorphic widescreen. Essentially, what this means is if you are watching it on an HDTV, you'll have the picture enclosed in a little box in the middle of the screen, rather than having it stretched out to fit your TV properly like 95% of other DVDs would do. Some DVD players let you manually stretch the picture to fill the screen properly, but it looks crappy. Those watching on a regular TV will see the usual black bars at the top and bottom, so it's not as much of an issue for SDTV owners. Still, non-anamorphic discs were all but extinct 6 or 7 years ago, seeing one in 2008 is pretty pathetic.

For those wondering, the DVD includes a portion of a live performance (Wacken '07), with the songs Anethstesia, Christian Woman (full version), Love You To Death, and Kill You Tonight (aka Xero Tolerance). Also included are the videos for September Sun and Profit of Doom. The interview section runs about 14 minutes and contains an 11 minute Q&A about various topics that don't go outside the usual interview boundaries (Favorite place to play, favorite tour, what have you been up to, etc). Since the answers are often funny you forget that it's a pretty basic interview. The remaining 3 minutes is a pretty amusing "tour" through Coney Island. Josh - who, not unexpectedly, said nothing during the Q&A - walks around talking to cops and street trash. Entertaining stuff.

The album itself, for those who didn't buy the original recipe Dead Again, is a decent "Epic Doom-Metal" record that goes a bit light on the Beatles influences compared to their previous album (Life is Killing Me), although doesn't discard it completely (you may hear a Hey Jude riff in there if you listen closely). The sound of this album actually picks a bit of style from each one of their previous releases. The album houses an October Rust-meets-World Coming Down "gloom ballad" with September Sun, an epic Sabbath-esque tune in Tripping a Blind Man, and an almost Carnivore-sounding opening track with Dead Again. The final two tracks, An Ode To Locksmiths and Hail and Farewell to Britain, are strong standouts. There are a few tracks that sort of come off like filler, most notably Some Stupid Tomorrow. However, nothing is so terrible that you'll turn it off. Sadly there is no cover song this time around, although their recent "Symphony for the Devil" DVD has a bonus CD with a Santana Medley that will hold people over.

This is good for completists and people who want to pick up the album for the first time, but it's a tough recommendation for people who already own the regular version.

It's been a long time since Type O Negative have been on the scene. Too long, as a matter of fact. 2003 saw the release of Life Is Killing Me and the band seemed to all but vaporize since. Rest assured, however, the boys from Brooklyn are back, and frontman Peter Steele has gone through enough of a personal Hell to inspire one of the best albums of their career. "Dead Again," Type O's seventh studio album sounds just as fresh as the classic Bloody Kisses or October Rust, leaving no fan disappointed in it's wake.

At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I must say that this album totally blew my mind. Listening to it, I get the same feelings I did when I took my first listen of Bloody Kisses oh so many years ago. It's hard to believe how long these guys have been at it, and that they have yet to get stale or boring. Whether it's the triumphant opening title track, or the gloomy ballad, "September Sun," Type O Negative touch on all their previous material here, while still keeping it relevant. Others like "Tripping A Blind Man," "An Ode To Locksmiths" and "She Burned Me Down" are the cream of the crop, with their punch-in-the-gut riffs that bring back old school Black Sabbath (something that Type O are the best at). Even a song like "These Three Things," which clocks in at over fourteen minutes, is impossible not to enjoy. And if I'm not mistaken, I can hear a bit of confidence in Steele's voice like never before. For the first time, he truly sounds like he is releasing his demons through his music.

"Dead Again" is quite possibly the most accessible Type O Negative record available. Granted, you're not going to be hearing this stuff on the radio much, but if you were ever a Type O Negative fan, there is surely something here for you. They are one of the few bands that can create an album that matches their earlier work without it sounding like a shameless rehash. This is easily the most inspired Type O have been in ten years. Everyone who cares for this band owes it to themselves to own a copy of "Dead Again."

Not since October Rust has Type O Negative sounded this fresh and vibrant. Free of the personal demons that created the themes for World Coming Down and Life Is Killing Me(Great albums), Peter Steele and company deliver 77 mins of slow, dirgy sabbath-like metal, with a LOT of punk thrown in this time around(Dead Again, Halloween In Heaven). Kenny does a lot of screaming on this album too...like a lot. It also has its mellow points as well with September Sun. She Burned Me Down is almost like a sequel to Burnt Flowers Fallen, a great track. As a whole, the album will stand the test of time just like their other releases. Great metal record. Without a doubt, if you even consider yourself a fan then you will want this album. TYPE O NEGATIVE DEAD AGAIN

Get it and be happy.

Type O is one of my favorite bands, and their album "October Rust" is my all-time favorite album. For a band with such a self-deprecating sense of humor and such a choppy musical history, Type O Negative creates powerful, emotional music that transcends the goth stereotypes it wallows in (and helped create). And Peter Steele's dark vocals, once sort of a gimmick, have become integral to their brooding sound.

Anyway, like I said, "October Rust" is the best album ever. But the follow-up, "World Coming Down", was rather disappointing. I was losing hope for the band when their last album, "Life Is Killing Me", turned out to be a significant improvement. While not as uniformly brilliant as "Rust", it had some excellent songs and brought back their sense of humor. So I had high hopes for the newest release, "Dead Again".

The album is surprising in a lot of ways. First of all, many of the songs are much faster than previous Type O material. Peter doesn't sing quite so deep and gloomy this time around, and guitarist Kenny Hickey does much more singing than before. A few songs break the ten-minute mark, something they haven't really done since their first record. And while much of their sound remains typically Type O, many of the lyrics deal with new themes and ideas.

According to recent interviews, Peter Steele has returned to his Catholic upbringing, and so much of the album deals with Christianity and religion. "The Profit of Doom" uses an asteroid striking the Earth as a metaphor for the Apocalypse. "These Three Things" deals with abortion and the Jewish state of Israel. "An Ode To Locksmiths" offers a rather twisted version of Genesis. "Halloween in Heaven" is a bit lighter in tone, dealing with all the dead great musicians playing a concert in Heaven. And as usual, some of the songs are simply about Peter Steele himself and his personal problems. The title track "Dead Again" is about drug addiction, and "Some Stupid Tomorrow" deals with his anger management issues.

Thankfully, their sense of humor has not disappeared or been overwhelmed by the serious subject matter. I laughed out loud at some of the song titles, such as "Tripping A Blind Man" and "Some Stupid Tomorrow," and several songs have some hilarious lines. Among my favorites:

"I had no pulse last time I checked / I'd trade my life for self-respect" (from "Dead Again")

"Elvis ain't dead, so he isn't here" (from "Halloween in Heaven")

"If only I'd known how cool death is / I'd have killed myself sooner" (from "Halloween in Heaven")

And let's not forget their album liner notes. The band photo from Life Is Killing Me featured four sets of feet with toe tags on them. Not to be outdone, Dead Again shows a picture of four mangled chalk outlines opposite photos of skeletons inside coffins. And in the section for equipment used, it says "Type O Negative has yet to learn how to use the following equipment." I always get a kick out of that sort of thing.

Even though I think "Life Is Killing Me" had some better individual songs than "Dead Again", I think "Dead Again" is a better album as a whole. The whole tone of the album sounds more concise and uniform. But that's just me. It is a bit on the long side, but that's my only real complaint.

As a whole, fans of Type O should be happy with this release. The band they know and love has clearly matured over the years, but their style is undeniably intact. However, some people might be put off by the religious content of many of the songs. People bravely hoping for a return to "October Rust" territory will surely be disappointed as well. That era is gone, folks.

Type O Negative's most recent album, "Dead Again" gets re-released and repackaged with a bonus DVD. For those who have already picked up "Dead Again", this new edition is only worth picking up for die hard fans of the band. The bonus DVD includes the live Wacken performances of fan favorites "Kill You Tonight", "Love You to Death", "Anesthesia", and "Christian Woman", along with the videos for "The Profits of Doom" and "September Sun". An interview with the band is included as well, but it's nothing special, even though it concludes with Josh Silver touring Coney Island, which is actually pretty funny. As for the album itself, you can check my old review for a more detailed take on it, but other than the DVD and new red colored cover, this is the same "Dead Again" that you picked up last year. That's not a bad thing for more casual or new fans to the band who haven't picked up "Dead Again" yet, of which by all means this is the edition to pick up. Other than that though, unless you are a die hard fan who needs to own everything Type O Negative, or you don't own "Dead Again" at all, this re-release isn't all that worth picking up.

Dead Again to me is like my favorite three TON albums mixed together. SD&H, October Rust & World Coming Down.

As a Type O fan, I am not sure really what to say as to help you buy this album...or not.

I love TON's longer songs. This album has two that clock in at over ten minutes each (Profit's & These 3 Things).

My fav's so far are: #3. Profit's Of Doom, 4. September Sun, 5. Holloween In Heaven (BEST when you hear it LIVE. TON's tribute to Dimebag...or at least Peter said so!!!)& 6. These Three Things.

The rest of the album is great too...but these speak to me. Go up and listen to the sample...or if you know Type O, just buy the damn thing cause you know you will love it!!

"You want to play god,

And I know you will,

If that's the case,

I'll be the devil"

Type O Negative are one of those bands where if they go without putting out a new album for years, you'd still be waiting to hear what they do next even if they didn't put one out for 5-10 years. Four years since 2003's LIFE IS KILLING ME, the camp of Type O still remains a little dreary and dark, but DEAD AGAIN is another clear winner for Type O Negative. Their seventh album overall, DEAD AGAIN boasts only 10 tracks but clocks in over a whopping 77 minutes. But there are some really excellent songs on this album.

The title tracks introduces the album at break-neck speed, with the fast-sharp-fuzz riffs of guitarist Kenny Hickey, the clobbering drums of Johnny Kelly, the keyboard spots of Josh Silver, and the throbbing bass and dark vocals of Peter Steele. These guys have been doing this for almost 20 years and they are the pros of goth-metal. First single "The Profits of Doom" is two or three songs rolled into one. First, you have the semi-slow sludge but then the creepy dirge of the verses where Peter screams "my soul's on fire!!!" Parts of the song are pretty damn catchy. "Halloween In Heaven" is one of the standout songs amongst the bunch. Here, Kenny incorporates a fast razor sharp riff while the rhythm sections follows along just as fast, and during the mid to latter half of the song, guest vocalist Tara Van Flower's dreamy octave really provides a punk-ish edge to the song, which reminded me of KILLING ME's "I Don't Wanna Be Me". "These Three Things" is very similar to the title track from WORLD COMING DOWN. It starts off with a slow riff and slow pace before punctuating some mid-tempo grooves in parts over the course of 14 minutes. Closing track "Hail and Farewell to Britain" is a scathing attack from Peter against a former colleague, while the trademark Type O fuzz-sonic punch-sludge hits home; even "An Ode To Locksmiths" boasts a riff straight off of Black Sabbath that's so damn catchy you might bob your head instead of bang it. And the beautiful "September Sun" starts off with a lilting piano bit that's almost Beatles-esque before launching into a full sonic thrash.

One other thing you'll notice on this album just like other Type O albums is again how Kenny and Peter bounce vocals parts off each other perfectly. In each of the songs that Kenny does parts of the lead vocals, he and Peter trade off each other in constant rhythm, never jarring up a line or finding themselves out of sync. The musicianship on this album also remains a strong point as with most of the Type O albums (minus the mild ORIGIN).

So after four years was DEAD AGAIN worth the wait? You better believe that it was. Boasting some truly excellent tracks that rank right up there with Type O's best songs, DEAD AGAIN is another gem that fans will undoubtedly eat up in droves. Will you find yourself DEAD AGAIN?

thoughts after first listening:

Quick answer: i like it.

Bit longer answer: the album is admirable on many levels, especially considering that Type O changed labels prior to the release and has suffered from a steadily declining fan base over the years. Despite all of this they pulled together and put out an album that doesn't rely on past accomplishments or easy answers.

I was initially saddened to see a track list of 10 songs, paling in comparison to the usual 14-16. However, upon listening I came to realize how smart a decision this was. They allowed themselves to really develop each song and exploit certain qualities that weren't so prominent in other releases.

One such quality I am very happy with is Kenny's vocals. He sings on many albums (wonderfully) but when he does here they allow his voice a much sterner presence. Usually it is softer (even when yelling) and easily overpowered by peter. He really stands on his own here, which is a welcomes surprise.

Knowing my own history with typo's releases I frequently take a few weeks of listening before I can isolate a favorite track, but at the moment I think one of the cd's ballad, The Profits of Doom might take the award. This song is just awesome. Despite the albums genuine opening of new doors musically, this song brings us back to a format that Bloody Kisses epitomized. By that i mean the way songs could go 10-12 minutes and operate like a novel. With definitive elements that really fleshed out the full range of a single moment in a cd. While very different, it is reminiscent of songs like Christian Woman, Black Number One, and We Hate Everyone (ooo an absolute classic).

I wont be able to really talk in depth about the cd for a while, as I like to really saturate myself with their songs before thinking too hard about them.

I recommend the cd to all type o fans. It's really quite good.

-Cory

Just minutes ago I finished listening to the long awaited new album from Type O Negative. I could go on and on about how incredibe I think this latest disc, Dead Again, is but there is so many different aspects of this album to mention I couldn't begin to list them all.

The album is full of surprises in many different ways and starts before you even put the CD in your player. It comes with a creative insert that is folded in a very unique manner. I won't spoil it for those that want to be surprised but I will say it might take a few minutes to get used to the themed font that is used (see title of review for sample) in the lyric sheet.

The music was another huge surprise for me. I didn't know if the band would go back to a more dream-like sound like October Rust or keep with the whole "every album has a different kind of deal" sound. To compare Dead Again with any of the previous albums is very difficult as never has the band sounded so tight, raw and energetic. I believe this album truly offers something for everyone. There is quite a bit of punk/hardcore in there mixed with some real slow dirgy groove riffs and ultra-melodic and moody chord progressions and feedback. It might take a few hundred listens to pick up all the "you will never take it all in with just a few listens" type of music that Type-O creates but I assure you it will be worth it.

The vocals are another surprise. Pete sounds so different in some songs that the songs could easily be mistaken for new Carnivore songs yet the difference is they all have that Type-O feel that we have come to dig including Pete's low-end mixed with harmonies. It's great to hear Kenny doing some more vocals as well. Johnny's amazing drums sound more raw than ever. Since the album is more raw sounding than others I didn't notice a whole lot of keyboards in this album. There are moments where the keys shine but they seems to be more spaced out than previous albums. This isn't a complaint as what I did hear from Josh is incredibly eerie as usual. Kenny's guitar sound is as sharp as a razor and really drives home how in-your-face this album really is.

As I type this review up I am listening to the album for the second time and hearing more things I didn't hear with my first listen. There are things layered (including some backmasking) in the background that you probably won't hear the first listen. After all, this is Type-O we are talking about here. They love to mess with our senses sometimes.

Congrats to Type-O-Negative for creating yet another winner. I have a feeling a lot of these songs are going to come across very, very well live. I can just see the pit opening up for some of the faster numbers if they do indeed play them live. I know this latest offer will provide years of listening. Thanks guys!

-Sean

If you want a great new cd buy this one. It is one of the years most anticipated albums especially from the fans of this awesome yet underrated band. With Peters' signature deep voice combined withe his effect driven bass along with the hard pounding of Johnny's drums and the sounds from Kenny's guitar combined with the wicked sounds coming from Josh's keys this is the album we have all been waiting for. It was definately worth the wait. Its an awesome cd to eat, drink, drive and do whatever else you want to do to. I am really looking forward to seeing (and hearing) some of these songs live. Especially the hard hitting sounds coming from Johnny behind the kit on These Three Things. It's going to knock down the house!!! Guest vocalist Tara Vanflower, contrasts perfectly with Peters voice on Halloween in Heaven. Profits of Doom...what can I say but the best new song I have heard so far this year. I could go on about each song but why should I when you are going to get it anyway. In short, buy it, you'll love it. If you don't, it will make a great coaster!!!