Customer Reviews

October Rust

5 star:		(152)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I listen to a broad variety of music, so when I heard "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" on the radio one day, I decided to give Type O a shot, and what a wise decision that was! "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" is one of the fastest and hardest tracks on the album, so I was surprised to hear how different some of the others were. Sometimes you think you're listening to a classical arrangement with some gothic guitarplaying going on. Other times it's more like chanting. Lead singer Peter Steele must have one of the deepest voices in existence! Overall, the album has one of the richest atmospheres I've ever heard. Type O Negative seems to appeal to some primal instinct deep within the human soul, some ancient qualities long forgotten. Steele deals with the dark side of things in his lyrics, but deep within I sense a celebration of love (although it certainly is well hidden). Death and despair gets turned into art (or functionless art that is nothing but tolerated vandalism according to the band).

No matter what, this is a dark and beautiful masterpiece. Well worth your materialistic means of payment. In other words: get the thing!

There is much debate over what the best Type O Negative album is. Most opinions center around the Heavy Gothic Rock of "Bloody Kisses". Some prefer the neanderthal trashing of "Slow Deep & Hard". My personal opinion, however, is that "October Rust" has been Type O Negative's shining moment of glory. October Rust is by far the most eclectic, complex and sensual of Type O's LP's. The album twists and turns through a path of light and darkness unlike any other before (or after) it. The songs fall into either one of four categories: there are the heavy, dark, powerful 'Black Sabbathesque' like songs, such as "Burnt Flowers Fallen", "In Praise of Bacchus", "The Glorious Liberation...", and "Wolf Moon". Then there are the psychadelic, up-beat and funky songs such as "Be My Druidess", "My Girlfriends Girlfriend", and "Cinnamon Girl". Next there are the ambient, spiritual, and beautifully melodic songs such as "Love You To Death", "Green Man", and "Die With Me". Finally there are two hauntingly dark, depressing and morbid epics in the form of "Red Water (Christman Mourning)" and "Haunted". All in all, "October Rust", although slightly more commercial than Type O's other recordings, is their best album. You can hear their hearts, emotions, souls and passions poured into the uplifting music. Experience the enchantment today.

Broke a stereotype today. Listened to gothic metal, nothing like what I imagined. Heard `Love You to Death' by Type O Negative.

Gothic music is very reflective of the people behind it, there is a very dark upset atmosphere surrounding it. It is sad to me that the people behind the music have `allowed' the depression to be so dominant of their lives but it has allowed them to create what I currently feel is the most beautiful form of music as they express their uphappiness. It is dark, harsh, gothic and has a clear rough edge to it. It is certainly not neat tidy clean music. Music from the soul, but also dangerous music as it is very inflential in encouraging negative emotions.

Although I don't relate to the negativity of the group, I have never heard music so conveyant of emotion. I find it bizarre how so many love songs appear in the charts which are supposed to be beautiful and moving, but the image to me is fake starched and artifical. I know another one will appear next week sung by another pretty girl/boy in a clean neat voice. It sounds pretty, white and clean...is that a love song? Hearing Pete Steele sing in his dark sad deep emotion wracked voice to the heavy gothic metal tones of `Type O Negative' brought a tear to my eye which no chart song could ever do.

Everything comes together perfectly on this album, there really isn't a weak point or song anywhere. This is one of the best gothic albums I've heard, though I wouldn't neccassarily classify Type O as a gothic band. Pete Steele is an amazing singer and gots a real deep voice. He's one of five singers I've ever heard do the extemely deep vocals really well, Johan Edlund of Tiamat, Dust of ...How Like A Winter, Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost and Dan Swano of too many projects to list being the others. The music is dirgy, slow and ambiant, almost like someone threw Black Sabbath, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost in a blender and Type O is what came out. If your into gothic or interesting music in general you'll probably love this album. I also recommend checking out Tiamat, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Lacuna Coil, and Anathema in addition to this.

I just had to write having heard of the passing of Type O's Peter Steele. I'm in shock and dismay, and probably more upset by his death than any other artist in recent memory. A lot of that is due to this very album, the masterpiece called "October Rust". Since it's release in 1996, it has remained my Number One Favorite album of the last fourteen years. And I've heard a LOT of music over those years. This, their finest moment, transcends mere heavy-metal. Or hard rock. Or goth. Or alternative. It's all of those, but so much more. I can't think of any other album that still sends little shivers down my spine when I play it. The voice of the Man himself, the songwriting, the performances - it puts all other similar bands to shame. I still hear little bits and pieces in the background of these songs that I never heard before. And that's the beauty of this band. Being able to produce in his own studio meant Peter Steele could tinker and play with the songs for as long as he wanted. And he did. The results are an album that simply transports you into its own universe. Very little "metal" can ever be called beautiful, but this album is gothic beauty in spades. There's only a few bands I can think of who have created their own musical world - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Cure and Depeche Mode come to my mind, and of course, Type O Negative. If you've heard all the R.I.P.s' and accolades over the last few days, and have never heard this album, do yourself a favor. Then try the rest, all masterpieces in their own right. But this was the zenith of Peter Steele's writing and producing abilities. A true genius has left us, and I am so sad. No more Type O albums?? Tears well up as I write. I feel like.....a death in the family.

A friend introduced me to Type-O Negative quite a few years ago. At first I was reluctant to listen to it because I thought the band was a bunch of vampire-wannabe freaks. Back then I knew nothing about Gothic music, but I was a huge metal fan--listening to everything from Metallica to Pantera and Halford in-between. Since my first listen and thousands more this album has grown on me exponentially to the point of being the one album I can listen to over and over and never get tired of. The music is just so full of emotion. At first some of the songs depressed me, but now it's like coming home. It actually cheers me up and puts me in a melancholy mood that fits perfectly with who I am. Type-O doesn't take themselves or their lyrics seriously at times, which is a waste in my opinion, because this album is a pinnacle that may never be reached again by any Gothic band. It's *that* good. I've been searching all over the place for something similar, but the haunting mood of this album can't be matched. In my opinion October Rust is the epitomy of Gothic music and Type-O hit the nail in the coffin (er on the head) with this album. Words can't express how good this album is. Buy it and let yourself be taken away to a world you never knew existed. "Die with Me" and "Love You to Death" are two songs I can relate to; love in its deepest form. "Red Water (Christmas Mourning)" is so sad that you can't stop listening to it. "Haunted" is by far my favorite track. I could listen to Peter's deep singing all day. The interlude in the middle of the song is just perfect. "In Praise of Bacchus", "Burnt Flowers Fallen" and "Wolf Moon" are powerful. "Cinnamon Girl" and "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" are typical Type-O fun. If you've never heard Gothic music before and want to hear the best right up front this is the only album you will need. It will leave you wanting more. The other Type-O albums don't reach this level of perfection and emotion. They broke the Gothic mold and nothing else compares. 8 years since its release it's still best. Stop reading this review and buy the album now. If you don't you'll be missing out on something truly monumental in music.

This was my first introduction to TON and still my favorite. Forget about it being "Goth" forget about it being metal, it's just great music. Peter's voice is one of the most...spiritual experiences ever. This is a must for any lonely woman. So light some candles, crank it up, and make sure you have plenty of batteries on hand!

I'll admit, usually my tastes in music run to Thrash and Death Metal, but when I chanced upon this album (after seeing the video for "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend"), I knew I had struck gold!! Here's a little breakdown...

The Music: The whole Beatles/Black Sabbath thing has been said before, but it's true. The unforgettable melodies of the Beatles, and the imposing doom 'n gloom of vintage Sabbath. The songs veer from the poppiness of 'My Girlfriend's Girlfriend' to the sprawling majesty of 'Haunted' and all points in between. Probably my favourite thing about this album is that there are so many cool, weird noises buried in the mix, that every time you listen, you hear something different. You could spend YEARS trying to digest this.

The Lyrics: Sometimes creepy, sometimes humorous, always on the mark. And made all the better by Peter Steele's rich baritone delivery (and backed up by the Bensonhoist Lesbian Choir - I'm not making this up!!).

The Production: This is where it gets weird. Sometimes it sounds like it was recorded at Abbey Road, and other times it sounds as if it were tracked onto an old-school four-track in Josh Silver's garage. And how they manage to blend the two aesthetics so FLAWLESSLY is something I've pondered fruitlessly for many years.

The Performance: Although no one would ever accuse these guys of being virtuosos with regard to technicality, the sometimes straightforward approach lets the music BREATHE. They probably realised that an overly technical approach (of which they are fully capable of, as evidenced on their earlier stuff) would confuse an already complicated thing.

The Highlights: EVERYTHING! Well to be more specific, here goes...

Love You To Death - Beautiful, and hauntingly romantic. If your girlfriend happens to be a metal fan (as she bloody well should be!), pop this in the background, and enjoy one hell of a shagfest!

Green Man - Catchy as hell, with a very cool (albeit bizzarre) sample of a garbage truck at the beginning.

In Praise Of Bacchus - An awesome ode to the Roman god of wine, and always a great tune to get hammered to.

Haunted - Creeping slower-than-buggery doom-laden metal with a sprawling, poetic feel and (like most songs on this record) erotic overtones.

In Summary: This album is perfectly flawless. Although I dig "Bloody Kisses" and "World Coming Down", this album is where the 'O' hit their stride. And on a related not, if you're a heterosexual guy, AVOID ANY CONTACT with the Peter Steele Playgirl pics!! The absolute LAST thing you want to visualise when you put on this record is Peter's 'schlong'... it took me YEARS to erase that mental pic! Otherwise... ENJOY!!

As I wait for Type O's latest release this June (2003), I began to dig out the old stuff and set the mood. If you're reading this review and this is your first foray into the world of Type O Negative, October Rust is like nothing you've heard before. If you're progressing to October Rust from Bloody Kisses, this album is the perfection of the gloomier half of their previous works.

Classified by most as "goth", Type O truly sets their own agenda and doesn't fit into any particular category. Self-described as The Drab Four, you'll find influences from The Beatles through Black Sabbath, and lyrics that focus on hate, hope, love, and loss. The gloom is occasionally pierced by a wicked sense of humor and cover songs you would least expect, but their original lyrics remain true to reality and far from politically correct.

Of all the offerings presented by TON, October Rust is the sonic masterpiece. Layer upon layer of highs and lows, between and within the songs, both musically and emotionally. The opening anthem of self-doubt (Love You to Death) sets the mood for 80 minutes of orchestra-quality music. Every song is a highlight unto itself, with twists and turns and a musical finesse that is unmatched in the metal or rock category.

This is not "get up and dance" rock, and certainly not moshing material. There is no thrash here. No hint of Peter Steele's previous venture with Carnivore, or the early days of TON. While some critics hint that Type O lost their metal edge with Rust, they instead progressed into uncharted territory. There is imaginative, original music beautifully arranged and meant for your easy-chair.

The follow-up to Rust, World Coming Down, is darker and gloomier and not nearly the musical accomplishment of this 1996 classic. A fine listen on its own, it pales in comparison to the sonic benchmarks acheived on Rust.

Find the best headphones you own, and seclude yourself for a while with a candle, a bottle of blood-red wine, and October Rust. And welcome to the world of TON.

BLOODY KISSES established Type O Negative as one of the biggest goth-type hard rock groups of all time. While showcasing epic songs and vampiric vocals, KISSES brought Type O into the spotlight, earning them a rabid fanbase and winning some critics over in impressive fashion. OCTOBER RUST turns up the melodic elements of Type O Negative, while the hard thrash mostly takes a backseat here, but make no mistake...this is still a beautifully crafted metal monster.

The two opening tracks, one untitled the other "Bad Ground" are meant to be sarcastic, as they explain on track #2. But "Love You To Death" is quite possibly one of the most beautiful love ballads Type O has ever written, and its the more melodic metal that you're likely to find throughout the album. Highlights include the stomping cover of "Cinnamon Girl"; the incessantly catchy dirge of "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend"; the semi-creepy haunt of "Haunted"; and the beautiful yet transparently sick "Wolf Moon", which is an ode to a woman's monthly friend crossed with a little lycanthropic element. "Die With Me" is probably the lightest song Type O have committed to album, but it's got some clever and funny lyrics, some sweet but also darkly sarcastic. "In Praise of Bacchus" features a guest vocal spot from Pist-On's princess Valium, and the duet with her and Peter is quite good.

Peter was quoted as saying that OCTOBER RUST would showcase a "more melodic side" of Type O Negative. Throughout most of the album, it is indeed a more melodic and toned down record, emphasizing more melody over thrash and dark metal. While this album might not be to everyone's liking, OCTOBER RUST is the "melodic" side of Type O Negative.