Search - Type O Negative :: Dead Again (Red Version CD/DVD)

Type-O-Sabbative

Mr. Michael J. Hughes | 03/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being old enough to rememebr the original line-up of Sabbath in all their glory, I have struggled to accept anyone as deserving of their praise until now. This album deserves that. It is TON going to a new level, of both style, class and imaginatiopn. They clearly salute the mighty Sabs by emulating many of their signature sounds. Not only tempo changes, but atmosphere changes, guitar solos, choral chants and inspirational riffs. Beautiful, fragile vocals one minute, Vampirish screams the next. Guitar that actually frightened my girlfriend (on "The profit of doom")! Heavy is not the word for this. It is brutal, satanic, dark, with hints of the old Sabbath knack of breaking into all together different feelings, then back again to the darkness of hell. It is heavenly one minute, hellish the next. Steele's vocals change so much, you may be forgiven for thinking they have a whole host of new lead singers. He clearly wants to be Ozzy on "September Sun" and uses synthesisers to make him even sound Ozzy-ish (as well as throwing a couple of "yeahs" into the mix). They blast into such Iommi style guitar licks (beautifully illustated in "These Three Things"), you would think they've asked him to guest for them. The old TON sound is there in places, but this is a brand new band now boys. And I, for one, WELCOME this as the strongest album they, or anyone else for that matter, has produced in years! Master of Reality meets Black Sabbath meets Technical Ecstasy meets Bella Lugosi."

Peter went out on top with "Dead Again"

Mogulmeister | Boston, MA | 04/22/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I reviewed the green-version CD when it came out. I'm saddened beyond words at the untimely loss of Peter Steele just last week. I'm convinced he had a lot of great music ahead of him. That said, it's my opinion that he went out absolutely on top with "Dead Again". When this disc came out, I listened to it nearly continuously for two years--no lie. I've never had such a strong reaction to any Type O Negative CD, not even "Bloody Kisses" and "October Rust", my two other favorites. While there may be some Type O fans who might disagree with me, "Dead Again" is so phenomenal that it's practically beyond criticism. The "highs" have never been higher, and the overall level of quality is tremendous, with the exception of "She Burned Me Down" which seems to go on a bit pointlessly. Standout tracks include "Dead Again," "Tripping A Blind Man," "Profits of Doom," "September Sun," "These Three Things," "An Ode To Locksmiths," and "All Hail And Farewell To Britain."



I could be barking up the wrong tree, but I've long thought that Peter Steele has to have had significant exposure to classical music. This isn't a new opinion for me, but his development as a songwriter suggests to me he was drawing on an awareness of symphonic masters. Two tracks in particular bear this out.



"September Sun" is an astonishing song that became something of an obsession. The very first time I heard track four, I literally groaned and said to myself, "they can't be serious!" "September Sun" starts like a "hair band" power ballad, with a simple nice piano intro--totally not Type O. And then it occurred to me, knowing that this is Peter Steele, this has to be a joke and it's going to get turned inside out and trashed. And actually something very different happens. Steele does something profoundly Brucknerian with "September Sun"--he takes a very simple basic theme, expands upon it, puts it through a metamorphosis, and it ends up becoming something far more imposing, grander, astonishing, and even menacing, than you can have even been lead to believe it would become, by the time the song is over nearly 10 minutes later, and really takes you somewhere. "September Sun" has to be heard in its astonishing entirety, and for me it is an especially imposing, threatening, beautiful, and entirely unnerving piece of music. It haunts me while still blowing me away.



"These Three Things" is also a musical standout (I usually don't pay attention to the words, and listening to Peter Steele rant against abortion is more humorous than anything else--and it was not intended as a joke). At just under 15 minutes, it's the longest song that Type O ever recorded. And unlike some of their lengthier songs which are really just a collection of several smaller songs strung together, "These Three Things" takes musical ideas and works them out over the length of the song, transforming them by the end. Beyond the drone introduction, the initial section of the song is musically one of the most brutal things that Type O has ever done--relentless, overpowering, and raw. And then the music takes a 180, introduces a new musical theme, and then transforms it over the remainder of the song. I wasn't overwhelmed by "These Three Things" initially, but almost more than any other song on this CD, it grew on me to the point of becoming one of the very highlights.



I've long had the opinion that "Dead Again" is Type O Negative's finest work--which is not to diminish "Bloody Kisses" or "October Rust" in any way, as great as they are. In "Dead Again," Type O pushed themselves hard, not settling to re-do what they have already done, and I think they made real breakthroughs and succeeded on every level.



To Peter Steele, let me say this: THANK YOU, Peter, for giving us such outstanding music. Words will never express how grateful I am. I also feel very fortunate to have seen Type O play live numerous times. You didn't do it by yourself, Type O clearly was a band, not a man with three backup players, but you were the creative force, the vision, and the voice. I will be listening to your music likely for the rest of my life, and I have no doubt it will stand the test of time. Many musicians have made a name for themselves, but few have had the capacity for such an original vision, and the talent to achieve it. You did, and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. At the end of several of a number of Type O's concerts, you would say right before leaving, while grasping your heart, "Thank you, for without you, we are nothing," and it never came across as anything but heartfelt. Hearing more about you after your passing, about your truly humble nature, I am more sure than ever that those words were your truth. But my truth is, it was not you in our debt, but the other way around. We are lucky to have had you sharing your gift with us. Thank you, Peter. If there is an "other side" (and I have a hard time believing there is), I hope you had a good journey and are at peace. You deserve it. Peace, Green Man."