TYPE O NEGATIVE — Bloody Kisses (review)

TYPE O NEGATIVE — Bloody Kisses album cover Album · 1993 · Gothic Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
topofsm
Imagine a goth male whose balls are as as big as basketballs and has a voice to match. Picture him sex crazed and completely set out against against the world. But then give him a sense of humor and put him behind sensible pop keyboards and catchy, but slow, guitar riffs. This is what you get when you listen to Bloody Kisses by Type O Negative.

This is undoubtedly a highly influential album, especially within the context of gothic and doom metal. The songs are accessible and simple, yet carefully composed, develop well, and are dark and heavy. As far as musicianship goes, there is nothing impressive here. But the listen is great, and Peter Steele's deep bass voice combines with the haunting synth layers, the chugging guitars, the low bass, and the solid driving drums to create an excellent dark atmosphere.

Standout tracks include the highly praised "Christian Woman", the true opening song of the album. A lone organ line faintly starts in the background and Steele sings a solitary stanza, until everything pounds in and the 'The Bensonhoist Lesbian Choir' pours in flowing melodies. "Black No. 1", another single, is also a good listen, an ironically both an anthem for gothic popular music fans while simultaneously mocking them the whole time.

Not all the songs are dark and slow. Two hardcore styled songs feature on the album as well, "Kill all the White People", a humorous take on violent racism, and "We Hate Everyone" written in the same style.

"Summer Breeze" is an excellent cover of Seals and Crofts, turning an airy hippie ballad into a low creeping song full of dark distortion. It segues into the following song, "Set me on Fire" which turns into a Beatles style psychedelic catchy pop tune.

Interspersed through the album are a few ambient tracks that add more to the mood of the album, often sexually crazed or dark and haunting. They neither seem to add or detract from the quality of the record, but certainly help establish the tone of it.

All in all this is a milestone in metal, and it certainly deserves that credit. This oft-cited masterpiece is one that metal goth fans can listen to over and over again with enthusiasm, however disaffected that enthusiasm is with teenage angst and gothic distain.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Deviance Deathcore
ASHES INTO BLOOD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Equilibrium Atmospheric Sludge Metal
BESRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tension Between Rot And Genesis Sludge Metal
ANTHESIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recycle Brain Crust Punk
C.P.G
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cartography Of The Mind Deathcore
TETHERED
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Besra – Unsullied (Music Video)
BESRA
Bosh66· 10 hours ago
Tethered - Breathe (Official Video)
TETHERED
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Walking The Blade (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - The Negative (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Drowning feat. Taylor Barber (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed