Type O Negative lead singer Peter Steele is a devout proponent of Darwinism, so it's only fitting that his band has evolved yet again with "World Coming Down," its fourth, and perhaps darkest, studio album.
The group began as an admittedly trashy hardcore band in the '80s, flirted with Gothic metal on 1994's sublime "Bloody Kisses" and made an unusual move by playing borderline mainstream rock on its next album, 1996's mediocre "October Rust." When the disc sold poorly and fans leveled accusations of selling out, band members admitted that they intentionally commercialized their music for radio exposure. Steele promised never to do this again, and the uncompromising songwriting on "World Coming Down" proves that he kept his word.
The new release is Type O Negative's most focused effort yet. It has a simpler, stripped-down sound, emphasizing the strength of the core instruments and Steele's booming voice. The band downshifts its speed and makes subtle changes to its arrangement style, while the lyrics remain laden with self-pity and at times border on extreme paranoia and psychosis. This isn't necessarily surprising, since Steele has publicly stated, "I would kill myself, but I am waiting for the punchline."
From the opening track, "White Slavery," Type O Negative eschews the possibility of mainstream exposure. Despite the title, the lyrics aren't about reverse racism: "Let me say Pepsi generation. To kill yourself properly, Coke is it." With oozing guitars and slow, thicker-than-blood keyboards, this track sets up the listener for the varied compositions that follow.
"Creepy Green Light" and "All Hallow's Eve" effectively alternate between crunchy, guitar-laden verses and soft, harmonious interludes. Sonic surprises are scattered throughout several songs - including a go-go chorus in "Pyretta Blaze" that lends comic relief to the musical mayhem. Some tracks ("World Coming Down" in particular) drag on for too long - an inevitability since the length of every song exceeds six minutes.
Steele and his bandmates make excellent use of musical and lyrical irony on "Who Will Save the Sane?" and the less than uplifting "Everything Dies." Three experimental tracks, "Sinus," "Liver" and "Lung," imbue the album with a pulse and compose a narrative to add extra weight to the already hefty songs. The disc itself has a microscopic picture of some red blood cells painted on it, further emphasizing the album's living, breathing quality.
Type O consciously pays tribute to its early inspirations such as the Beatles, the Doors and Black Sabbath. Band members frequently have pointed out that they craft their riffs by listening to Beatles albums in reverse, and a prime example of this is "Day Tripper," a medley of three Beatles songs, which closes the musical mayhem on a more pleasant note.
By no stretch of the imagination a hit album, "World Coming Down" takes a few patient listens to fully grasp. It's similar to the blood type the group is named after: Anyone can receive it, but only a few with open minds and open veins will want to let it into their system.
Grade: B-
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