Freak369's Full Review: October Rust by Type O Negative
Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses touched a part of me that I chose to ignore for a very long time. It slithered into my life like a serpent in the night, washing over me like a cold ocean wave… ... it gripped me with such a force that I was left spellbound by the music, vocals and dark aura. I held it such high regard that I overlooked other releases, think that nothing could ever even come close to Bloody Kisses. If you’ve never had an album make an impact on you then most of this review will seem senseless. People who are passionate about music and reflect it through reviews on this site often reveal parts of themselves – parts they would have never even acknowledged had it not been for a group or particular song. In my ignorance, I did not give October Rust a fair chance when it was released six years ago. Now, I’m faced with eating some crow and admitting that this CD f*cking rocks.
The Tracks
Love You To Death 7:09
Once again proving that they are the dark masters of endless love, this track oozes with sensuality, obsession and a touch of the taboo. The lyrics fold over the hypnotic music to create an emotional whirlwind. The synthesizers reach out and pull you in while the haunting background vocals take this track to a whole new level. This song captivates you like Black No. 1 but on a more mellow plain. While it is hard to pick a favorite track from this release, this one is certainly an awesome representation of the groups abilities. The vocals are just as appealing and some hard –core fans trashed this song for it’s romantic tone – but for me – it’s simply enchanting [and that isn’t a word I throw around often].
As salty sweat drips from her breast
Her hips move and I can feel what they're saying
Be My Druidess 5:26
Listening to the intro to this track, you expect it to be a hard, grinding production. While it has an edge, it’s more refined than the bands earlier releases. Laced with sexual undertones, this is a highly erotic track. The background enhancements help to elevate this a little – and without that element this track wouldn’t have been able to “get over”. As with most songs from Type O Negative, there is an ever-present sense of impending danger. With this track it’s a little less abrupt, but make no mistake, it’s there. One of the harder selections off this release, it has a nice rock feel to it, but smothered in Type O Negative’s own secret sauce.
Around the pyre, a circle of thirteen
Throughout these woods, ecstatic screams
Green Man 5:48
Recently I had a heated argument with a fellow Type O lover who said that October Rust was nothing more than a collection of love songs. While this song is much lighter than what one typically expects from the band, that is just the music, the lyrics are dark and carry the usual “death tones”. It’s not often that a band can express themselves on many levels at the same time. The musical part of the song does have its occasional eruptions but for the most part maintains a light tone. Wrapped inside the music is a tale of love that does not die. Some people missed the mark on this one assuming that it was a sell out track, take a second look at it and you’ll realize that’s the farthest thing from the truth.
My mistress of the frigid night
I worship, pray to on my knees
Red Water 6:49
Christmas Mourning
Keeping with the ‘death theme’, this is a stunning track that tells a haunting story. It’s hard to ignore the theme of the song with the chiming bells in the background, even more so, the passionate vocals. The rise and fall rhythm pulls you into the track, but it is the ongoing desire to understand that words that keeps your attention. Much like a twisted Christmas carol, this embraces life while respecting death. Maybe I am reading too much into it – but – if you don’t live life then you’ll never really know when you are dead.
My table's been set for but seven
Just last year I dined with eleven
My Girlfriends Girlfriend 3:46
The intro is slightly comical – a throw back to the Munster’s theme on some twisted and demented level – this song is a nice break from the previous “doom and gloom”. Littered with sexual innuendo’s, this is a fantastic track with a faster than normal beat. While this song sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to other cuts off this release, once you get past the first two and a half minutes of the song it really pulls out from the pop feel into classic Type O Negative. If you take this at face value – it will seem like a shallow song but if you read the lyrics you’ll get the gist of it – if you have an open mind that is :]
They keep me warm on cold nights
We must be quite a sight - In our meat triangle
Die With Me 7:13
This is the neutral track – the token song that is ever present on almost every CD ever created. It’s not a “love song” but on the same hand it’s not exactly “not a love song”? Understand what I’m getting at here? While the song starts off sounds like a boy band ballad [sorry, I hated to say that] it progresses into a eerie downward spiral. The true hidden gem is the captivating, gripping and astonishing background music. If you have headphones and want to get lost in a song – look no further. This will give you the ‘light and dark’ of the track and allow you to really appreciate the amount of work they put into perfecting this.
If this time were the last time
Could I hold you all life long?
Burn Flowers Fallen 6:09
While the lyrics are ultra basic, it’s the presentation that counts! In all honesty, if this were an instrumental track – you wouldn’t really be missing anything. As I said, the lyrics are repetitive and there’s not much meat to them – but they have a tremendous impact on how the music is perceived. If this were just an instrumental track it would still rock – but when you here it layered with the vocals you understand the simplicity of it.
Yeah I know she's fallen out of love
Yeah I know she's fallen out of love
In Praise of Bacchus 7:37
This track tows the line between some of the signature sounds off of Bloody Kisses and the more streamlined presentation evident on this release. The distorted vocals only deepen the attraction to this cathartic endeavor. Again referring to lost love, this is a powerful track on every level. The lyrics are a little clouded but if you listen to it a few times and read the words you’ll come to your own conclusion. As with all the tracks on October Rust, the music is absolutely beautiful and simply flows.
A lonely blue girl guards the river bed
She shakes her brown torch at the tide
Cinnamon Girl 4:01
With a slight techno feel in the introduction, this track is stellar. My only real beef is that the vocals are a bit overdone – but that is just my opinion. This is a cover song so maybe I was used to hearing the original version [Neil Young] and never really let this adaptation sink in. The guitar work is first rate and as the song progresses it you really get to hear and feel the amount of work that was put into this track. Swinging through the song, it breaks up nicely with layers of synthesizers in the background as well as tight background vocals.
You see us together, chase the moonlight
Wolf Moon 6:38
As I mentioned earlier, it is hard to pick one single song off this release that stands out from the others or could rightfully carry the title of ‘best track’. Wolf Moon is one of those songs that you just have to hear to believe it. It’s hard to put into words how phenomenal this song is. It carries an overall dark theme, but it is the big picture that gets under your skin and bleeds into you. The lyrics are haunting – which is a norm with this band – but there is something about this song that strikes at you and beckons your attention. Sure, you can simply sit there and read the lyrics or listen to a sample of it, but to get it and I mean really get it you almost have to close your eyes and let it take over for six and a half minutes. Thanks to Peter, this song will haunt me….
Normally I don’t go on about a track for this long, but this is not your normal, run of the mill song. If you took the entire bands discography and melted it together looking for something that represented the whole sound of a band – this would be the end result.
Don't spill a drop dear
Let me kiss the curse away
Yourself in my mouth
Will you leave me with your taste?
Haunted 10:07
The longest track on this release, Haunted garnished my respect upon the very fist listen. While I may have skipped over the other tracks looking for something that resembled the Bloody Kisses era – this track captivated me. It has an erotic appeal, but not in the sexual realm. It has all the elements of the band wrapped up into one amazing track so it runs parallel to Wolf Moon in so much that it’s breathtaking. However, this reaches a but farther with it’s presentation – its slow a approach that simmers but never reaches a full boil. The vocals range from deep, foreboding and sinister to calm and soothing. This get double for the music – it glides along effortlessly – new getting too slow, never getting too fast. Closing with this track was a great move; it seemed to sum up the entire feel of the CD without getting too dramatic. Instead of going out with fireworks it ended with a deafening calm. How’s that for an oxymoron?
A swollen sun melting in the horizon
Between the sheets where I wait for her to come
A living flame, impossible to resist
Burning me deep with every bite, kiss, and lick
The Three Missing Tracks
At the beginning of the CD there is a track called Bad Ground [38 seconds], consider this a little joke the band is playing on you. our Little Joke [21 seconds] is the intro to the CD as well as a few laughs at your expense. The last track – a mere 7 seconds – closes out the CD with a ‘thank you’ and gratuitous ‘We’ll see you on tour’.
The Freak Summation
As I said when I started this review, I never gave this CD a fair chance when I first picked it up. I was hoping for something along the lines of Bloody Kisses and when I didn’t find that while scanning the first 20 seconds of each track, I was more than a little ticked off. It wasn’t until I came across a few live versions of Die With Me and Cinnamon Girl that I dug this out of the trenches, dusted it off and gave it an honest listen.
Bloody Kisses will never be recreated, so if you are expecting this to be the continuation of it, you will be disappointed. However, if you crack open the door a little and give this a chance, I am 100% positive that you will embrace this and – like me – kick yourself repeatedly for waiting so long to dig into this release.
While Bloody Kisses had a lot of variety in it [Kill All The White People vs. Black No1] this maintains a very steady tone and pace. Granted, there are little eruptions from time to time, but for the most part this keeps a very nice, albeit dark, pace. People who consider themselves fans of this group who have yet to partake of this experience cannot really call themselves a fan.
The Stats
Run Time: 72:56
Number of Tracks: 15
Released : August 20, 1996
UPC: 016861-88742-1
Released Under: Roadrunner
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