Freak369's Full Review: Bloody Kisses by Type O Negative
It seems hard to imagine that this CD is eleven years old … I hate to use the term “timeless classic” since that seems to conjure up images of Time Life music collections, women tatting doilies or some reference to “the good old days”. No, to me, this CD is one of Type O’s darkest and finest hours – a little choppy in some areas but still something that has high replay value. One of the negative comments I hear over and over again about Bloody Kisses is that the flow of the music abruptly changes with little or no warning – a good example of that is the different styles of music that the group uses. Everything from dark gothic tones to backmasked vocals, hard core to angelic – nothing seems to be off limits to them and trust me, if you have never checked out this CD – you will be in for a real treat when you do.
To get the complete experience from Bloody Kisses you have to do three things...
1. Wear your headphones.
2. Don’t automatically assume you will go to hell for listening to it.
3. Keep the lyrics handy and don't get spooked by the voices you hear.
The Music
Type O Negative have been one of my favorite groups for a long time and for good reason, they consistently crank out original music with a truly dark tone to it. I honestly consider them a guilty pleasure that is calorie free and a little on the dark side… ok, a lot on the dark side. The bulk of their music is considered “goth” by most people due to the foreboding sounds that are tucked in the background, lyrical content and general shadiness of the music. If I were stranded on a desert island for an extended period of time and asked which CD’s I want on hand, this one would be at the top of the list. If you like the darker side of music, erotic enchantment and all things gloomy; there is a pretty good chance that you’ll fall in love with Bloody Kisses. As a side note, if you saw the Blair Witch Project you might have picked up on “Haunted” during the film, a song they contributed to the soundtrack and while not featured on this release, is still worth checking out.
The Tracks
Machine Screw
Christian Woman
Black No.1
Fay Wray Come Out and Play
Kill All the White People
Summer Breeze
Set Me on Fire
Dark Side of the Womb
We Hate Everyone
Bloody Kisses
3.0.I.F
Too Late - Frozen
Blood and Fire
One of the most interesting things about Bloody Kisses is that it mixes so many different types of music - usually at the same time. Take some back breaking baselines, add just a touch of punk attitude, mix haunting piano, synthesizers and organ pieces, lay on some progressive guitar tracks, throw in some deep dark vocals and simmer. The result? Something that will really shock you. Think I am kidding? If I could offer a money back guarantee I would. This is most evident in their cover of the classic Summer Breeze. The vocals are downplayed and creepy and the music is stellar. This track is matched up perfectly with Summer Girl that is a lot lighter than Summer Breeze but compliments the track in every way imaginable. The lyrics are nothing more than a repeated chorus so it’s the music that takes center stage. What really makes the two songs click and work perfectly together is that they balance each other out … one is so downtrodden and compact and the other so loose and free flowing – something I am sure was done on purpose to even things out.
Without doubt the two most popular tracks off this release are Black No. 1 and Christian Woman. Both of them represent the alpha and omega of the groups musical spectrum. Christian Woman was often thought of as the temptation of Christ or people who have a god complex. What’s it all about? Sex. Pure and simple. Sex. It isn’t so much the lyrics that prompt you into a hypnotic state but the massive amount of musical stimulation that you receive. It is so hard to try and put this song into words because it loses so much of its value and impact. If I had to crown one song by the group their absolute best, most creative and erotic, it would be this one. Then again, that also depends on the mood that I’m in when you ask me. Black No. 1 is a bit campier than other tracks and almost has a comical feel to it in some parts. Reminding me a lot of the Danzig track Mother with a slow and bewitching beat, the song is something that is guaranteed to have you ripping your clothes off and dancing on tables. Well, OK, maybe if you are a chick. Just like Christian Woman this is a song that has to be heard in order to completely appreciate it. Both songs are cornerstones of the groups musical catalog and while considered a little mainstream by the hard core fans, they are without a doubt true Type O masterpieces.
Little wolf skin boots and clove cigarettes
An erotic funeral for witch she's dressed
Her perfume smells like burning leaves
In between some of the tracks you’ll come across little aural treats like Dark Side of The Womb, 3.0.I.F and Machine Screw [the intro piece] that is so sultry and erotic you’ll be left wanting more – and thankfully this is just the CD to deliver the goods. Lacking lyrics but excelling in moaning, groaning and the sounds of pain and pleasure. Fay Wray Come Out and Play is another interesting track that is filled with whimpering women, dark chants and a few blood curdling screams. It’s these small little audio vignettes that help to engrave in your mind the dark picture that Type O Negative is painting. But that, in an of itself, is what the group is all about and another reason their music has such a high replay value to it – you can listen to a song ten times and not catch some small little voice or break in the beat – then when you come across it you feel the need to listen to it over and over again – sort of like you cant believe you never caught it.
Kill All The White People is a little hard to peg since it isn’t exactly an instrumental piece but it really isn’t a complete song either. The recurring chorus kill all the white people, then we’ll be free is often times misunderstood as a racially motivated track [understandably so due to the content], this is one of faster paced tracks on the CD that has an almost punk feel to it. It seems a little out of place when compared to the rest of the tracks on this CD and isn’t among my favorites. I tend to think of it as a primer for We Hate Everyone, a song that I never really stopped to listen to in its entirety for a long time. I dismissed it as a “rock band stand against selective racism” and usually skipped through it without giving it an honest chance. In between the impressive vocals you will find some of the best music that Type O Negative has ever released. There are so many different levels to this song that it is simply mind blowing. It stars off with a great guitar introduction and punk / ska beat then slows down to a monotonous but spine tingling beat with some interesting choices in background effects. It pops in to overdrive with an all out rock beat that had me altogether convinced that it was a completely different song since a few tracks lead into each other.
Some would say that we're biased
Accusations that we are racist
Well, $h!t comes in all hues.
Bloody KissesA Death In The Family is amongst the darkest of all their works and incorporates organs, seductive guitar licks and Peters full vocal range. It’s a slower track that rattles on at its own pace, setting the tone for the listener to get sucked into the magnitude of it. Touted by many as an ode to a lost love … there are many ways to interpret the song but in all honesty – don’t read too much into it – you’ll find yourself spinning your wheels trying to figure it out. Casual fans of the group might find this too depressing to listen to but in all honesty – there is so much more to the song than just the lyrics but Peter’s powerful vocal presence does make it a little hard to escape the looming dark tone. The last verse of the song is one that you simply have to hear to believe; not sung but spoken, the words “from the dark I feel your lips
and I taste your bloody kiss - match up with the whimpering sounds of a female in the midst of pleasure or pain .. something that you simply can’t put in to words – no matter how skilled the writer you are or the verbosity you manage to attain. And just when you thought things couldn’t get more intense, the screaming towards the end of the song tops it off.
A pair of souls become undone, where were two now one
Divided by this wall of death, I soon will join you yet.
With my blood I'll find your love
You found the strength to end your life
… as you did so shall I …
From this release, aside from Back No.1 and Christian Woman, this is one of the most powerful songs they’ve ever released – and coming from someone that listens to their music on a daily basis and collects all their CD’s bootlegs and singles … that is a pretty powerful statement to make.
Too Late - Frozen almost has a pop feel to it until the vocals kick in – and even they are a little on the light side when compared to the rest of the tracks. There are some extremely impressive pieces of music tucked away in this song – hence the suggestion at the beginning of the review to listen to this while wearing headphones. As much as I hate to admit this it almost reminds me of Bailey’s hit song If You Were Here from the Sixteen Candles soundtrack. Freakin’ weird huh? Mainly it’s the vocals in the first part of the song that take me back to this one hit wonder.
Blood And Fire brings the CD to a close and as much as I hate to say this, it really isn’t impressive at first and it’s a little hard to sit through the intro until the beat picks up and the song unfolds. If you can tolerate the first 30 seconds you are in for a fast paced yet light track. If you read the lyrics you get the big picture of the song and how it serves to wrap up what you have heard on previous tracks. To try and sum it, its about realizing that you’ve been had by someone that you loved with every fiber of your being – and still carrying that flame regardless of how much it hurts. I Can’t Lose You might not being much to the table lyrically but it is one of the most beautiful tracks I have ever heard. Slow and languid, it is equally matched with the emotional and weepy vocal refrain that utters … I can't lose you. .. I can't lose you.
The Bottom Line
There is no denying that there is a sinister feel about the music, lyrics and presentation. The haunting vocals, eerie screams, tribal chants and feminine whimpers (my best guess is scantily clad vixens left over from a Warrant video shoot). If you are not a fan of this type of music and decide to try it out my advice is that you give it a chance. Most people have a preconception about the group based on the CD covers, what the press has said about them and general music ignorance that seems to run rampant on the internet. If you’ve ever been interested in taking a walk on the dark side … I can think of no better CD to take along for the ride.
I see your face in every flame.
With no answers I have only myself to blame.
Of all the women I have known - they're not you.
I'd rather be alone.
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