My Favorite Type-O Negative Songs Per Album

Welcome to the end fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Today marks the end of my tribute to Type-O Negative & it’s leader, Pete Steele. I’ve talked about how I found the band, and last week I showed you how I would rank their discography. Today, I figured I’d talk about what my favorite songs are off of each record. I confess that things haven’t changed much in the 5 years since I last talked about them (Or changed at all, to be fully honest), but there have been some slight shifts in opinion. With that said, here are my favorite Type-O Negative songs.....from each album. Let’s begin!

Slow, Deep, and Hard: Xero Tolerance (Link)
- One of the few times in the band’s career that you’d hear Pete’s past with Carnivore, Type-O’s first outing is a Thrash Punk barrage! There is a track or two that has a slower pace, but for the most part the group is playing fast & furious. Chief among this mentality would be the ode to a cheating girlfriend, Xero Tolerance. A bloody & brutal affair, it’s kind of chilling when you hear what Pete would do when he caught her and her secret lover, and you wonder if he would actually do it. Even the instrumentation harkens back to Carnivore, as it evokes the dirty feel of Pete’s 80s past. If you’re going though a tough time with your Ex, or you’re just not interested in a relationship at your current point in time, then Xero Tolerance is what you’re looking for.

The Origin Of The Feces: Paranoid (Link)
- If there’s any complaint to be had about this song, it would be that it was never on the original release, although if it was it would have disrupted the illusion that the album was trying to be. That being said, one can’t deny that Type-O Negative’s interpretation of one of Black Sabbath’s most iconic tracks is nothing short of incredible. The band took a quick track, and slowed it down until it became one of the doom-est things ever made by them. Not only that, but due to the slow speed the absolute feeling of dread from paranoia becomes fulfilled, and even the brief Iron Man references add to the experience. Definitely a good reason to pick the album up!

Bloody Kisses: Summer Breeze (Link)
- If there’s one thing that Type-O Negative can do, it would be that they can’t get you to laugh at the most surprising of times. Case in point is their take on the classic Seals & Croft track, Summer Breeze. The original version is pure & innocent, but when the Drab Four got a hold of it, it was changes completely. It was slower paced, more gothic in tone & feel, and the sensuality the band was known for is front & center. The band had gotten in trouble for making a darker version (See here), so they decided to cover the original instead. Seals & Croft still got mad, but this time around they couldn’t really do anything. Gotta laugh at that!

October Rust: My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend (Link)
- To this day, I hold this song in high regard. Not only was it the track that brought me into the fold, but it’s one I direct people to if they want a surprise. On the surface, the story of a threesome may seem silly to some, but a shocking amount of depth is added to it thanks to the band going in a Doors-like direction with the instrumentation & pacing. Pete’s vocal work is kept nice and low throughout the whole thing, adding to the sensuality even more. I can’t really say anything more, other than for you to listen to it yourself.

World Coming Down: Creepy Green Light (Link)
- A sliver of light within a sea of darkness, Creepy Green Light is the lone happy track on World Coming Down. Using that word might be misleading, as this song still is heavy with emotion, but it’s not the kind that’ll leave you on the ground crying. Telling the story from the third-person perspective of a lover brought back to life on Halloween Night, there’s this bittersweet quality throughout the whole playthrough. On the one hand going to your lover’s grave is just morbid, but you are bringing them back to this Earth. This is reflected not just in Pete’s voice, but the instrumentation and atmosphere as well. Definitely a unique track!

The Least Worst Of: It’s Never Enough (Link)/12 Black Rainbows (Link)/Stay Out Of My Dreams (Link)
- Picking between one of these was tough, as they all are awesome songs. Like I said when I reviewed The Least Worst Of, the inclusion of this trio of tunes gives the compilation sort of a miniature World Coming Down feel, and that makes sense considering they were meant for that record but didn’t get put on because of space (If I’m remembering correctly). Even so, it’s nice that they were put on here, as they all provide something to the listener. It’s Never Enough has a hint of Carnivore in the instrumentation, 12 Black Rainbows is a dark ballad of sensuality, and Stay Out Of My Dreams can be considered a companion piece of Who Will Save The Sane. I bet if you listened to WCD and then these 3 tunes, you’d probably be emotionally drained for a day or two. Do so......if you dare!

Life Is Killing Me: How Could She (Link)
- On an album with a bipolar identity comes a song that perfectly represents this. How Could She has two mindsets: one side is a tribute to fictional female characters that Pete Steele loved, and the other side is personal commentary on how said characters never judge or leave whoever likes them. Even the instrumentation is bipolar, as 50% of the time is has a slow gothic pace, and the other 50% is more faster & upbeat. How Could She may not have a solid identity, but you can’t deny that the overall quality is 100%. Listen to this track if you ever want something weird.

The Best Of Type-O Negative: Highway Star (Link)
- Once again, this song is the only reason to buy this abomination of a compilation. Taking the racing vibe of the original and adding some nitrous to the tank, is faster, wilder, and at times it almost goes off the rails. Incredibly, Pete & the boys keep some sense of control as they play, so the track never crashes into a wall and bursts into flames. Anymore said her would just be repeating myself, so listen to this when you can.

Dead Again: These Three Things (Link)
- And here we come to the last album of their career, and the longest song that Type-O Negative has ever done. At 14 minutes & 21 seconds, These Three Things is a behemoth of a track in terms of running time, and it’s a monster it terms of subject matter. The entirety of Dead Again is Pete coming to terms with his re-discovered faith, his sobriety, and the knowledge of knowing when to let go so one can move on. These Three Things covers all of this, although the religious elements are perhaps the most front & center. References to Dante’s Inferno, Zion, and a few others give the song a lot of spiritual weight. It may take a while to get through, but trust me when I say that it is worth your time listening to the song. You’ll thank me for it.

Honorable Mention:
Roadrunner United: Enemy Of The State (Link)
- Though Life Is Killing Me is the last album they did under Roadrunner, the last song done under the company would be this one. Released on the musical project Roadrunner United, I feel that it’s appropriate to give a little bit of time to this song. Conjuring images of urban warfare, the track feels like something that rebels would listen to as they fight against the system. Singing with his custom language (It comes across like a hybrid of Russian, Eastern European, Scottish, and Icelandic), Pete brings an oppressive yet triumphant atmosphere to the track as it plays. It’s weird to describe, so give it a listen for yourselves & see what you think of it.

And these were my favorite songs of Type-O Negative. I admit that most of the songs I like haven’t changed since I found the band, but it is still nice to talk about the one’s I enjoy. With this last post we come to the end of Type-O Negative month, and my tribute to Pete Steele. Hopefully the plague subsides a little in May, and thus I can get some more happy back into the blog. Until then, take care.