That’s right fellow Otaku & Metalheads, as of this past August on the 19th one of THE most essential albums of the month of spooks turns 3 decades old. It’s no secrets that I’ve shown nothing but love to the Drab Four from Brooklyn for a long time here. Even with the one long bad record to their name (That wasn’t their fault), Pete Steele & the gang gained a fanbase that still loves them long after the Green Man passed away, and it’s due to releases like October Rust that keeps them in his gothic aura. I reviewed this album all the way back in October of 2014, but for more of you this might be the first time you’ve seen me cover this album. So, to welcome in the spookiest time of the year, here’s my review & birthday celebration for Type-O Negative’s seminal classic, October Rust. Let’s begin!
Background
Taken from my original review:
“Coming off of their success of Bloody Kisses, the band toured Europe & the United States to promote their (At the time) new album. During the touring, the band started work on what would later become October Rust, and in doing so introduced some radical changes in the process. First, the album took a departure from the punk vibes that previous album had within them, and decided to go in a more ballad direction. Secondly, the band decided to add a little bit of humor to the album: The opening track Bad Ground is just 38 seconds of low-level buzzing (Which was made to trick the listener into thinking that the speakers weren’t plugged in properly), and the 2nd & 15th tracks were that of the band members themselves.
On the more technical side of October Rust, Type-O Negative employed two interesting techniques. For some of the songs on the album, the band implement very abrupt endings and segues, which created a kind of whiplash for the listener. Perhaps more curious was the drumming on this album: this marked the first time that drummer John Kelly was credited with his role. However, the actual drumming used on this album was done with a drum machine. Listeners didn’t know about this for a long time, until an interview in 2007 with dreadcentral.com, where he stated that the drumming wasn’t necessarily his. Ironically, it would be their final album, Dead Again, where he would be actually playing the drums (The last he did was with Bloody Kisses, and that was back in 1993).”
Basic Description
The embodiment of October.
October Rust truly fits this month perfectly. Despite being released around the end of the summer, every single song (With one notable exception) encapsulates this time of year. The leaves falling, the sensuality, the cool breeze, pumpkins with glowing faces, mulled cider, etc. Pete Steele & the rest of the Drab Four by 1996 had solidified their sonic identity & theme, and it shows: solid instrumentation, crisp & deep vocals, recording and production that’s perfect, and thematic elements that would identify the band until the Green Man took his final bow. Bloody Kiss from 3 years prior was impressive no questions asked, but it’s October Rust that really shook things up.
Best Track
My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend is not only the best song off of October Rust, but it was the song that hooked me to the band PERIOD. It was sometime between the late summer of 2006 to some point in the fall of that year, when I was randomly flipping through channels, and I happened to land on MTV of all things. Seemingly as I stopped on the channel in question, the music video for this song just so happened to start playing, and my eyes stayed glued to the TV screen. Even if I didn’t see the music video, the 60s sound coupled with the band’s patented gothic sensuality seems odd at first, until you realize it’s actually quite clever. Pete Steele had always stated that the Beatles were one of Type-O Negative’s biggest influences, and the song itself comes across like a lost song of the band in question.....just a little more spicy.
My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend
Worst Track
Like I stated in my original review, Red Water (Christmas Mourning) is the lone bad track. It’s not because of the instrumental or vocal work, because it’s top notch across this entire release. It is more to do with the atmosphere. A year prior to October Rust releasing, Pete’s father had passed away, and a few people in his family would do so as well overtime. To play Devil’s Advocate, Red Water’s creation & placement on this album is understandable given how the Green Man was feeling, yet it doesn’t match up with the vibe that the rest of the music was going for. If anything, it almost feels like a lost track from the release after.....but that’ll be a story in 2029 I’ll cover.....if I’m still doing this blog by then.
Red Water (Christmas Mourning)
Other ***
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:
October Rust
Overall Impression & Rating
October Rust just brings a smile to my face whenever I listen to it. Every October, I make sure I listen through the whole album at least once or twice because it’s just perfect to hear when the leaves are falling off the tree. It’s a testament to it’s legacy that a little over 30 years since it was first release that it still has legions of fans, and they’ve all been loyal ever since. If you are looking for a soundtrack that encapsulates this ENTIRE month, there is nothing else finer than this.
October Rust gets a 10 out of 10. Even with my own biases aside, the band produced gothic gold with this release.
And that was my 2nd review of October Rust. Being the first album of there’s I ever listened to, it’s a testament to it’s legacy that I still have it in my musical rotation. Especially during this month, it’s a reminder that over a decade & a half since his passing, that Pete Steele still looks at us from beyond the falling leaves. So with the first review for Halloween out of the way, it’s time for an annual tradition of mine, and this year it’ll be special. See you all next week!
***
Note: the version of Love You To Death is the video edited edition.
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