I thought that Type O Negative was strictly for heavy Goth aficionados, but I was wrong. If you like rock or industrial or both, you will probably like this CD also. Type O Negative's Peter Steele manages to blend all these different variations and inflections into a mix that doesn't deny any of its origins.

The first song, "Thi13teen" is a short instrumental, only one minute and not worth much mention as it is mostly an introductory piece. Following it is "I Don't Wanna Be Me", which is so darn catchy it's addictive. Fast and fun, I find myself singing this ditty in the halls at work.

"Less than Zero" uses a sitar in its hypnotic melody, with dark and gross lyrics that talk about snot and poop, pus and blood; all combine to form another of my favorites from this CD. I love the grinding of the guitars in combination with the relaxed sounds of the sitar and a bit of added conga drums to spice up the exotic flavor of the music.

"Todd's Ship Gods" is more about remembering what Father told you, bringing to mind how big adults were when we were little, and how whatever they said was taken for granted. I'm sure this is just my interpretation, but I like the song nonetheless and found that despite rather moody lyrics, the tune has an uplifting quality that is subtle but undeniable.

"I like Goils" is very catchy, kind of like "I Don't Wanna Be Me", and has some absolutely hilarious lyrics involving vocalist/songwriter Peter Steele letting the world know which way he swings, a special message to the high heeled boys that "he likes Goils".

"A Dish Best Served Coldly" is a dreary and sullen seven minute ride through a stupor of vengeful thoughts, not one of my favorites.

"How Could She?" takes a silly lyrical tribute to the past babes of TV, both real and cartoon, and places it to ballad versus and thumping choruses, and wraps up with a little thrashing before falling back into the ballad. Not a favorite, but certainly a fun piece.

"Life Is Killing Me", the title song for this CD, is a showcase for Steele's Goth influenced vocals, with the melody practically stopping while he intones his dissatisfaction with the medical institutions and professionals; then speeding up to a fast and catchy chorus. This is one of my favorites, another one of the tracks I find myself humming in the hallways at work.

Though "Nettie" starts out with heavy Gothic vocals, it quickly turns into a pure rock chorus compete with a driving "railroad" beat. This would be the "love song" of LIKM, with Steele actually penning some affection into the words.

"(We Were) Electrocute" is a playful, nostalgic glance back at our wasted youth, with an amusing "Na na na" chorus and some excellent drum and guitar work at the ending.

"Iydkmigthtky (Gimme That)" is one of the more "Gothic" tunes on the CD, Steele using his deep guttural voice especially on the third verse, and the tune is dark and rather monotonous, following the morose humor of the genre.

Now "Angry Inch", this song is Punk all the way, with a heavy "Murderdolls" influence to the music and side-splittingly funny lyrics about a sex change operation gone wrong. One of my favorites! :o)

"Anesthesia" is a haunting song, beautiful and poetic and moving. It's a love song, but its about lost love and the numbness that follows that loss. There are also some interesting synthesizers in this tune, sometimes piano and sometimes organ, and you can practically hear the tears in Steele's voice. Beautiful song.

"Drunk In Paris" is a short, one and a half minute instrumental that has the mood of one of the old-time scary movies; Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee and Vincent Price, masters of the B&W horror flicks.

"The Dream Is Dead" is also a song of lost love, but moodier and more desolate than "Anesthesia", with some excellent guitar work and a pulsating beat, there is more angst and less hurt in this version of painful reminiscing.

What an awesome CD, quite flexible to all my moods, with sound vocals and talented instrumentals. If you are a fan of either rock, industrial, or goth, you will be able to find what you like in this excellent recording. Enjoy!


Another classic by Type O   June 26, 2003
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Just as I was getting over the disappointment of Metallica's horrible last album, St. Anger, I picked LIKM up and completely forgot my woes. I think it is impossible for Type O Negative to disappoint with their dreary yet eerily beautiful music and dark humor.

This album contains songs that are a little bit faster and heavier than TON's usual stuff, but they still manage to consistently keep their authentic 'medieval' sound. The guitar work is a bit more complex too...I think they really sat down and concentrated on this album, and it really shows. There's a little bit of an 80's metal sound in some of the songs (ie, I Don't Want To Be Me), which is interesting, and it just shows that they can get away with anything and still keep their unique personna. Not to mention the hilariously politically incorrect song, I Like Goils. Songs like the title track and A Dish Best Served Coldly will really remind you of TON's classic stuff from Bloody Kisses and October Rust.

Type O fans should definitely get this album without any doubts in their minds. Be sure to see them on tour too... You haven't really experienced TON until you see them live. It could possibly be the best and most fun concert you will ever see.


A triumphant return for these legends   June 19, 2003
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

It has been 5 years since the last Type O Negative album, and many thought that Type O was done for good. If you thought that I can not stress how wrong you were. Although World Coming Down was a very good album it still did not live up to their albums like Bloody Kisses or October Rust. This newest release "Life is Killing Me" is in my opinion their best album since Bloody Kisses, and their second best release overall. Unlike World Coming Down, this entire album is good with no weak, boring songs. This album kicks off with an upbeat number "I dont wanna be me", followed by more good songs like "less than zero" and "I like goils". However, this album hit its peak in the middle with tracks 7-10, which are 4 of the best songs Type O has ever written. These four songs, "How could she?", "Life is Killing Me", "Nettie", and (We Were) Electrocute" are all unbelievable songs that remind you why you started listening to Type O Negative in the first place. In conclusion, this is the first Type O Negative CD to actually challenge Bloody Kisses for their best album. In the end this album is right behind Bloody Kisses, and shows that Type O Negativ are still here, and have officially sealed themselves as music legends.
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Type O's 2nd best album. Vast improvement from WCD.....   June 22, 2003
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Life is Killing Me is the first impressive record from Type O Negative that I've heard in a long time. They've finally put out an album that can be mentioned in the same breath with their masterpiece Bloody Kisses. Life is Killing Me does not have one bad song on the entire album. Nearly every song has great emotion & a very sensual vibe. This album also has some cool, thrashy, up-tempo songs as well, which gives the album nice variety. Type O also incorporates more industrial effects on this album like they used to in the past. They've also brought back those beautiful, angelic female voices on a couple of songs as well, to give the album more atmosphere. Another thing Life is Killing Me brings to the table is humor, something that was desperately missing from their last two albums. "I Like Goils" & "Angry Inch" are hilarious, and display Type O's classic sense of humor. The main thing about this album that stands out to me are the quality of the songs. They're the best collection of songs the band's put on an album since Bloody Kisses. My complaints with October Rust were that the entire album was just a little to romantic sounding. I initially rejected that album, but I've since grown to enjoy it, but I still would not call it a great album. And I've yet to get into World Coming Down. Sounded like the band was just going through the motions & nothing impressed me about that album. But Life is Killing Me, however, is very impressive. I recommend it to all. Here's a brief rundown of the tracks:

Thir13teen 7/10 - Brief opening jam.
I Don't Wanna Be Me 9/10 - 1st single of the album. Very good song. Nice guitar work from Kenny.
Less Than Zero (<0) 9/10 - Beautiful, melodic song. Great atmosphere. Tripped-out, experimental vibe. Love the Tabla.
Todd's Ship Gods 9/10 - Possibly my favorite song on the album. Love the chorus. Really good song.
I Like Goils 7/10 - Up-tempo, funny song.
A Dish Best Served Coldly 7/10 - This song has yet to make an impression on me like some of the others.
How Could She? 9/10 - Awesome song! Great thrashy part in the middle of the song. Also like the samples.
Life is Killing Me 8/10 - Very cool song. Up-tempo at times. Cool chorus. Nice sludgy guitars.
Nettie 8/10 - Another good song. Very emotional.
(We Were) Electrocute 9/10 - Very soothing, melancholly song. Great atmosphere. Very beatleque.
IYDKMIGTHTKY 8/10 - Pretty good song. Another good chorus.
Angry Itch 7/10 - Pretty hilarious song.
Anesthesia 8/10 - Another nice, chilled, melodic song.
Drunk In Paris 8/10 - Brief little instrumental. Very cool though. Could have been longer. Type O needs to do more instrumental songs.
The Dream Is Dead 8/10 - Good closing song to a great album.

So again pick up Life is Killing Me and continue to support Type O Negative. Without a doubt one of the band's best albums.


2003's best?...   May 7, 2004
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

i can count those cd which i loved from start to finish, on one hand. Life is killing me makes no exception, it's just 75 minutes of sheer gothic/groovy/doom/punk goodness. TON makes a jaw-droppingly (does such term exist?) organic music that meanders through all the above mentioned styles (and then some) and still comes out as in-your-face, remarkably tight music. jee, i almost forgot about the lyrics!
well just like the music, they also range from doomy lyrics about loss and despair, to happy-go-lucky downright hilarious (try the exquisitely 'macho' , "I like Goils"), more than a mere passing nod at punk (Angry inch) as well as tunes in the purest heavy metal vain such as "i dont wanna be me". this is greatness from start to finish and i'm even tempted to place it above "Bloody Kisses" because TON never sounded that good and catchy. well at least not for a whole straight 75 minutes!
for all of you cynics out there, this album is for you! Thank you, TON, for a blinding return to form.