Type O Negtive's October Rust was the first album I picked up from this band on a release day. I didn't discover this Gothic Metal band until after Bloody Kisses was released, and this was the first album to follow that. Because of that, this album has a special place in my heart. I also have a certain longing for this album as well. I'm not sure what happened to my original copy, but it ended up so messed up that I didn't have a proper working copy for years. Partially because I was a little hard headed about having to replace it, and a little because I was buying other discs in that time. Either way I have a new fully working copy now, and that's good, because I forgot how much I really liked this album.
The first two tracks on the album are just that, tracks. Bad Ground and a nameless introduction track are used to kick off the album. Bad Ground is just what it sounds like, the recording of electric hum, to make you think something is wrong with the CD. Which is followed by the band saying hi, and thanking the fans for buying the album.
The album musically starts with Love You To Death which is a very typical Goth kind of song. It's very dark, classic, and has a whole lot of somber meloncholy strung through out it. There are people that are going to love this song and say it's one of Type O's best tracks. I'm not one of those people. This song is a get pussy song. It's like listening to an eighties Glam band doing a power ballad. Not a song I would have picked to lead off the album, but not a bad song either.
Be My Druidess is the perfect way to follow after the last track. Lyrically it's still Peter Steele talking some sweet pillow talk, but musically it's all sexy and totally danceable. No need to dance mix it either. There's really just a great underlying boogie and rhythm to the track. Also, when you get to the part when Pete starts going on with "I'll do anything to make you come," you just can't help but giggle a little bit, unless you are a female. In that case it may get you a little wet.
The first song on the album I really don't care for is Green Man. To me this is a bit of filler. There's really nothing new or special to this track, and I'm not overly fond of the production on the vocals either. It sounds way too much like he's coming through an old tiny speaker.
When it come to Christmas music I always have the same bitch. It's depressing, too mellow, and in no way is festive or celebratory like the time of year should be. Red Water (Christmas Morning) is by far the most shining example of that ever. The only difference is this song is meant to be like that. It's a complete longing for those loved and lost during that most depressing day of the year. It's also one of my favourite modern Christmas songs. "Wake up, it's Christmas mourn' / Those loved has long since gone / The stockings are hung but who cares / Preserved for those no longer there / Six feet beneath me sleep / Black lights hang from the tree / Accents of dead holly / Whoa mistletoe / (It's growing cold) / I'm seeing ghosts / (I'm drinking old) / Red water / Red water / (Red water) / Red water chase them away / My table's been set for but seven / Just last year I dined with eleven / God damn ye merry gentlemen / Whoa mistletoe / (It's growing cold) / I'm seeing ghosts / (I'm drinking old) / Red water / Red water / (Red water) / Red water chase them away".
My Girlfriend's Girlfriend is the perfect male pornagraphic fantasy wrapped up in an uber fun melody and playful spirit. "It's no secret we're close / As sweaty velcro / Like latex, fur and feathers / Stuck together / Now / In their '62 'Vette / Sharing one cigarette / In a black light trance then / Go go dance / Then / Go go trance / Then / They keep me warm on cold nights / We must be quite a sight / In our meat triangle / All tangled / Wow / My girlfriend's girlfriend / She looks like you / My girlfriend's girlfriend / She's my girl too / Her and me and her and she and me / An uncrowded couple; are we three / Hey we don't care what people say / When walking hand in hand down Kings Highway / Two for one today / My girlfriend's girlfriend / She looks like you / My girlfriend's girlfriend / She's my girl, too". Now picture those words done with music that I think can best be described as Goth Pop Bubble Gum Rock. My only complaint about this song is that it makes you think that for some reason these things could be possible. But the truth is women can't really share like that.
It's back to the sweet loving mellow, pretty music meant for love with Die With Me. You would think a band known for being creatures of the night wouldn't release so many songs packed full of sunshine. I mean seriously, picture a couple laying in a field of wild flowers in the middle of the day. All sweet and blissful, and yet lyrically it's so sickening romantic, while being completely depressing. Only Type O Negative can do such things.
That's followed by Burnt Flowers Fallen. Now by the time you get to this point in the album, you come to a couple conclusions. Especially if the only albums you knew before this were Origin Of The Feces, Slow, Deep And Hard, and Bloddy Kisses. What you can't help but notice is that Peter Steele seems to be on happy pills. Either the music is all happy, which means it might be Josh Silver on the happy pills, or Pete is singing about love, and not in the normal way in which he expresses monsterous amounts of murderous rage.
I feel the exact same way about In Praise Of Bacchus as I do about Green Man, right down to the vocal production. I'm not a Neil Young fan, I enjoy his music, but truth be told this cover of Cinnamon Girl to me out does the original. My mother disagreed, and I can see why. While the original was your normal, cool, acoustical Neil Young rough and ruggedness, the Type O Negative version is not. This cover is bouncy, playful, danceable, fuckable, and down right sexy. This Brooklyn Goth band really knows how to mess with covers and make them totally their own while perserving pieces of the orginals songs so you know what you are listening to.
The longest Type O Negative track title released is The Glorious Liberation of the People's Technocratic Republic of Vinnland by the Combined Forces of the United Territories of Europa. The funny part is that it's just a little musical interlude with some military vibe that lasts no longer than two minutes. The average person can't memorise the title of this songscape (song plus soundscape) in the short time this plays out.
Wolf Moon (Including Zoanthropic Paranoia) Is song classically typical Type O Negative, as long as you shift from vampirism to werewolfism, and then get all kinds of naughty nasty. For the most part not a big part of the album for me. It's sexy, and dark, but that's about it for me. I'm not that big on the whole menophilia thing.
Haunted finishes off the album musically. It's not exactly my first choice of songs to use to close the album, but then again it's not my album. I personally just find the track a little slow and drawn out to be considered a solid closing track. As an actual song it's okay, but nothing special either.
The last track on the album is also nameless and this is basically the band saying good bye.
This isn't my favourite Type O Negative album, but October Rust is a classic that I think should be in any serious music listeners collection.
7/10 - content
7/10 - production
8/10 - personal bias
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