Shall we get things straight at the off? Ok. I’ve never been a fan. I think Matt taped me an album a few years back, before their Donington appearance. I got so bored I didn’t listen to the end. Saw them live once after that, and dubbed them Bore O’Negative on the strength of it ... or lack of. Never owned an album by them, and if I’d not received this, then I probably still wouldn’t. The other thing, another bloody cover version on a RoadRunner release. This time it’s marked as a "Day Tripper (medley)." Hmm, this is all highly suspicious. So anyway yeah, me not what you may call a big fan. And popping this in the old player and a time of 74 minutes coming up doesn’t inspire me. 13 songs, 74 minutes. Ohmegod, I think I’m in for a yawn. But hey, mustn’t let my preconceptions take over. Besides, I’ll bet Pete Steele would love it that someone that’s not a fan has to review this. I’m sure it feels like delicious irony. After all, you also have to think, whether you like them or loathe them, that they are probably the biggest piss artists in the business, extracting the urine at every opportunity. Well aren’t they?

First track is quite sensibly called Skip It. It last 14 seconds, does fuck all really, and so you should pay heed. The real thing starts with second track White Slavery which has a very Black Sabbath feel to that opening guitar riff, kind like the doom sound that opens War Pigs. Steele opens his gob (gob I think is going to be a favourite expression this issue), and that monotone deep sound resonates from within. From what I understand, many "pure" goths dislike Type O. I’m not going to get into the rights or wrongs of that, because I know little enough about it, but as a non-listener to Goth, the vocals DO sound exactly like the stereotype idea of goth that inhabits my mind. Thing is, when I listen to them, that thought of "they’re taking the piss" isn’t very far away all the time.In this context I don’t think that’s a good thing. The music, oh yeah, it was slow guitar led, then the guitar dropped out, it crawled through its 8 minute duration, and to be honest, hasn’t been exactly riveting so far. Sinus does nothing either, it’s another minute or so of noisefucks, before Everyone I Love Is Dead is up. Weird to me. You’ve got that bloody monotone, and then he throws in a pure Ozzy based scream and yelp. A difference of styles that shouldn’t work to my mind, but I dunno, maybe it does. Maybe I’ve got to admit it’s not a bad song. And that’s how it continues. Slow, drawn out, torturous. I can’t describe it because nothing registers. I find myself switching off. It’s like I have to have my mind forced to sit through it, to listen for anything to stick, and if you have to do that, then surely it’s just not very good for you.

Still, whatever, the rumours that they are putting out this time round is that that’s it if this doesn’t make them financially stable then that’s it. Yeah ok, we’ll wait and see with that. But is it going to happen? Well, as it’s the likes of me (the non-fan prior to the album) that they need to appeal to with this album in order to make that leap, then sorry, but all you Type O fans had better enjoy this the last Type O album. Sorry, it may well be a great Type O album, but it hasn’t won me over, and I can’t see it suddenly winning others where the previous albums have failed. It’s still incredibly dull and boring to listen to for the most part. If they’d released a 45 minute album, then maybe it would be ok, but 74 minutes of this is just way too long for me. I’ve tried to be fair and listen to this on a number of occassions before commiting my views to paper, I really have, but it’s hard work, and I have to prevent myself from getting up and putting a different CD or tape on. And that’s not how music should be. It should be a pleasure, not a chore. Still, they’ve got some wanker like me to write all this about them, so they’re most probably pissing themselves on the inside. Which is going to be hell for their clothes. And most other reviews seem to say it’s one of if not their best album yet. So what the hell do I know.