Bloody Kisses is the third studio album by the American gothic metal band Type O Negative and the last recording with their original lineup, as drummer Sal Abruscato left the group in late 1993 to join labelmates Life of Agony. The album includes two of their best known songs, "Christian Woman" and "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)", both of which earned the band a considerable cult following. The album further established recurring motifs of the band's music, such as including cover songs recorded in their own unique style, sample-heavy soundscape interludes and lyrics replete with dry, satirical humor.
| Bloody Kisses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 17, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | February–March 1993[1] | |||
| Studio | Systems Two, Brooklyn | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 73:28 | |||
| Label | Roadrunner | |||
| Producer | Peter Steele, Josh Silver | |||
| Type O Negative chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bloody Kisses | ||||
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Bloody Kisses is notable for being the first album released on Roadrunner Records to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in November 1995. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA in December 2000.[5]
Music and lyrics
editConsidered a classic in the gothic metal genre,[6] Bloody Kisses is "saturated with complex patterns of sound" layered with Peter Steele's trademark baritone vocals and lyrics relating to topics such as sex, religion, image, racism and death.[7]
According to Decibel, Bloody Kisses "featured infectious doom-pop epics ("Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)", "Christian Woman"), sarcastic hardcore screeds ("Kill All the White People", "We Hate Everyone")" and bizarre noise interludes ("Fay Wray Come Out and Play", "Dark Side of the Womb", "3.0.I.F.")".[8]
"Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" is "a sarcastic ode to goth girls (and their trademark, black hair dye) based on a narcissistic ex-girlfriend of singer/songwriter Peter Steele".[9]
Bloody Kisses includes a cover of the classic Seals & Crofts' track, "Summer Breeze". Type O Negative's original recording of the song included alternate lyrics, written by Peter Steele, and was retitled "Summer Girl". However, original songwriters Seals & Crofts, found Steele's "Summer Girl" lyrics distasteful and the band was forced to re-record the vocals and remix the track with the song's original lyrics and title intact.[10]
When played in its entirety, top to bottom, the album's songs and noise interludes constitute one seamless composition. The band would continue this tradition on the World Coming Down LP released in 1999.
The album features additional vocal performances from close friends of the band, including Mina Caputo, Joey Zampella and Alan Robert of fellow Brooklyn-based alt-metal band Life of Agony, who are credited as "Erasmus High School Boys Special Ed." in the album's liner notes.[11]
Founding member, drummer Sal Abruscato, would leave the band shortly after the album's completion due to Peter Steele's reluctance to commit to touring. Abruscato would join Life of Agony full-time after performing on the band's debut album, River Runs Red, recorded later that same year. River Runs Red was produced and mixed by Type O Negative keyboardist/producer Josh Silver, and was also released on Roadrunner Records in 1993. Both albums became very successful releases for the record label, and Life of Agony, with Abruscato, would open for Type O Negative during the initial Bloody Kisses tour of '93–'94.[12]
The album artwork depicts several locations of Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, photographed by John Wadsworth.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10[13] |
| Kerrang! |  (1993)[14] (2011)[15] |
| Pitchfork | 8.7/10[16] |
| Record Collector | [17] |
| Rock Hard | 10/10[18] |
| Rolling Stone | [19] |
| Terrorizer | 8.5/10[20] |
Bloody Kisses received mostly positive reviews. Steve Huey of AllMusic gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 and wrote that "though it sounds like a funeral, Bloody Kisses' airy melodicism and '90s-style irony actually breathed new life into the flagging goth metal genre".[6] Rock Hard gave the album a 10 out of 10 rating.[18]
Accolades
editIn 2005, Bloody Kisses was ranked number 365 in Rock Hard's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[21] Loudwire called Bloody Kisses the best album of 1993,[22] in addition to ranking it at number 42 on its Top 90 Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Albums of the 90s.[23] Rolling Stone placed Bloody Kisses at number 53 on its Top 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time list, citing memorable songs such as "Christian Woman", "Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)", their cover version of "Summer Breeze", and "Black No. 1". The latter was cited by the author J. D. Considine as the band's signature song.[24]
Track listing
editAll music and lyrics written by Peter Steele unless otherwise noted.[11]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Machine Screw" | 0:41 |
| 2. | "Christian Woman"
| 8:58
|
| 3. | "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" | 11:15 |
| 4. | "Fay Wray Come Out and Play" | 1:03 |
| 5. | "Kill All the White People" | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Summer Breeze" (Seals & Crofts cover) | 4:49 |
| 7. | "Set Me on Fire" | 3:29 |
| 8. | "Dark Side of the Womb" | 0:28 |
| 9. | "We Hate Everyone" | 6:51 |
| 10. | "Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)" | 10:56 |
| 11. | "3.0.I.F." | 2:06 |
| 12. | "Too Late: Frozen" | 7:50 |
| 13. | "Blood & Fire" | 5:32 |
| 14. | "Can't Lose You" | 6:06 |
| Total length: | 73:28 | |
Bloody Kisses (1993 digipak re-release)
editShortly after the initial release of Bloody Kisses in 1993, Roadrunner Records reissued the album in a tri-fold digipak. This reissue featured an alternate track listing. The new track listing revised the running order and removed all of the soundscape interludes and the two "hardcore" songs ("Kill All The White People" and "We Hate Everyone") and replaced them with a previously unreleased, over eight minute long, slow and very "gothic" sounding track titled, "Suspended In Dusk". The intro track, "Machine Screw" and the first four seconds of the song, "Christian Woman" were also removed on this release, omitting Peter Steele's spoken intro to the track ("Forgive her..."). This slightly edited version of "Christian Woman" is exclusive to this digipak reissue.[25] The digipak re-release and its aforementioned changes, were done specifically at the request of bassist/singer/songwriter, Peter Steele.[26]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christian Woman" | 8:54 |
| 2. | "Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)" | 10:56 |
| 3. | "Too Late: Frozen" | 7:51 |
| 4. | "Blood & Fire" | 5:33 |
| 5. | "Can't Lose You" | 6:06 |
| 6. | "Summer Breeze" (Seals & Crofts cover) | 4:49 |
| 7. | "Set Me on Fire" | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Suspended in Dusk" | 8:37 |
| 9. | "Black No.1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" | 11:16 |
| Total length: | 1:07:32 | |
In an interview for the liner notes of the remastered, "Top Shelf Edition" reissue of Bloody Kisses in 2009, Steele said that although he hated ripping off the public (by releasing two versions of the album), he felt it was his opportunity to fix what he believed was a musical mistake. Guitarist Kenny Hickey, who was not a fan of "Suspended In Dusk", noted that the digipak version of the album was Steele trying to move into the vision of the band fully realized on 1996's "October Rust".[26]
Producer and keyboardist, Josh Silver had stronger feelings on the digipak version of Bloody Kisses, stating, "the digipak sucks". Silver went on to say that part of what makes Type O Negative great is the, "eclectic insanity" - going from songs like 'Black No. 1' to 'Kill All The White People' and that brilliance was a "happy accident". Silver noted that Peter, "didn't have to understand where it came from, he just had to play it. But Peter wanted continuity, so the digipak was released."[26]
"Summer Breeze" was initially recorded by the band as "Summer Girl" with lyrics parodying the original, but "Summer Breeze" songwriters Seals and Croft objected to the lyrical changes and the song was re-recorded with the original lyrics before the album's official release date.[27] "Summer Girl" remains unreleased but it did appear on a pre-release, promotional version of "Bloody Kisses", simply titled, "?". "Summer Girl" has since circulated online.[28]
The digipak version contains alternate artwork and an amended booklet that reflects the re-ordering and changing of the tracks. Another change is found in the album's liner notes which contain the title of and lyrics for "Summer Girl" instead of "Summer Breeze".[25] The parody lyrics of "Summer Girl" are included such as, "Kenny Hickey lying on the sidewalk, Devil music from the house next door". Josh Silver said the misprint was a mistake by Roadrunner Records.[29] The recorded song is unchanged. The standard release of the album was pressed with the original "Summer Breeze" lyrics and title in the liner notes.[11]
Bloody Kisses - The Top Shelf Edition (2009 remastered & expanded edition)
editOn May 5, 2009, Roadrunner Records re-issued a newly remastered version of Bloody Kisses known as Bloody Kisses - The Top Shelf Edition. This reissue included the original album remastered for the first time, along with a bonus CD of rarities and B-sides. The package also included expanded liner notes featuring additional photos and a brand new, exclusive interview with the band on the "making of" and the "legacy of" Bloody Kisses.[26]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Machine Screw" | 0:40 |
| 2. | "Christian Woman" | 8:58 |
| 3. | "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" | 11:15 |
| 4. | "Fay Wray Come Out and Play" | 1:03 |
| 5. | "Kill All the White People" | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Summer Breeze" (Seals & Crofts cover) | 4:49 |
| 7. | "Set Me on Fire" | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Dark Side of the Womb" | 0:28 |
| 9. | "We Hate Everyone" | 6:52 |
| 10. | "Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)" | 10:56 |
| 11. | "3.0.I.F." | 2:06 |
| 12. | "Too Late: Frozen" | 7:51 |
| 13. | "Blood & Fire" | 5:33 |
| 14. | "Can't Lose You" | 6:07 |
| Total length: | 1:13:32 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Suspended In Dusk" | 8:40 |
| 2. | "Black Sabbath" (Black Sabbath cover) | 7:52 |
| 3. | "Black Sabbath (From the Satanic Perspective)" | 7:48 |
| 4. | "Christian Woman" (Edit) | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Christian Woman" (Butt-Kissing, Sell-Out Version) | 4:28 |
| 6. | "Black No. 1" (Edit) | 4:39 |
| 7. | "Blood & Fire" (Out Of The Ashes Mix) | 4:38 |
| 8. | "Summer Breeze" (Rick Rubin Mix) | 4:57 |
| Total length: | 47:31 | |
Bloody Kisses: Suspended In Dusk - 30th Anniversary Version (2024 reissue of the "Top Shelf Edition")
editTo commemorate the album's 30th anniversary, Roadrunner Records re-issued the "Top Shelf Edition" of Bloody Kisses on March 29, 2024. Titled Bloody Kisses: Suspended In Dusk - 30th Anniversary Version, this release features the remastered audio and bonus content from 2009's "Top Shelf Edition" with the exception of the song, "Christian Woman (Butt-Kissing, Sell-Out Version)" which is not included on this release.
Early pressings of this re-issue incorrectly note eight tracks on Disc 2 with "Christian Woman (Butt-Kissing, Sell-Out Version)" listed as Track 5. These misprints were eventually fixed and later pressings correctly list seven tracks on Disc 2.[30]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Machine Screw" | 0:40 |
| 2. | "Christian Woman" | 8:58 |
| 3. | "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" | 11:15 |
| 4. | "Fay Wray Come Out and Play" | 1:03 |
| 5. | "Kill All the White People" | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Summer Breeze" (Seals & Crofts cover) | 4:49 |
| 7. | "Set Me on Fire" | 3:30 |
| 8. | "Dark Side of the Womb" | 0:28 |
| 9. | "We Hate Everyone" | 6:52 |
| 10. | "Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)" | 10:56 |
| 11. | "3.0.I.F." | 2:06 |
| 12. | "Too Late: Frozen" | 7:51 |
| 13. | "Blood & Fire" | 5:33 |
| 14. | "Can't Lose You" | 6:07 |
| Total length: | 1:13:32 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Suspended In Dusk" | 8:40 |
| 2. | "Black Sabbath" (Black Sabbath cover) | 7:52 |
| 3. | "Black Sabbath (From the Satanic Perspective)" | 7:48 |
| 4. | "Christian Woman" (Edit) | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Black No. 1" (Edit) | 4:39 |
| 6. | "Blood & Fire" (Out Of The Ashes Mix) | 4:38 |
| 7. | "Summer Breeze" (Rick Rubin Mix) | 4:57 |
| Total length: | 43:03 | |
Credits
edit- Peter Steele – lead vocals, bass guitar
- Kenny Hickey – backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare All)" and "We Hate Everyone", acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Josh Silver – backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, sound effects, electronic programming
- Sal Abruscato – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
edit- Paul Bento – sitar, tamboura
- The Bensonhoist Lesbian Choir – additional vocal performance
- Erasmus High School Boys Special Ed. – additional vocal performance
- Bonnie Weiss, Karen Rose, Debbie Alter, Chris Zamp, & Life Of Agony (Alan Robert, Joey Zampella, Mina Caputo, & Mike Palmeri) – additional vocal performance
- Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra (Verdigris Phlogiston conducting)
Production credits
edit- Produced by Peter Steele/Josh Silver
- Recorded at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY
- Additional Recording at Sty In The Sky, Brooklyn, NY
- Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, NYC
- John Wadsworth – photography
- Jeff Kitts – portrait photography
Bloody Kisses – The Top Shelf Edition (2009) reissue credits
edit- Re-issue producer – Monte Connor
- Project Coordinator – Steven Hartong
- Re-mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, NYC, January 2009
- Liner notes – J. Bennett
- Design – Mr. Scott Design
- Additional photography – John Wadsworth and Joseph Cullice
Charts
editAlbum
edit| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | German Albums Chart[31] | 60 |
| 1995 | US Billboard 200 | 166 |
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[32] | 35 |
| Croatian International Albums (HDU)[33] | 13 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] | 29 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[35] | 27 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[36] | 108 |
References
edit- ^ Bennett, J. (August 17, 2022). "Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses: The Definitive Oral History". Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (January 3, 2018). "The Best Metal Album From 40 Subgenres". Loudwire. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ^ DiVita, Joe (September 13, 2017). "Top 25 Doom Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
- ^ Christe, Ian (2004). "Transforming the 1990s: The Black Album & Beyond". Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. New York City: HarperCollins. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-380-81127-4.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "Bloody Kisses – Type O Negative". AllMusic. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
- ^ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. p. 1,113. ISBN 9781843531050.
- ^ "Type O Negative - "Bloody Kisses"". Decibel. June 14, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ Ladouceur, Liisa (2011). Encyclopedia Gothica. ECW Press. p. 23. ISBN 9781770410244.
- ^ Kennelty, Greg (August 29, 2016). "Type O Negative's 1993 Demos For Bloody Kisses Have Surfaced". Metal Injection. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Bloody Kisses" (standard album liner notes). Type O Negative. Roadrunner Records. 1993. RR 9100-2.
- ^ River Runs Red (standard album liner notes). Life of Agony. Roadrunner Records. 1993. RR 9043-2.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 463–464. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
- ^ Arnopp, Jason (August 7, 1993). "Rekordz". Kerrang!. No. 455. EMAP. p. 47.
- ^ Garner, George (November 2011). "Staind: Break the Cycle". Kerrang!: 666 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die!. Bauer Media Group. p. 118.
- ^ O'Connell, Chris (February 23, 2020). "Type O Negative: Bloody Kisses". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ McIver, Joel (July 2009). "Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses". Record Collector. No. 364. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Albrecht, Frank (August 27, 1993). "Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses". Rock Hard (in German). No. 76. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ Szabo, Julia (February 23, 1995). "Type O Negative: Bloody Kisses". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
- ^ Brown, Louise (May 2009). "Retroaction". Terrorizer. No. 183. Dark Arts Ltd. p. 83.
- ^ Best of Rock & Metal - Die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten (in German). Rock Hard. 2005. p. 64. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
- ^ "1993: Type O Negative, 'Bloody Kisses'". Loudwire. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ "42. Type O Negative, 'Bloody Kisses'". Loudwire. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time: 53. Type O Negative, 'Bloody Kisses' (1993)". Rolling Stone. June 21, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ a b "Bloody Kisses" (digipak album liner notes). Type O Negative. Roadrunner Records. 1993. RR 9100-5.
- ^ a b c d "Bloody Kisses - The Top Shelf Edition" (album liner notes). Type O Negative. Roadrunner Records. 2009. 1686-179412.
- ^ "'BLOODY KISSES': 10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW TYPE O NEGATIVE'S MASTERPIECE". Revolver. August 16, 2018.
- ^ Holpp, Jason ("JayCanes") (March 31, 2015). "Type O Negative - "Summer Girl" (alt version of Summer Breeze w/ Pete's original lyrics)". YouTube. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- ^ "KV and Type O Neg". YouTube.
- ^ Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses: Suspended In Dusk - 30th Anniversary Edition, March 29, 2024, retrieved December 22, 2024
- ^ "charts.de". Retrieved May 25, 2013.[dead link]
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Lista prodaje 36. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. September 11, 2024. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2024. 14. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
