Maps of Music

Bloody Kisses (1993)

Where the lyrics of Bloody Kisses take you, and where it was really made.

The album cover was shot in a Brooklyn cemetery: several spots at Green-Wood Cemetery appear in the artwork.

Key places

Green-Wood Cemetery on the cover (1993)

Album cover Green-Wood Cemetery — Several locations of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn appear in the album artwork. John Wadsworth photographed them. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Bloody Kisses is the third studio album by the American gothic metal band Type O Negative
• Released 17 August 1993
• It is the last recording with the band's original lineup
• It includes 'Christian Woman' and 'Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)', two of the band's best known songs
• Both songs earned the band a considerable cult following
• The album also established recurring motifs of the band's music: cover songs in their own style, sample-heavy soundscape interludes, and dry, satirical lyrics

Background

• Drummer Sal Abruscato left the group in late 1993 to join Roadrunner labelmate Life of Agony
• He left shortly after the album was completed, because Peter Steele was reluctant to commit to touring
• Life of Agony, with Abruscato, opened for Type O Negative on the initial Bloody Kisses tour of 1993–1994

Recording

• Recorded at Systems Two in Brooklyn, New York
• Additional recording at Sty In The Sky in Brooklyn, New York
• Produced by Peter Steele and Josh Silver
• Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York City
• Keith Caputo, Joey Zampella and Alan Robert of Life of Agony added vocals, credited as 'Erasmus High School Boys Special Ed.'
• The band recorded a cover of Seals & Crofts' 'Summer Breeze' with alternate lyrics and the title 'Summer Girl'
• Seals & Crofts objected to the lyrics, so the band re-recorded the vocals and remixed the track with the original lyrics and title

Cover

• The artwork depicts several locations of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn
• John Wadsworth photographed the artwork

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Type O Negative was an American gothic/doom metal band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 1989.
• The band was formed by vocalist and bassist Peter Steele, guitarist Kenny Hickey, keyboardist Josh Silver, and drummer Sal Abruscato, who was later replaced by Johnny Kelly.
• The band initially named themselves Repulsion, then Sub-Zero, and finally Type O Negative.
• Steele's contract with Roadrunner Records from his time in Carnivore led to the band signing with the label in 1991.
• Their debut, Slow, Deep and Hard, was released shortly after signing.

Members

• Peter Steele: bass, lead vocals, keyboards, guitars (1989–2010; his death).
• Kenny Hickey: guitars, backing and additional co-lead vocals (1989–2010).
• Josh Silver: keyboards, piano, effects, synthesizers, programming, sampler, backing vocals (1989–2010).
• Johnny Kelly: drums, percussion, backing vocals (1993–2010).
• Sal Abruscato: drums, percussion (1989–1993).

Career

• Bloody Kisses (1993) went platinum and October Rust (1996) gold, and the band built a substantial cult following through seven studio albums, two best-of compilations, and concert DVDs.
• The band was nicknamed "the Drab Four" in homage to the Beatles' "Fab Four" moniker.
• Steele died on April 14, 2010; the cause was later reported as sepsis caused by diverticulitis.
• In November 2010, the surviving members confirmed the band had split up.
• In 2016, Loudwire ranked Type O Negative 32nd on its list of the Top 50 Best Metal Bands of All Time.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Steve Huey of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 out of 5
• Huey wrote that the album's airy melodicism and '90s-style irony breathed new life into the flagging goth metal genre
• Rock Hard gave the album 10 out of 10
• The album received mostly positive reviews on its release

Reappraisal

• Considered a classic in the gothic metal genre
• Decibel described 'Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)' and 'Christian Woman' as infectious doom-pop epics
• Rock Hard ranked the album number 365 in its 2005 book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time
• Loudwire called the album the best album of 1993
• Loudwire ranked the album number 42 on its Top 90 Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Albums of the 90s
• Rolling Stone ranked the album number 53 on its Top 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time list

Records

• First Roadrunner Records album certified Gold by the RIAA, in November 1995
• Certified Platinum by the RIAA in December 2000
• French Wikipedia describes it as an international commercial success and Roadrunner's first album certified gold

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• When played top to bottom, the songs and noise interludes form one seamless composition.
• Abruscato left shortly after the album was completed, and joined Life of Agony, which opened the initial 1993–1994 tour.
• The Summer Breeze cover was first recorded with altered lyrics as 'Summer Girl', and the band re-recorded the vocals before the release.
• Life of Agony members sang on the album under the name 'Erasmus High School Boys Special Ed.'

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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