Vim Fuego Behind all the machismo and muscle headed bravado, there lay a sensitive, acutely aware soul in Pete Steele. Don't laugh. Just listen to this.

Have you ever thought about death? Are you scared to die? Why do people you love die? Why don't people talk about it? All are considered here.

Type O has produced one of the darkest atmospheres ever created on record. This is not dark in the Spartan black metal sense. This is blacker, thicker darkness. It is something like sinking in a bottomless pool, the light gradually fading, and you are utterly helpless to save yourself. The darkness becomes all enveloping, and the instinct to save yourself is replaced by an anaesthetising, almost mildly euphoric dream like state. It is like being buried in a black velvet lined coffin, letting the blackness surround you, keep you warm, keep you safe.

Type O tried a more commercial sound with ‘October Rust’, and it didn't work. Apparently the record buying public who claim to be into dark, "Gothic" music prefer androgynous puppets and pyromaniacal Germans with scary dildos. Their loss. Darker than Manson, more dangerous than Rammstein, more introspective than Manic Street Preachers, more coherent than The Cure, it seems Type O were simply too damn depressing for the self–proclaimed depressed.

This is just so gloriously depressing it's… inspiring. Songs like "Everything Dies", "Everyone I Love Is Dead", and "World Coming Down" are played with so much feeling they have a greater impact than any death metal band blasting away for an entire album. The dirge like feel of these songs is built on with subtleties, like Gregorian chants, heavenly choirs, acoustic interludes, and excellent song dynamics. Pete Steele's incredible distinct bass sound rumbles beneath the dark beauty created above by the rest of the band. This is also his most accomplished vocal performance, ranging from a vampiric sensuality to a dejected moan.

There is none of the silliness of tracks like "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" or the hate of "I Know You're Fucking Someone Else". The only cheerful point of the entire album is a sinister rumble through a medley of Beatles tracks tacked on the end. Like other Type O Negative covers, it probably sits better on its own than as part of an album.

This is essential listening for anyone interested in dynamics or atmosphere. Just put the razorblades well out of reach before you start.

Warthur One of the more morbid and depressing releases from Type O Negative, to the point where the musical style seems on the verge of slipping back into doom metal territory on occasion, World Coming Down showcases less of Peter Steele's unique sense of humour than preceding releases and has a startling lyrical and thematic preoccupation with early death (with two instrumentals, Sinus, Liver and Lungs being based around different ways to die from substance abuse).

The faster side of the band's sound is more or less entirely absent, leaving the listener alone with the slow, gloomy riffs and Peter Steele's utterly miserable-sounding mutterings. As with Slow, Deep and Hard, this is an album absolutely dominated by Steele's emotional state at the time, but whilst the debut was dominated by anger this is a depressed and self-hating album.

This is powerful and challenging thematic territory, but unfortunately it is let down somewhat by the musical accompaniment. Musical growth over October Rust is not particularly evident, bar from the simplification and slowing down of the arrangements, and it's perhaps no surprise that another long hiatus was on the cards before the band were able to put out a followup to this after regrouping and rethinking their direction.

UMUR "World Coming Down" is the 4th full-length studio album by US doom metal act Type O Negative. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in September 1999. After releasing their arguably most commercial sounding album in "October Rust (1996)", Type O Negative returned with a heavier and lyrically more cynical and dark album in "World Coming Down". The relatively polished sound production on the predecessor is replaced here by a brick heavy and larger than life sound production.

"World Coming Down" is as unmistakably the sound of Type O Negative. Pick any of their albums and Type O Negative is always one of the most distinct sounding acts in metal which is in large part due to the characteristic deep register voice of Peter Steele. Other trademarks include heavily distorted bass, which sometimes works more like a guitar than the guitar does, Beatlesque pop psychadelia, atmospheric synths, heavy Black Sabbath influenced doom metal riffing and a dark touch of goth. The band´s lyrics have always been of the dark, depressive and reflective kind albeit often featuring a deeply sarcastic humour, that has ensured that the grave lyrical themes never become too pathetic. The lyrics on "World Coming Down" are no different. I´d actually say they rank among the band´s darkest lyrics and also among Peter Steele´s most personal lyrics. Principal songwriter Peter Steele has often been cited for saying that the album was written in a very turbulent period of this life, which included several family deaths, alcohol/drug abuse and depression, and that the lyrics were almost too personal for him to commit to paper. Let alone release to an audience. Tracks like "Everyone I Love Is Dead", "Everything Dies" and especially the brick heavy title track are testaments to his torment. Especially the latter features some very personal lyrics that clearly shows the self-loathing Peter Steele felt in this period of his life. There´s no better example than the opening lines from the that song: "She thinks I'm iron man that I don't feel pain, I don't understand why joy must be feigned, I'm so fortunate yet filled with self-hate, That the mirror shows me an ingrate".

The quality of the tracks is high throughout and "World Coming Down" is a very entertainting release all the way through the 74:02 minutes that it lasts. Type O Negative are one of the very few select artists who can successfully release albums that long, which don´t become tedious at some point. Highlights include the title track, "White Slavery", "All Hallows Eve", "Creepy Green Light", "Everyone I Love Is Dead" (love the sarcastic "ha ha" during the chorus) and the quirky "Who Will Save the Sane?". Even the Beatles medley that ends the album came out pretty great.

"World Coming Down" is an excellent release by Type O Negative and I have very few issues with the album. The musicianship is solid, the sound production is massive and powerful and the songwriting is clever and leaves an emotional impact. My only issue is that it´s like the band have stopped developing their sound and style at this point. All three predecessors had a unique sound and you could easily detect a development in sound and style from one album to the next. On "World Coming Down" it´s like the search for an ultimate sound has stopped. Maybe Type O Negative simply felt that they had found the definitive formula at this point? Whatever the reason "World Coming Down" isn´t quite as adventurous or groundbreaking as the predecessors but it´s a damn solid, crushingly heavy and very well written doom metal album fully deserving a 4.5 - 5 star (95%) rating.