October Rust - Type O Negative.
The quintessential goth metal album. Their layers of sound, Pete’s incredible ability to make the most sardonic lyrics sound romantic and the bands utter control of melodic harmony make it an album that I have listened to an innumerable amount of times since its release.
There really is something special here than no band since has captured on tape. It came out when I was a sophomore and immediately became something that I knew would be with me my entire life.
This album bleeds sensuality with a not so subtle wink and nod to the ridiculousness of the human condition in a way few, if any before or after it ever have. It is equal parts sexy and hilarious. Type O was a band whose depth was often missed by the outlandish nature of who their frontman Peter Steele was. A man capable of being a sulking giant with a broken heart one second and a sexy rock and roll god doing a centerfold photoshoot for Playgirl the next.
I never stopped loving this band for that perfect mixture of mischief, tongue in cheek self awareness and Gen X melancholy they brought to everything they did. There are great albums by them before this one and great ones after. But October Rust stands as a truly unique album without peer in my heart for all time.
Moving forward a little,
This is a pure slab of American Black Metal by way of a multi-instrumentalist that grew up on 90’s alternative, particularly Tool. It bridges the gap between two eras of metal so effortlessly it boggles the mind at times. Erik Wunder played all the instruments and was the primary songwriter on this album and it is so complete in a way that can only be achieved through that singular of a vision. It’s like a dark mirror version of the first Foo Fighters record in a myriad of ways. He sadly passed away last year and was only able to perform these song live a few times in the decade and half since its release. I was lucky enough to catch two of those performances and they were as beautiful as I had hoped.
His passing hit like a brick as I was able to talk quite a bit with him on Facebook in during the early years of the band and spend some time in person when they played near me. He was always very gracious and intelligent in person. He had that specific blend of honesty and intelligence that separates the good from the great in music. I often wonder what could have become of the band if he had been able to find more stable vocalists and the ability to create while sober. It’s a real bummer we will never know.
Finally,
…Like Clockwork- Queens of the Stone Age
This is one of those albums that came at exactly the right time in my life to become an encapsulation of moments of darkness and hope being perfectly intertwined. It gave me a place to put my sadness, my longing, my fears and my dreams while I sorted out who I would be for the second half of life on this planet. There are moments of spite that feel so real you can almost feel the tension in the rooms that inspired it. Then there are moments of such soulful beauty and longing you can’t help but get lost in thoughts of heartbreak right along with the band. I truly believe Josh Homme wrote his opus here. It’s the perfect Queens album and, in my opinion, the greatest rock and roll album of all time.
Sólstafir - Fjara Reading the lyrics in my native tongue only makes this song even more beautiful.