Type O Negative Entertainment Art The Vic Theater Chicago, Ill. October 21, 2007

The Origin... album is full of band/crowd confrontations and was long-believed by many (and still believed by the few misinformed souls) too be an authentic account of a Type O Negative show. Incidentally, these albums and every album following, leading up to 2007's Dead Again, are also full of some of the most original, imaginative and exceptional song-writing to (dis)grace the ears of so many. It is this combination of sarcasm, humor, musical craftsmanship and the doom-laden atmosphere surrounding these "4 dicks from Brooklyn," that set them apart from anything else happening in the musical world today.

Type O's latest release, the aforementioned Dead Again, very well may be there strongest effort to date, and the same can be said for there most recent visit to Chicago's Vic Theater on this cool October night; just a few moons away from devil's night.

This being a Halloween tour, the single support band was well-chosen in monster rock n' roll squad, Lordi (think a more theatrical, horror-based Gwar, but more rock infused than gore based). With a costume and prop heavy stage show, Lordi did not disappoint the Halloween-hungry fans. Musically, although admittedly not really my goblet of blood, Lordi brought "The Arockalypse" to fans and newcomers. Even as a relative non-believer, I must say this reviewer was thoroughly entertained and appreciated the macabre surroundings brought by Lordi and his band of mummy, vampire, hellbull and alien man-beast. All of whom are also great musicians first, and monsters second.

Now, let's move through time for a second...Back to the "YOU-SUCK..." chant preceding Type O Negative's arrival to the stage. While this sarcastic interaction is intended to be just that, the last time Type O were in Chicago, well they did sort of suck. It was a thoroughly entertaining show in which front man Peter Steele mumbled more than half the words to more than half the songs they played and fell on his ass (hard) on more than one occasion. But musically, the band were not at there best.

So, there was a little anticipation this time around to see if the chant, intended to be sarcastic, might again become true. But those fears were alleviated quickly when two things occured; one - The band started playing - and two - Steele acknowledged that the band "sucked last time (they) were in Chicago" and even though he followed that up by saying tonight would be no different, it was clearly in jest.

For the next hour and a half Type O did not suck. They played an amazing set consisting of songs that span their entire catalogue of music. The only disappointment that should be knocked out right away is that the set was light on songs from the albums October Rust and World Coming Down (in which only one song from each was played, "Wolf Moon" and the title track "World Coming Down"). The set was also light on songs from Life is Killing Me, but that was a welcome absence (not a bad album, just the least astounding Type O album). The mysterious departure of songs from October Rust and World Coming Down was made up for by the eclectic mix of songs that were heavily representative of the albums Slow, Deep and Hard and The Origin of the Feces, Bloody Kisses and Dead Again.

Outside of Type O's stellar performance, the highlight of the night was undoubtedly the sheer variety and uncertainty of what song was going to be played next. We've all been to see the band who plays the same set every time; throwing in a couple curve-balls (at best) to mix it up slightly before closing the show with the same song they've been closing with since their first practice. This is far from the case with Type O Negative, and it is such a relief that there are bands who stray from that cliché path. The more popular songs (i.e. "Christian Woman" and "Black No. 1", the latter of which brought Disturbed's David Draiman onstage to do some guest vocals) were still included in the set, but not all of them and not as the last song (or even the second to last song).

The fact that Type O opened and closed the show with songs from their early-90's releases (that some fans may not even know about) was unbelievably refreshing amongst the many cookie-cutter shows that come through town. I remember thinking "I wonder if they will play "I Know You're Fucking Someone Else? That would awesome!" They then proceeded to close the show with it.

So, despite the chants, Type O Negative do not suck. The fact that a The Vic is still full of fans chanting the chant they heard on an album released over 15 years ago proves it.

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