I love Type O Negative. Although I latched onto them kind of late around the time of World Coming Down I continued listening to every successive album. Of course, a real fan goes back and purchases their early discography, too. So, anytime Kenny Hickey and Johnny Kelly from one of my favorite bands do something, I’m listening.
Enter Silvertomb. I was fortunate to have caught them on the Life of Agony tour long before this album was released, eagerly anticipating it. While I did enjoy the previous post-Type O Negative foray, Seventh Void, I felt it fell a little flat in the end. I was hoping for a different story this time.
I am happy to report that is the case. The album starts out with the first single, “Insomnia/ Sunrise.” Technically, the “Insomnia” part is only the first single. This is a pretty good start. It’s catchy, bluesy, doomy, and has Kenny’s unmistakable vocals. As I look at the track list, I probably would have picked a different lead single, with no disrespect to “Insomnia.” I just feel as though “Love You Without No Lies,” despite the slightly irritating double negative, is the best song on the album. Of course, it was released as the second single.
That track, as well as “Not Your Savior” display the star here. It’s clearly Kenny’s vocals. I was always a fan, but the passion in his voice carries this entire record, even when the lyrics are sometimes a little cringey, such as on “Sleeping on Nails and Wine.”
Despite some slight (very slight) missteps, such as the aforementioned “Sleeping on Nails and Wine,” this is a great record, which exceeded my expectations tremendously. Of course, do not expect Type O Negative, as this album shares only musicians in common. This is heavy blues rock with amazing instrumentation, specifically the guitars and vocals. One can hope this outlasts Seventh Void and continues to bring us good music. We need Kenny’s voice in metal, and this album proves it.
