World Coming Down
Encyclopedia
World Coming Down is the fifth album by Brooklyn
band Type O Negative
. Even though the band has often expressed dark themes through their music, the lyrical content of this album is markedly morbid.
, this album also features a "joke intro": in this case, the intro, appropriately titled "Skip It", is 11 seconds of staccato band noise, meant to sound as if the listener's CD player is skipping. Cassette versions featured the noise of a tape being "eaten" by the tape player. The track ends with what is presumably guitarist Kenny Hickey
shouting, "Sucker!"
The first song, "White Slavery", deals with cocaine
addiction
. Two other songs, "Everyone I Love Is Dead" and "Everything Dies," touch on the difficulties of watching family members and loved ones die. Another track, "Who Will Save the Sane?" incorporates, among other oddities, Peter Steele reciting the number pi
truncated to 9 decimal places (3.141592653). The album contains three "soundscape" tracks, which are named after internal organs, as segues between songs. Each of these songs is intended to suggest the possibilities of the deaths band members may suffer: "Sinus" as death from cocaine
use, "Liver" as death through alcohol abuse
, and "Lung" as death by smoking
. In an ironic foreboding, Peter once told a close friend that he could not bear to listen to "Sinus" after it was mixed and completed, because the sound of the heartbeat escalating to its furious pace after the suggested cocaine-snorting sound effect actually drove him to the point of an anxiety attack because of its realism. Also featured, at the end of the CD, is yet another cover song, this one a medley of three Beatles songs. This trio of tunes cost the band an enormous sum of money after the recording and release was finalized, much to the dismal surprise of band members, because Michael Jackson's record company owned rights to the Beatles songs used in the medley.
The reversed vocal technique of backmasking
is used in several places on the album; some segments are more audibly apparent than others. In particular, backmasking during the intro section of "Creepy Green Light," which was originally entitled "Spooky Green Light", references a third-person "spell" of a friend's intention to be reunited with a dead spouse.
When Type O Negative was still intact, the band had mixed opinions about the music on World Coming Down. Keyboardist and producer Josh Silver
felt that the music was strong, while bassist and principal songwriter Peter Steele
had said the songs were too strongly connected to an uncomfortable period in his life. Live shows performed since the initial tour to support World Coming Down usually featured very few, if any, selections from the album in the set list. However, the band often played the song "World Coming Down" in its entirety during the Dead Again
tour.
, except where noted.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
band Type O Negative
Type O Negative
Type O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"...
. Even though the band has often expressed dark themes through their music, the lyrical content of this album is markedly morbid.
Overview
As with the band's previous album, October RustOctober Rust
October Rust is the fourth album by Type O Negative. It was released in 1996, and has a more gothic rock feel than earlier albums. This is the first album to feature Johnny Kelly credited as the band's drummer, though in a 2007 interview with Dave Manack for dreadcentral.com keyboardist and...
, this album also features a "joke intro": in this case, the intro, appropriately titled "Skip It", is 11 seconds of staccato band noise, meant to sound as if the listener's CD player is skipping. Cassette versions featured the noise of a tape being "eaten" by the tape player. The track ends with what is presumably guitarist Kenny Hickey
Kenny Hickey
Kenneth Shaun Hickey is an American heavy metal musician. He was the guitarist for the gothic metal band Type O Negative. He is also the vocalist and guitarist for heavy metal band Seventh Void, and the touring guitarist for Danzig...
shouting, "Sucker!"
The first song, "White Slavery", deals with cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
. Two other songs, "Everyone I Love Is Dead" and "Everything Dies," touch on the difficulties of watching family members and loved ones die. Another track, "Who Will Save the Sane?" incorporates, among other oddities, Peter Steele reciting the number pi
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
truncated to 9 decimal places (3.141592653). The album contains three "soundscape" tracks, which are named after internal organs, as segues between songs. Each of these songs is intended to suggest the possibilities of the deaths band members may suffer: "Sinus" as death from cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
use, "Liver" as death through alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
, and "Lung" as death by smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
. In an ironic foreboding, Peter once told a close friend that he could not bear to listen to "Sinus" after it was mixed and completed, because the sound of the heartbeat escalating to its furious pace after the suggested cocaine-snorting sound effect actually drove him to the point of an anxiety attack because of its realism. Also featured, at the end of the CD, is yet another cover song, this one a medley of three Beatles songs. This trio of tunes cost the band an enormous sum of money after the recording and release was finalized, much to the dismal surprise of band members, because Michael Jackson's record company owned rights to the Beatles songs used in the medley.
The reversed vocal technique of backmasking
Backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
is used in several places on the album; some segments are more audibly apparent than others. In particular, backmasking during the intro section of "Creepy Green Light," which was originally entitled "Spooky Green Light", references a third-person "spell" of a friend's intention to be reunited with a dead spouse.
When Type O Negative was still intact, the band had mixed opinions about the music on World Coming Down. Keyboardist and producer Josh Silver
Josh Silver
Josh Silver was the keyboardist and producer for the band Type O Negative. He joined the band at Peter Steele's request...
felt that the music was strong, while bassist and principal songwriter Peter Steele
Peter Steele
Peter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative...
had said the songs were too strongly connected to an uncomfortable period in his life. Live shows performed since the initial tour to support World Coming Down usually featured very few, if any, selections from the album in the set list. However, the band often played the song "World Coming Down" in its entirety during the Dead Again
Dead Again (Type O Negative album)
Dead Again is the seventh and final studio album by Type O Negative, released through SPV/Steamhammer. This is the final Type O Negative studio album released before the death of frontman Peter Steele. The album sees the band using studio drums instead of a drum machine for the first time since...
tour.
Track listing
All songs written by Peter SteelePeter Steele
Peter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative...
, except where noted.
- "Skip It" – 0:11
- "White Slavery" – 8:21
- "Sinus" – 0:53
- "Everyone I Love Is DeadEveryone I Love Is DeadEveryone I Love Is Dead is a single by American gothic metal band Type O Negative's 1999 album World Coming Down.-Tracklist:#"Everyone I Love is Dead" - 4:54#"Everyone I Love is Dead" - 4:39#"Suggested Callout Hook #1"...
" – 6:11 - "Who Will Save the Sane?" – 6:41
- "Liver" – 1:42
- "World Coming Down" – 11:10
- "Creepy Green LightCreepy Green Light"Creepy Green Light" is a song by American heavy metal band Type O Negative and the lead single from their fifth studio album, World Coming Down, released in 1999.-Personnel:*Peter Steele – Lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar, and keyboards...
" – 6:56 - "Everything DiesEverything DiesEverything Dies is a single by American gothic metal band Type O Negative from their 1999 release World Coming Down. It was a successful single for the band making #37 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks....
" – 7:43 - "Lung" – 1:36
- "Pyretta Blaze" – 6:57
- "All Hallows Eve" – 8:35
- "Day Tripper (medley)" (The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
coverCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
) – 7:02- "Day TripperDay Tripper"Day Tripper" is a song by The Beatles, released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out". Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rubber Soul album...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) - "If I Needed SomeoneIf I Needed Someone"If I Needed Someone" is a song written by George Harrison. Versions by The Beatles and by The Hollies appeared simultaneously, both being released in the United Kingdom on 3 December 1965. The Hollies version appeared on a single. Most of the Hollies previous singles had been big top ten hits...
" (George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
) - "I Want You (She's So Heavy)I Want You (She's So Heavy)"I Want You " is a song by The Beatles, from their album Abbey Road. It was written by John Lennon, although credited to Lennon–McCartney....
") (Lennon, McCartneyLennon/McCartneyThe Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history...
)
- "Day Tripper
Credits
- Peter SteelePeter SteelePeter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative...
– Lead vocals and bass guitar - Josh SilverJosh SilverJosh Silver was the keyboardist and producer for the band Type O Negative. He joined the band at Peter Steele's request...
– Keyboards, backing vocals - Kenny HickeyKenny HickeyKenneth Shaun Hickey is an American heavy metal musician. He was the guitarist for the gothic metal band Type O Negative. He is also the vocalist and guitarist for heavy metal band Seventh Void, and the touring guitarist for Danzig...
– Guitars, vocals, co-lead vocals on "All Hallows Eve" - Johnny KellyJohnny KellyJohnny Kelly is the former drummer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative from Brooklyn, New York. He is the current drummer for the bands Danzig, and A Pale Horse Named Death.He joined Type O Negative in 1994 to replace Sal Abruscato...
– Drums, backing vocals
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Billboard 200 | 39 |
| The German Album Top 100 | 3 | |
| Norwegian Record Charts | 16 | |
| Finland's Official List | 3 |