The vampires of Gothic rock have emerged from the bloodstream to the video screen!
Having succumbed to the seven-year itch, America’s favorite self-deprecating band has finally released their first-ever home video, which consists of rare concert footage, exclusive interviews, and six video clips (which the hypocritical MTV never had the balls to play) including the psychedelic, wonderfully cheesy, ’60s-inspired, tongue-in-cheek “My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend,” a cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl,” and the previously unreleased, more controversial version of “Christian Woman.”
Shot mostly in black and white (ironically, Type O’s two predominant cultic colors), After Dark continues Type O’s infusion of sex and religion via the video clips, yet, overall, it’s somewhat tame coming from a band that screams out “Kill All the White People” and sings about going down on a menstruating woman ([“Wolf Moon”], accenting the meaning behind Bloody Kisses). Surprisingly, the most “severe” cases of crudeness being displayed are in the several appearances the band makes crashing tour mates Pantera’s set, pelting them with cake, beer, and toilet paper. And the shocker of all shockers: that fate cruelly bestowed upon the intimidatingly stoic guitarist Kenny a smile: fatherhood.
Still, the video is great – or a great disappointment, as Type O would put it – satiric, weird, and revealing. And they had the smarts to keep it down to a cool 60 minutes of intimately pertinent facts, which include keyboardist Josh’s seven-day bout with constipation. Former Playgirl bunny and Type O lead singer/bassist and resident curmudgeon, Peter Steele weaves in and out of interviewee status and documentarian prose with candor and sarcasm, amidst his sexual prowess and sweet dork appeal. After Dark isn’t as dark, or as “Goth,” as the title suggests, but it’s well worth possessing for mere mortals and vampire-types alike. Have a byte. Roadrunner, 536 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10012
