As huge Type O Negative fans, we’ve found that for some reason or another this is the first Spooky SZN in some time where we haven’t regularly had the Drab Four on as a soundtrack to October. Not intentionally by any means (Although listening now and every time since the death of Peter Steele is a more deliberate form of melancholy), just the way the cookie crumbled so far in 2024. What was very much unintentional, however, was the inadvertent exposure to some very TON-related sounds lately. One came from Neon Nightmare who release their VERY Type O-inspired debut record soon (Check out single “She’s Drowning” here) while the other was a more obvious tribute with Bristol’s Split Chain covering Life Is Killing Me‘s lead track, “I Don’t Wanna Be Me”.
The original was kind of an outlier of sorts when initially released as by this point in the band’s career (Six albums in with LIKM), the quartet had truly defined themselves as the preeminent Goth/Doom rawkers. Sure, there’s the roots in the Brooklyn Punk/Hardcore scene they emerged from in the TON DNA but for the most part they were the AC/DC of modern Goth Metal. And we loved them for it. Hell, “Life Is Killing Me” was kind of an outlier on the album it was the lead track for with songs like the divine new school Gothic anthems “Anesthesia” and “Nettie” also coming out of this period as well.
So what can we say about Split Chain’s version? It kicks all kinds of ass for one thing with the recent Epitaph Records signee’s bringing all that Punk Rawk energy to the forefront for a rip roarin’ good time that still retains the spirit of the original. Just different is all! No one could ever replicate Pete Steele’s lush baritone and luckily, SC’s Roberto Martinez-Cowles doesn’t try with a vocal delivery here that’s more a cathartic croon. Guitarists Oli Bowles and Jake Reid up the shred quota with a driving fret fury that blasts out of the feedback with some fuzz-soaked vibrancy and matches the rhythmic bombast and intensity coming out of bassist Tom Davies and drummer Aaron Black perfectly.
“I Don’t Wanna Be Me” is out now through all of your most favoritest DSP’s, most of which can be found by heading here. For more from Split Chain, like original tunes and where you can catch them when they hit these shores in 2025 supporting Silverstein (With Thursday on that particular outing also), then head to the socials found along the information superhighway by clicking here, here, or here. And finally, cuz Spooky SZN and all that, head here or here to, ahem, hear the original version from the Drab Four.