Pity the modern urban vampire that is Type O Negative's Peter Steele. Centuries ago, he dwelled in a castle, roamed the country by night and feasted upon terrified peasants to slake his bloody thirst.

Now, he probably shares a fifth-floor walkup, spends his nights in dingy basement clubs and has to get tanked on red wine to put up with the drunken yahoos screaming for Cinnamon Girl. No wonder his first words on Type O's sixth CD -- the tellingly titled Life is Killing Me -- are "I don't wanna be me anymore." We can dig it.

But strangely enough, for a guy so unhappy in his undead skin, Steele doesn't seem to make much effort to evolve. This 15-cut horrorshow has the same thrills and chills we always get from the Drab Four: Sluggish goth dirges, grand melodramatic rockers and the odd oddly poppy tune, all starring Count Pete's languid deep-throat croon and deliberately un-PC lyrics.

We wouldn't go so far as to say it sucks -- but it sure doesn't have the delicious, dark bite of old Type O.

Track Listing
1. Thir13teen
2. I Don't Wanna Be Me
3. Less Than Zero (<0)
4. Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things)
5. I Like Goils
6. ...A Dish Better Served Coldly
7. How Could She?
8. Life Is Killing Me
9. Nettie
10. (We Were) Electrocute
11. IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme That)
12. Angry Inch
13. Anesthesia
14. Drunk In Paris
15. The Dream Is Dead