Kenny Hickey Interview: 11 Albums That Changed My Life

Kenny Hickey Interview 10 Albums That Changed My Life

Feature Photo courtesy of Kenny Hickey

As the founding guitarist of Type O Negative, Kenny Hickey combined the darkness of horror films with gargantuan six-string chops, creating a sound that had never been heard before or since. These days, the sounds Hickey helped create are called “gothic metal.” If that’s new to you, take a ride down memory lane and dig into records like Bloody Kisses (1993), October Rust (1996), and Life is Killing Me (2003), and you’ll catch the vibe.

That aside, when Hickey isn’t building the most killer pedalboard you’ve ever seen, he can be found working on new music with EYE AM, a seething project loaded with the same sorts of heavy riffage that put Hickey on the map back in the ‘90s.

During a break from the action, Kenny Hickey dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to dig into the eleven records that changed his life. Can you spot any of your favorites, too?

Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969)

The Beatles are a religion to me. They’re much more than a band. The greatest songwriters to ever live gave us the fully realized magical musical dream while breaking every boundary ever set for pop music. They implanted in me an endless desire to freely explore through the movement and colors of music. I love everything Beatles, but Abbey Road is a staple and a sanctuary for me. I always return to it in times of need when I’m doing well and otherwise. It is my life’s lullaby.

Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973)

The Dark Side Of The Moon (Experience Edition) (2CD)

This band and record changed me forever in a profound, visceral, psychological way. I can remember the beauty and horror of it when I first heard it. I remember I was already a bit paranoid from some dirty weed my friends and I had smoked.

Having the oppressive, stark reality of Roger Waters lyrics leak into my mind. All of it was magnified by a trillion by [David Gilmore, [Rick] Wright and [Nick] Mason playing behind it. I was frozen in terror and amazement at the depth and vastness of it all. There’s just no other band in history that can capture life in such a defined way.

Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin (1971)

In our adolescence, my friends and I would spend whole afternoons together moving the needle through the entire Zeppelin catalog, which was probably Presence at that point in the ‘70s. All powerful works of art, and I’m choosing Led Zeppelin IV because I have to choose one.

This band just seemed to hold the secret to life, death, heaven, power, and sex in everything they put to vinyl. Led Zeppelin was brilliant epic, and mysterious and is the quintessential blueprint for what a rock band could aspire to achieve. They achieved the highest degree of artistic and commercial success and, certainly, everything I ever desired to achieve in my career.

News of The World by Queen (1977)

This is still probably the most unique sound I’ve ever heard come off a piece of vinyl; News of The World was also the first record I ever saved up for and bought with my own money when it came out in 1977. I’m still left in surprise and awe every time I hear Brian May strike the first power chord at the crescendo of “We Will Rock You.” This record and guitar sound started me on the search for something unique in my own playing and music.

Killers by Alice Cooper (1971)

My friends, the Quinn brothers, had the insert of this record hanging on their bedroom wall, which was a picture of Alice Cooper hung by the neck with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. I grew up obsessed with horror movies, and this artist was a fusion of my two favorite things on earth: horror and rock ‘n’ roll. You just couldn’t get more twisted and epic as “Halo of Flies” and “Dead Babies.” Artists have been trying to out-shock Cooper ever since but never really add up to more than copycats.

The Slider by T. Tex (1972)

This record was my introduction to glam rock. The grainy cover photo of Mark Bolan in a top hat supposedly taken by Ringo Star fascinated me. He looked like a ghost rock god peering out at you from under the shadow of the brim of that tipped-back top hat. The moody, acidy mix of wonderfully distorted guitars and violins was the sweetest, darkest thing I’d ever heard, and his free association poetic visuals were intriguing and often outright funny. I still strum and sing “Mystic Lady” when I pick up my acoustic.

Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)

Hendrix was the first guitarist to blow my mind with six strings and the first real genius I’d ever become addicted to listening to. Yes, there were other brilliant musicians I’d listened to, but Hendrix bent the rules of music and the instrument to his own vision, which was so raw, explosive, and imaginative. It was nearly beyond comprehension. Songs like “Voodoo Chile,” both versions, defined the mountain top guitar solo forever.

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath (1970)

I know this one is on everyone’s list, but I can’t deny the truth. The first three notes of the song “Black Sabbath” hit me straight in the gut, triggering a fight or flight reaction that had a more visceral effect than any other song or music I had ever heard. I never thought that music could actually physically affect me like that, and I don’t think it has ever since. I’ll spend the rest of my life chasing that musical reaction through both my own music and the music of others.

Alive! by Kiss (1975)

This is the record that took me beyond pop and rock radio and introduced me to the sweet sound of heavily distorted guitars. I was repulsed by the band’s reputation but was a fan of “Rock and Roll All Night,” having heard it on the radio but unaware it was Kiss. I was informed the song was indeed a Kiss song by two neighborhood brothers, Sean and Tommy Quinn, whom I had befriended.

They quickly introduced me to Alive! when their dad left an even cooler and more extensive album collection when he split on them! Putting on Kiss makeup and jumping around their room to this record would spark my desire to perform. I wanted to be part of the raw energy that jumped out of that record.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John (1973)

Who can say enough about this record? A generation before me had The Beatles Sgt. Pepper, but for me, this was the album that exploded the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll. It was this masterpiece overflowing with melody, storytelling, and imagination. It made me think of music as more than just mere entertainment or a pastime.

At San Quentin by Johnny Cash (1969)

This was part of the album collection my father left behind when my mom and he split up. I was around five years old when I discovered it, and I was fascinated with the cover picture because it looked like the bass guitar was being pushed into Cash’s chest. It was recorded in a real prison that I had never heard of, and the songs were realistic and gritty, about playing guitar, drinking, women, fighting, and getting arrested. It would turn out to be the early blueprint for my existence through much of my 20s and into my career.

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