I think that all the posts sum up to the same thing. COF isn't a "true" black metal band; they never really wanted to be purists. COF is extreme gothic metal. If you think about it, they are the exact same and the exact opposite of Type O Negative at the same time. They are the same in the atmospheric, gothic, brooding sound they create; only COF's sound is about 100 bpm faster than Type O. Peter Steele's voice is slow and deep, while Dani's is a high-pitched shriek a million miles an hour. They are both bands of the same genre, only completely opposite ends of the spectrum of that genre. Personally, I think the last decent album from Type O was October Rust in '96. Everything after that has been garbage, and they have never really been a talented band...they just create interesting music.
Another point that has to be brought up is that different people listen to different music. To the layman, it all might sound the same, but there are stark differences between the types of metal out there. Some people like speed metal, melodic death metal, death metal, grindcore, black metal, power metal, symphonic metal, etc. Personally, I prefer speed, thrash, and melodic black metal like At the Gates, Soilwork, Arch Enemy, and In Flames. I also listen to some black metal, but my focus mainly stays on the "entry level" black metal bands like Dimmu and Cradle. I do like Emperor, however, and Zyclon kills! I don't limit myself to just those types of metal, either. I listen to all types of metal, hell just all types of music, no matter what. I found myself listening to gay 80's hair metal the other day...Bonfire and Whitesnake. Quite a contrast from nowadays. It doesn't matter what you listen to...as long as you like it