Today Adam introduces us to a bloody brilliant Brooklyn band…
Type O Negative was a gothic metal band formed after the dissolution of the hardcore band Carnivore in 1987. Peter Steele, who played bass and was the lead vocalist, formed the band in Brooklyn, New York. The band would go platinum in 1993 and eventually go gold in 1996. Few could deny front man Peter Steele’s talent as both a songwriter and a musician. Many eager fans waited in anticipation for the release of his next band’s debut after Carnivore broke up, and in 1991 the wait finally ended with the release of the album Slow, Deep and Hard.
The album contained seven songs but because of their long durations, it still clocked in at an hour’s length. Fans noticed a more solid use of tempos and slow rhythms in contradiction to Peter Steele’s former band, which was known for its rapid speed and intensity. There was a notable difference in the lyrics as well. While Carnivore’s lyrics consisted of highly controversial subject matter, which ranged from hatred of Catholics to the advocacy of violent sexual assault and everything in between, Type O Negative’s lyrics were almost entirely about romance and relationship troubles. These lyrics still displayed the same gritty, nihilistic tone that Peter Steele was known for. The song “Unsuccessfully Coping with the Natural Beauty of Infidelity” contained such charming passages as “You had cock on your mind and cum on your breath / You inserted that diaphragm before you left… / I know you’re fucking someone else.”
The band released Bloody Kisses in 1993, which would go platinum. Upon its release, however, fans were in a state of shock. Peter Steele’s hard-core influenced screaming was no longer to be heard, and was replaced by a smooth baritone vocal. This low baritone style of singing would soon become one of Steele’s new trademarks in music. It was with this album that Type O Negative was able to reinvent itself as a goth metal band. The band followed in 1996 with the album October Rust, which featured classic songs such as “Love You to Death,” “My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend,” and a cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl.”
Type O Negative would go on to release three more albums before the tragic death of Peter Steele. All that was released in regards to the cause of his death was that it was due to heart failure. Although he is no longer with us, the music world will never forget the undeniable talents and musical masterpieces brought forth by Peter Steele during his time on this earth.