Crafted like the perfect soundtrack to a more sexualized Nosferatu-inspired flick, from orgasmic opener “Machine Screw” through to the hallucinatory instrumentation of “Can’t Lose You,” Bloody Kisses left its indelible mark on metal. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)” and “Christian Woman.”Ī pinnacle for the band, Bloody Kisses introduced a more melodious and cinematic Type O, bursting through the new wave of ’90s goth culture and swerving into lanes of thrash (“Kill All the White People”), hardcore and industrial. 166 on the Billboard 200, 1993’s Bloody Kisses was a game-changer, earning platinum status and a deep cult following with the doom-y enthralls of the 11-plus-minute “Black No. The act debuted with Slow, Deep, and Hard in 1991, then followed up with 1992’s The Origin of the Feces. Steele’s gloomy baritone, towering stature (standing at nearly 6’8”), and vampiric good looks - which landed him a 1995 centerfold in Playgirl magazine - led Type O through the New York circuit, from regular local shows at the now defunct L’Amour nightclub in Brooklyn and the East Village’s the Ritz to worldwide tours. After Carnivore ended, Steele reconnected with Silver and longtime compadres Kenny Hickey (guitars) and Sal Abruscato (drums), forming Type O Negative in 1989.
By the early 1980s, Steele had pieced together the politically incorrect Carnivore, which ran its thrash metal course through 1987. 4, 1962, and raised in Bensonhurst, Steele was in bands with childhood friend and future Type O keyboardist-producer Josh Silver since their teens. “It’s like the lasting impression, and still being in a band, still playing and constantly running into people that are fans.”īorn Petrus Thomas Ratajczyk in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn on Jan. “It’s odd to try to articulate because he passed away,” continues Kelly. I’m glad that I’m still connected to him in that way, but 10 years ago, I never would have thought that people would remember Type O Negative.”īack home near Dallas, where he moved several years ago, Kelly is remembering Peter Steele - his friend and bandmate in Brooklyn-bred goth metal quartet Type O Negative - who died April 14, 2010, from an aortic aneurysm at the age of 48. “But in a lot of ways, it feels like he never left. Video evidence, and more of Steele’s music, below.The Type O Negative drummer reflects on the towering vocalist-bassist, who died a decade ago today. In addition to fronting Type O Negative, Steele also performed in the group Carnivore, posed for Playgirl magazine and even appeared on the Jerry Springer Show on an episode dedicated to groupies. “I’m smiling recalling a funny story involving Pete, a microphone, an all-girl lipstick-lesbian band and a can of tuna. “RIP Pete Steele – a nice (and very funny) man,” Trent Reznor wrote on his Twitter page. 1.” (“These guys are like a cross between Danzig and Megadeth,” Beavis said at the time.) The 6′ 7″ singer recorded seven albums with Type O Negative, the most recent being 2007’s Dead Again, which entered the Billboard 200 at Number 27, the band’s best debut. The album boasted rock radio hits “Christian Woman,” a cover of Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze” and the Beavis & Butthead-approved “Black No. Type O Negative became one of the most unlikely bands to break into the mainstream in the 1990s with their third album Bloody Kisses, which became the first album released by Roadrunner Records to go platinum. Thank you for your understanding and support.” But today as members of Steele’s circle began to confirm his passing, the Type O Negative message boards opened this morning with the message, “Please play nice and expect statements from the band and family later today. Soon after, Steele all but disappeared as he battled drug problems and a prison stint.
News of Steele’s death was initially received with disbelief as Steele pulled a hoax in 2005, posting his picture and the years “1962-2005” on the group’s official website. That’s all the details we have right now.” Steele was rumored to have been ill in the days leading up to his death, Blabbermouth reports.
As of now it appears to have been heart failure. In an e-mail to CBS News, the band’s manager Mike Renault confirmed Steele’s death, writing “Peter passed away last night.
Peter Steele, the deep-voiced singer, songwriter and bassist for Brooklyn’s goth-metal outfit Type O Negative, has passed away at the age of 48.