Type O Negative is one of the pioneers of the gothic metal genre. The style of the musicians has spawned many bands that have gained worldwide fame.
At the same time, members of the Type O Negative group continued to remain in the underground. Their music could not be heard on the radio due to the provocative content of the material. The band's music was characterized by a slow and depressing sound, supported by gloomy lyrics.
Despite the gothic style, the work of Type O Negative is not devoid of black humor, which is loved by many music fans. The absence of the group on TV channels did not prevent the musicians from becoming widely known in musical circles.
The early work of Peter Steele
Peter Steele was the leader of the band, responsible not only for the music but also for the lyrics. His unique vocals have become the hallmark of the group. While the "vampiric" image of this two-meter giant attracted the attention of the beautiful half of humanity. But few people know that Peter's initial creative activity was far from the one for which he became famous.
It all started back in the 1980s when thrash metal was popular. So it is not surprising that Peter Steele began his career in this genre. His first band, formed with buddy Josh Silver, was Falliout, a straight metal band that had some success with audiences. The band released the mini-album Batteries Not Included, after which they disbanded.
Shortly thereafter, Steele created a second band, Carnivore, whose work can be attributed to the speed/thrash metal of the American wave. The group performed aggressive music, which had nothing to do with Steele's further work.
In the lyrics, the Carnivore group touched on political and religious issues that worried many young musicians. After two albums that made the band famous, Steele decided to put the project on hold. For the next two years, the musician worked as a park ranger, after which he took up music.
Creating a Type O Negative Group
Realizing that music is his true calling in life, Steel teamed up with an old friend, Silver. They created a new group, Type O Negative. The line-up also included musician friends Abruscato and Kenny Hickey.
This time the musicians found a resounding success, which led to the signing of a long-term contract with Roadrunner Records. This label, which specialized in heavy music, was the largest in the world. Group Type O Negative was waiting for a great future, which many could only dream of.
Type O Negative rise to fame
The band's first full-length album was released in 1991. The record was called Slow, Deep and Hard and consisted of seven songs. The material of the album was much different from the work of the Carnivore band.
The album consisted of slow songs, the duration of which could reach 10 minutes. The sound of Slow, Deep and Hard gravitated towards gothic rock, which added unexpected heavy metal parts. Despite the accusations of Nazism that followed during the European tour, the album was well received by fans of heavy music.
After returning from the tour, the musicians were supposed to release a live album. Instead of making a full-fledged record "live", the musicians spent money. Then the debut album was re-recorded at home, overlaying the sounds of a screaming crowd.
Despite the outrageous behavior of the group, the release took place. The live album was titled The Origin of the Feces, poking fun at one of Darwin's major works.
The Type O Negative became very successful in 1993 with the release of their second studio album, Bloody Kisses. It was here that the unique style of the group was formed, thanks to which the album gained a "platinum" status. For an underground metal band, such an achievement was a sensation that allowed the musicians to develop their success in the future.
Critics noted the influence of The Beatles, which was heard on the album. At the same time, the record again gravitated towards depressive gothic rock in the best traditions of The Sisters of Mercy.
The lyrics of the songs on the record were dedicated to lost love and loneliness. Despite the atmosphere of desperation inherent in the work of the group, Peter Steele added black humor and irony to the lyrics, which brought the gloom of the story.
Further creativity
Intoxicated with success, the studio bosses began to demand that the musicians release work of the same level. At the same time, the condition of Roadrunner Records was a lighter sound. This would make it possible to attract a larger audience of listeners to the work of the group.
In a compromise, Type O Negative released October Rust, which was dominated by a more commercial sound. Despite this, the unique style created on the previous disc was retained by the musicians.
Despite the fact that the success of Bloody Kisses could not be repeated, the October Rust album gained "gold" status and took 200nd position in the top 42 ranking.
Starting to create the next album, Peter Steel fell into a deep depression, which affected the mood of the music. The collection World Coming Down (1999) became the most depressing in the work of the group.
It was dominated by themes such as death, drugs and suicide. All this was a reflection of the state of mind of Steele, who was in a protracted alcoholic binge.
Recent albums and the death of Peter Steele
The band returned to their sound only in 2003, releasing the album Life is Killing Me. The music became more melodic, which contributed to the return of its former popularity. In 2007, the band's seventh and final album, Dead Again, was released. Since in 2010, Peter Steele died suddenly.
The death of Peter Steele came as a shock to all fans of the group, as the two-meter musician, who had a strong physique, always seemed filled with strength and energy.
However, he used alcohol and hard drugs for a long time. The official cause of death is heart failure.
Immediately after the official announcement of Steele's death, the musicians also announced the dissolution of the group. Then they started their own side projects.
