Type O Negative

Type O Negative was an American gothic/doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989. They disbanded in 2010 after the death of vocalist and bassist Peter Steele. The band's final line-up was Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Johnny Kelly (drums, percussion). Their lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "the Drab Four" (in homage to the Beatles' "Fab Four" moniker).

History

Origins (1989–1991)
Type O Negative was formed after Peter Steele's previous band Carnivore broke up. Steele formed a new band with childhood friends Sal Abruscato, Josh Silver, and Kenny Hickey. They initially named  the band Repulsion. This was changed to Sub-Zero, and then Type O Negative. Steele was still tied to the multi-album contract he made with Roadrunner Records. After they received a demo, None More Negative, from Type O Negative (then known as Repulsion), they chose not to drop Steele. The band was signed to the label in 1991. Shortly after, they re-released the demo as their debut studio album Slow, Deep and Hard.

Slow, Deep and Hard and The Origin of the Feces (1991–1992)
Type O Negative's first album, Slow, Deep and Hard, combined Black Sabbath-esque riffs with elements of hardcore punk, industrial and gothic rock. The songs were long, multi-part theatrical epics. It was a semi-concept album of a man who takes revenge on a cheating girlfriend. The man then rethinks his actions and ends up commiting suicide.

This was followed by The Origin of the Feces on May 12, 1992. It's a faux-live album. It had a warning label on its cover that stated "Not Live at Brighton Beach". The album is mostly a re-recording of Slow, Deep and Hard, but with different song titles. It also includes a few original tracks songs as "Are You Afraid" and "Hey Pete" (a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" with altered lyrics). A cover of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" was also included on the 1994 reissue of the album.

Bloody Kisses and October Rust (1993–1998)
Type O Negative's third studio album, Bloody Kisses, was released in 1993. It saw critical and listener acclaim. It was Roadrunner's first record to get certified gold status in the US. The album's success put a lot of pressure on the band. Monte Conner, who at the time was Vice President of A&R at Roadrunner, said in a 2018 interview with Revolver Magazine, "There was a lot of pressure for him to take the band to the next level, but he didn't want to quit his job... There was a point where it looked like the band might break up."

Bloody Kisses has lyrics of loneliness and heartbreak in songs like "Too Late: Frozen", "Blood & Fire" and "Can't Lose You". The organ-driven "Set Me on Fire" is based on garage rock of the 1960s. "Summer Breeze" is a cover of the 1972 Seals and Crofts hit. "Christian Woman" and "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" became the most popular tracks, after having been edited down to radio-friendly lengths (the album versions were 9 and 11 minutes long respectively). In order to promote the album, Type O Negative went on a two-year world tour. During this time, the band was featured on MTV, VH1, and in Rolling Stone. In the midst of this, drummer Sal Abruscato left and joiend Life of Agony. The band's drum technician, Johnny Kelly, then became a full-fledged member. Bloody Kisses was re-released a year later in a limited-edition Digipak form. It included eight tracks and a new song "Suspended in Dusk", but removed the "filler" tracks.

October Rust picked up where Bloody Kisses left off. It explores themes of sex, nature and sensuality. First in a humorous sense on the single "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" and then taken much darker with "Love You to Death". This record also had a cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl". It also has the fan favorite "Green Man". While not quite as successful as Bloody Kisses, the album was certified gold in the US. It was also the first Type O Negative album to enter the top half of the Billboard Top 200, debuting at No. 42.

World Coming Down and The Least Worst of Type O Negative (1999–2001)
After the completion of another world tour, the band started on a fifth album. Its working titles were Prophets of Doom and Aggroculture. The end result was 1999's World Coming Down, which debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. World Coming Down was darker and bleaker than its predecessors. It was written after a series of deaths in Peter Steele's family.

A best of album followed in 2000. It was titled The Least Worst of Type O Negative. Although most songs are from previous albums, some are unreleased remixes or B-sides of previously released singles. Along with these songs are some unreleased tracks from the World Coming Down sessions, the band's cover of "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath, and a cleaner version of "Hey Pete" (originally released on the mock live album The Origin of the Feces).

Life Is Killing Me and Dead Again (2002–2009)
Type O Negative's sixth album, Life Is Killing Me, was released on June 17, 2003. The song lengths are much shorter on this outing. The longest is the 7 and a half-minute "How Could She?", a list of female character names from television shows. The album includes a humorous cover of the song "Angry Inch" from the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It details a sex change operation gone terribly wrong. Type O Negative left Roadrunner after the album's release. They had fulfilled their contract with the label.

Type O Negative signed to SPV/Steamhammer in June of 2004. Their only album on the label, Dead Again, was released in 2007. Dead Again debuted at No. 27 in the United States, the band's highest chart debut to date. They also continued to tour through October of that year. This included a performance at the Rock am Ring festival in Germany.

Peter Steele's death, the end of Type O Negative and aftermath (2010–present)
On April 14, 2010, vocalist and bassist Peter Steele died. It was reportedly due to heart failure. The cause of death was later reported to be sepsis, caused by diverticulitis. The following statement was released April 15 on the band's official website:

In a November 2010 interview with Rock Hard magazine, Johnny Kelly and Kenny Hickey confirmed that Type O Negative had split up.

Roadrunner Records released a box set of all the band's albums (with the exception of Dead Again) for Back to Black Friday 2011, a spinoff of Record Store Day, on November 25, 2011. Each vinyl cover has no text. The Origin of the Feces uses its original cover art.  A sticker sheet with six mini bumper stickers was also included.

In a June 2023 interview with Loaded Radio, Hickey was asked about the future of Type O Negative. He said that he was against the idea of continuing the band with a new vocalist, noting, "People have approached us to try and reform the band with a singer and go on the road...We personally don't think Peter is replaceable by anyone and it just wouldn't work." He did, however, mention that he would not be against the idea of some kind of tribute show with guest musicians saying "If somebody had the idea and got it together and got the logistics together, sure – I would be into that." 

Band members

Final lineup
 Peter Steele – bass, lead vocals, keyboards, guitars (1989–2010; his death)
 Kenny Hickey – guitars, backing and additional co-lead vocals (1989–2010)
 Josh Silver – keyboards, piano, effects, synthesizers, programming, sampler, backing vocals (1989–2010)
 Johnny Kelly – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1993–2010)

Previous members
 Sal Abruscato – drums, percussion (1989–1993)

Touring
 Scott Warren – keyboards (2009)

 Albums 
Slow, Deep and Hard (1991)
The Origin Of The Feces (1992)
Bloody Kisses (1993)
October Rust (1996)
World Coming Down (1999)
Life Is Killing Me (2003)
Dead Again (2007)

 References 

 Other websites 
The Official Type O Negative Website 

Category:1980s American music groups
Category:1990s American music groups
Category:2000s American music groups
Category:2010s American music groups
Category:American heavy metal bands
Category:Doom metal bands
Category:Gothic metal bands
Category:Thrash metal bands