Type O Negative was a great heavy metal band I've admired for years. Unfortunately, I never got to see them live in concert. Lead singer and bass guitarist Peter Steele passed away in 2010, so it's unlikely they'll reform, but they made memorable music while on the rock scene.
The group was created by keyboardist Josh Silver, Steele, drummer/percussionist Sal Abruscato, and co-lead singer/guitarist Kenny Hickey in the late 1980s. They originally called themselves Repulsion and later went by the moniker Sub-Zero before settling on Type O Negative as a band name. Roadrunner Records signed them to a recording contract in 1991, since Steele was technically still linked with them because of the agreement that had been in place with Carnivore, his previous group. Their debut album, Slow, Deep and Hard debuted in 1991.
Type O Negative's first record was soon followed by The Origin of the Feces in 1992. This recording included previously unreleased songs and songs that were not really recorded live from their first record. 1993's Bloody Kisses was the group's first gold-charting album. It put them on the map and they started touring in support of the record. By then, Johnny Kelly had replaced Abruscato on drums. Their fourth effort, October Rust in 1996, was well-liked by critics and fans alike.
Their fifth record, World Coming Down, was written and recorded in 1999. It was a darker, moodier album, influenced by a few losses in Steele's personal life. Type O Negative's first compilation disc, The Worst of Type O Negative, was released in 2000. It had several hits along with B-sides and covers of classic rock tracks. 2003's Life is Waiting took a more melodic approach and was a return to form for the band. Type O Negative signed with SPV Records' Steamhammer imprint in 2004. Their only studio recording for that label, Dead Again, was released in 2007.
Steele died on April 14, 2010. The official cause was listed as sepsis due to diverticulitis. Kelly and Hickey confirmed rumors of the band's demise that November. In 2011, Roadrunner Records issued a Black Friday set of all of Type O Negative's records (Dead Again was excluded from this release). The group had been working on new music before Steele's demise, but the surviving members are currently busy with other projects, so we may never hear those songs.
I liked Type O Negative because they defied classification. They never really fit in any one specific genre of music. They could be dark and heavy and soft and melodic in different songs on the same album. Type O Negative also recorded some unique covers. I can't hear the Neil Young classic "Cinnamon Girl" without thinking of Type O Negative's version. Thankfully they left behind some great albums and soundtrack songs for us to enjoy.
Well, that's all for now. Next week, I'll write about Slash's Snakepit. Until then, have a great weekend, everyone!
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