Few bands embodied gothic metal’s sensual gloom quite like Type O Negative. Formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989, the band carved out a sound that was equal parts doom-laden metal, dark humor, and tragic romance.
Their lyrical preoccupation with love, depression and death earned them the tongue-in-cheek nickname “the Drab Four,” a playful nod to the Beatles‘ Fab Four moniker.
Type O Negative broke through commercially with 1993’s Bloody Kisses, which went platinum and transformed them from underground curiosities into unlikely MTV staples. The follow-up, October Rust, went gold and deepened their reputation for lush, melancholic songwriting wrapped in crushing riffs and cathedral-sized atmospheres.
Across seven studio albums, two best-of compilations and multiple concert DVDs, the band cultivated a fiercely loyal fanbase drawn to Steele‘s towering presence and sardonic wit.
On April 14, 2010, Peter Steele died at the age of 48. Reports have cited heart failure brought on by an aortic aneurysm, while others list sepsis caused by diverticulitis. His passing marked the end of an era. Seven months later, the surviving members confirmed they would not continue as Type O Negative.
“Xero Tolerance” – Slow, Deep and Hard (1991)
“Kill You Tonight” – The Origin of the Feces (1992)
“Can’t Lose You” – Bloody Kisses (1993)
“Red Water (Christmas Mourning)” – October Rust (1996)
“Creepy Green Light” – World Coming Down (1999)
“It’s Never Enough” – The Least Worst Of (2000)
“(We Were) Electrocute” – Life Is Killing Me (2003)
“An Ode To Locksmiths” – Dead Again (2007)
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