Peter Steele (b. 1962 - d. 2010)
Vocalist/Bassist (Type O Negative)
 

Though it was the band’s most successful period it was one of the hardest in Steele’s personal life. The heights of success inevitably opened the doors to chemical influences taking hold of the front man and personal tragedies sent him into another spiral of depression. At this time, burnt out from two solid years of touring, Steele dreaded the phone calls from the label asking for a more successful record from him. Though an album was finally finished it was evident that Steele was writing to exorcise his demons, not to sell records.




1999’s ‘World Coming Down’ returned to the melancholic dirges of ‘Bloody Kisses’ sans the humour. The album was the darkest since the band’s debut with songs like ‘Everyone I Love is Dead’, Everything Dies’, and ‘World Coming Down’ dominating the track listing. The album wasn’t as well received as previous efforts, but it still fed the hungry waves of fans and the resulting tour led to Steele attempting to clean up his act. An interim best of album called ‘The Least Worst of Type O Negative’ was released while Steele focussed on himself.

“What asshole starts to drink and use drugs every day when they are 36 or 37? It’s a real F**king disgrace. I’m kind of shocked at myself, I’m embarrassed […] That slump of doing too much drinking and cocaine is becoming a thing of the past and I’m starting to get myself back a little bit.” - Terrorizer Magazine [http://www.casketcrew.com/media/terrorizer-interview/]

The band’s next album ‘Life is Killing Me’ showed that Steel was indeed getting back to his old self. Though dark, the album had the most humorous and playful feel than any album since ‘Origin…’ and ‘Bloody Kisses’, even including a cover of ‘Angry Inch’ from the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The supporting video for ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Me’ made a modest impact on radio and TV play lists, but ultimately the band was left to tour to promote the album. This proved to be the last album released by Roadrunner under the contract Steele had signed back in the 80’s with Carnivore. The band parted ways with the label after European competitors SPV signed them to release the bands next album.



But another spell of silence befell Steele and co. With the band’s webpage proclaiming “Peter Steele: 1962-2005” On the interim live DVD ‘Symphony For The Devil’ and other interviews Steele explained that the length between releases was down to his incarceration in Riker's Island and "the psych ward at Kings County Hospital" at the hands of his family for his psychological and drug problems.

“I violated probation because you know due to drugs and alcohol and just having a case of like all I had to do was like show up once a month and put my hand into a fuckin machine […] I didn't show up for like six months and then I'm like so, let them come and get me and you know what? Bang! Bang! Bang! Is Peter there? Housekeeping!" - MK Magazine [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/Blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=73285]

The album for SPV records followed soon after the DVD release. ‘Dead Again’ saw Steele once again working through his feelings, this time regarding drug addiction and betrayal (‘Tripping a Blind Man’), as well as his conversion to Catholicism (‘Ode to Locksmiths’), and opinions on abortion (‘These Three Things’). Unlike ‘World Coming Down’ however, Steele maintained his sense of humour and the album received a positive run with one of the highest chart positions since ‘October Rust’ as well as good radio and TV coverage of the band’s singles ‘Profit of Doom’ and ‘September Sun’. The subsequent tour received positive reviews for the newly sober Steele, and the band continued on supporting the album, in 2009 signing up for the Jaegermeister tour with fellow New Yorkers Hatebreed and 3 Inches of Blood.

“Apparently, when you’re drunk you don’t realise how badly you’re playing and how badly you’re singing. People have told me that I sound much better and I’m playing much better. I don’t really see it as much as other people do because I was drunk. But I realise that I was primarily responsible for almost destroying this band. The last five years of tours have been full of coke and alcohol and I didn’t think the thing was apparent […] If I’m fucked up, half the band’s fucked up […] So I’m trying to rectify the damage that I’ve done by just doing the best job that I can…” - Hardtimes.ca [http://www.hardtimes.ca/typeoOnegative09]

Steele’s new sense of optimism was unfortunately cut short on the 14th of April this year. The cause was widely reported as heart failure. Rumours of the front man’s death had flooded the internet but been met with scepticism after the infamous 2005 prank. However the news that Stele had died aged 48, was later confirmed by the other members of Type O Negative and soon tributes flooded in from friends, bands and fans.

Peter Steele was buried in Saint Charles Cemetary, Farmingdale alongside his parents.

“Well, that's it, that's all we have. I hope it wasn't too disappointing…” - October Rust 1996

Peter Steele (b. 1962 - d. 2010)
Vocalist/Bassist (Type O Negative)

It always seemed apparent that the time that Brooklyn born Petrus T. Ratajczyk, better known to fans of Goth Metal as Peter Steele, last felt truly free was while working for the New York Parks Department. At this time his 80’s Hardcore/Thrash Metal band Carnivore had come to an apathetic demise after just two albums, and the thought of starting a new band was the last thing on his mind. Instead he’d occupy himself raking leaves, mending fences, and thinking up new euphemisms for maggots (‘dancing rice’ being a popular one among his colleagues).

Then it all went wrong. He broke up with his long-time girlfriend, attempted suicide, and wrote an album that saw him signed back to his old record label. The album was 1991’s ‘Slow, Deep and Hard’ a Hardcore/Doom Metal crossover about infidelity, self-loathing, and everything that pissed off and depressed the six foot six Steele in the previous year. The album was loved by some, and hated by others (including Steele).

“… it was only supposed to be a demo. I was drunk and pissed and I wrote the whole thing in 4 hours. Little did I know that demo would be pressed into an album. So we were pretty much trapped into something I wrote in a span of a few hours […] If I had to do it over, Bloody Kisses would be the first album.” -Rock Out Censorship [http://www.theroc.org/roc-mag/textarch/roc-18/roc18-06.htm]

The Band was condemned by domestic audiences as communists and homosexuals for Steele’s Russo-Icelandic heritage and sensitive lyrics. Internationally they feared little better with most of the European tour cancelled due to anti-fascist groups labelling them a Nazi band (despite Keyboardist Josh Silver being Jewish).



The disastrous tour was immortalized by the band when Roadrunner Records gave them money to do a live album. The band instead spent the money and recorded a fake live album in a basement with their friend’s heckling them with the now familiar “You Suck” as an overdub. The album “Origin of the Faeces: Not Live at Brighton Beach”, became a cult hit for its dry humorous take on a Type O Negative live show and the cover of Jimi Hendrix‘s ‘Hey Joe’ (re-dubbed ‘Hey Peter’). Their label, however, did not see the funny side of it. The album, despite being reworked tracks from their debut, displayed a different approach to the song writing. Under Steele’s direction, Silver’s keyboards were mixed higher and became more Ambient and Gothic in sound.

This carried over onto the bands 1994 sophomore album ‘Bloody Kisses’. This time the anger was running second fiddle to elaborate Gothic hymns to female stereotypes (‘Black No.1’ and ‘Christian Woman’) as well as misery and heartache (‘Too Late: Frozen’ and ‘Bloody Kisses - A Death in the Family’). The album was originally released with many instrumental and humorous tracks, but after the videos for ‘Black No.1’ and ‘Christian Woman’ received play on MTV a re-edit and re-release of just the core tracks propelled the album to gold status. A first for the band and their record label.

With the band’s stock rising internationally and domestically the band crafted a dramatic stage presence on tour with bands such as Mötley Crüe and Nine Inch Nails, with Steele’s vampiric persona and trademark red wine consumption dominating reviews. The label eager to capitalise on the band’s success pushed Steele for a follow up.

“I don't know what drugs they were on. I guess they wanted to make another remake of Bloody Kisses, Bloody Kisses II or something like that. They didn't get it.” - NY Rock [http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/ton_int.htm]

The album that Peter wrote instead was a milestone in what came to be known as ‘Goth Metal’. Part Gothic Rock, part Psychedelic, and filtered through Black Sabbath style guitars - 1996’s ‘October Rust’ turned Type O Negative into an international force. The band embarked on tours with Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, and headlined festivals in the USA and Europe. MTV once again came calling and the romantic and playful videos for ‘Love You To Death’ and ‘My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ turned Steele into a reluctant sex symbol. Appearing on Jerry Springer and Riki Lake as an example of the definitive “Metal Male”. It wasn’t before long that Playgirl magazine invited Steele to do a spread - though Steele was said to be embarrassed after finding out that most of the magazine’s subscribers were in fact men.

“After I did it, I thought, "Oh my God, what did I do?" It was more than upsetting that so many guys had it. Girls, OK, but there just seemed to be at least as many guys. Not that I'm homophobic, but it was certainly irritating.” - NY Rock [http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/ton_int.htm]

Part 2 tomorrow...

I was going to attempt a blog that explains the reasons behind the move from my old Wordpress blog to this rather simple looking Blogger layout (and work in some praise for the new Anathema album while I was at it). But the BBC news feed has just informed me of the passing of the Photographer Brian Duffy from Lung disease at the age of 76.

Duffy had not long been thrust back into the public gaze with an exhibition of his unseen works and a BBC documentary that accompanied it. Before that time he'd been one of the first celebrity photographers (along with Terrence Donovan and David Bailey) shooting for vogue, and creating some of the most iconic images of the 60's and 70's including the photographs used for David Bowie's seminal 'Aladdin Sane' album. But in 1979 he walked away from that life and burned many of his negatives.

Duffy's contribution to the way that music, fashion and in fact all types of photography was shot and thought about by his colleagues and his audience was simply immense. Gone were the days of Gentlemen photographers with their large format cameras that captured an image, and instead in their place was a new idea of the photographer as an 'Everyman', but also as an artist (an idea that Duffy himself professed to loathing). The camera became not a tool, but an extension of the photographer, and the final image was the lasting impression of their mind's eye.


I've no doubt that if the east-end born and bred Duffy read such twaddle he would have dismissed it as utter poppycock. But as an unwilling icon that created willing icons he will always be remembered.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8287900.stm – a link to the BBC's Brian Duffy slide show and below is a link to his website.

http://www.duffyphotographer.com/

RIP Brian Duffy

It’s a terrible shame that so many public figures are dying. Having only recently lost Peter Steele and Ronnie James Dio it has emerged that Slipknot bass player Paul Gray has died from causes unknown. In addition to this the legendary actor Dennis Hopper has also passed away after a long illness with prostate cancer.

Love them or loathe them there’s no denying that Slipknot’s brand of accessible Extreme Metal has opened up a lot of worlds for many teens since their debut album in 1999. With a mix of Nu-metal, Death Metal, Grunge and Hip Hop the band’s sound is certainly eclectic. The skill involved in playing in a band such as that is without question. And as the band’s bass player Paul Gray was in the middle of that sonic maelstrom.

Many traditional Metalheads may pooh-pooh the news of Gray’s passing but to a generation of kids who first discovered Slipknot in 1999 and were in turn compelled to check out this newly opened up world of Extreme Metal, the news will be met with great sadness.

It was well documented that Paul had problems in the past with drugs, getting into trouble with the police after being pulled over with cannabis, cocaine and assorted paraphernalia in his car. But that shouldn’t detract from the music he helped to create.



RIP Paul Gray

What can you say about Dennis Hopper? The actor, director and artist’s work was prolific. From his early film roles alongside James Dean, to the seminal counter-culture classic Easy Rider, and into his well earned reputation as one of the statesmen of Hollywood Hopper thrilled his audience. Even in his so-called “outcast years” Hopper exuded a cool credibility. Most will know him though for his major film roles such as Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet and Rumble Fish - However Hopper had an incredibly well developed artistic side. Working in poetry, paint and photography he could turn his hand to many different styles in these mediums. Like so many geniuses though, his personal life was troubled - his relationship problems and drug use being well known.



Dennis Hopper was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in October 2009 after being admitted to hospital the previous month. Reports soon followed that it was terminal. Hopper’s Hollywood walk of fame ceremony in March this year was overshadowed by the frail frame of the legendary actor and he later died on the 29th of May.

Hopper was buried yesterday at Jesus Nazareno Cemetery, Ranchos de Taos.



RIP Dennis Hopper

This is a transferred post from my previous wordpress blog published on: Apr 15, 2010.



“Well, that's it, that's all we have. I hope it wasn't too disappointing…” - October Rust 1996

Everyone has a band that speaks to them. That one band that you ‘Get’, that has never released an album you didn’t like, that has a song for every mood you’ve ever had or will have. Type O Negative were that band for me. A band to be a little fanatical for.

As I’m writing this I’m on my third rotation of October Rust and struggling to find the right words so expect this to be a little bit of a ramble. Ask any genuine metal fans though, and there will be nods of agreement amongst them that this album was the bands finest moment, and it ensured their place in the annals of music. For me it was the first album I genuinely and whole-heartedly loved. In the 11 years since buying it, whenever I need a pick me up, something cathartic to drink to, or even something to seduce the girls that wander into my lair with - this album has been the soundtrack.




I suppose like a lot of people I was sceptical at the news at first. The band famously made a bad joke about Peter’s death in 2005 on their website. Peter had been in fact detained in a psych ward due to his substance abuse. But it felt different this time. The outpouring was so immediate that it felt all to genuine.


At the time of writing there is no confirmed cause of death. The widely held rumour is of heart failure, possibly linked to Peter’s well documented years of substance abuse.



But grief shouldn’t cloud the genuine brilliance of a career. A lot of bands over the next year or two (probably my own included) will make a public tribute of some kind and that’s fine. But when you start trading off someone else’s name, then we’ll know when it has become a marketing ploy.


The strange thing in all this is I wrote a career overview of Peter/Type O Negative back in January for a University portfolio. In the notes I wrote “Please excuse this if it reads too much like an obituary rather than a profile” (I‘ll post that up in due course). Long-time fans of the band will know what I mean by that. Type O’s musical legacy is one fuelled by Steele’s personal demons. From substance abuse, bad break-ups, and family tragedies they all went into creating a palette to draw from. It’s not like the band were without a sense of humour though. Songs like ‘We Hate Everybody’, ‘Kill All The White People’ and covers such as ‘Angry Inch’ showed that it wasn’t always doom and gloom, even if the humour was a little black. Instead the band , with Peter at the helm created a unique sound that bridged alien influences such as The Beatles, Black Sabbath, and The Sisters of Mercy and moulded them to suit.


But that was Type O Negative and Peter Steele - unique, contradictory, brilliant, and genuine.



RIP Peter Steele

This is a transferred post from my previous wordpress blog published on: Oct 10, 2008.

It has emerged that former Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids bassist and Unpop artist Gidget Gein has died.

Gidget (real name Brad Stewart) co-wrote many of Marilyn Manson's early songs and played on the 1994 debut album Portrait of an American Family. He is also credited as the main influence behind the early visual aesthetic of the band.

After being forced out of the band on the eve of the release of the album, Brad moved to New York and formed his own art-rock band The Dali Gaggers, and released one album; Confessions of a Spooky Kid. After moving back to his home state of Florida, Gein worked as a 'bag boy' for the coroner's office, which he recorded on his official website http://www.gidgetgein.com/.

 

He mended the bridge with former bandmate Marilyn Manson and appeared in the video for (s)AINT along with a sculpture (later bought by the video's director, Asia Argento) entitled In Case of Emergency Break Heart.

He moved to Los Angeles in order to further persue his Art and Fashion, and became a member of the Unpop art movement (alongside such notoraries as Boyd Rice, and Adam Parfrey). He was exhibited at a number of shows in the Hollywood area, and made his art available through his fashion line Gollywood. Gidget's art dealt with alot of themes common to the unpop movement - degenerate art thematically heavy with aspects of American pop culture now swept under the carpet. In 2006 he appeared as Detective Jeffery Mourir in the film Black Dahlia. In 2007 he released three new albums of music and recently began playing live again as part of the band People.






The one constant in Gidget Gein's varied and artistic life was his battle with drug addiction and on the 9th of October 2008, it was a battle he finally lost.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gidget_Gein






* * *


I had communicated with Gidget numerous times via his personal myspace page and had always found him to be a wonderfully polite, smart, witty, and obviously a very talented person. As a fan and admirer I am deeply saddend by this news and my heart goes out to his friends and loved ones.

RIP GG