Former TYPE O NEGATIVE guitarist Kenny Hickey has confirmed to Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio that a full-length concert recording from the long-defunct band is in the works for an official release. “We’re actually working on a live album right now,” he said. “Yeah, we’re in the mixing process… So I’m excited about that. [We’re] working on the artwork now.”
TYPE O NEGATIVE effectively broke up after the passing of frontman Peter Steele in April 2010 from heart failure at the age of 48. Born Petrus T. Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, he stood 6′ 7″ (201 cm) tall, and had a low, bass-heavy voice, which was one of the most recognizable features in TYPE O NEGATIVE’s music.
Before forming TYPE O NEGATIVE, Steele played for the metal group FALLOUT and the thrash band CARNIVORE.
Hickey told Loaded Radio that there has been talk about teaming up with the other surviving members of TYPE O NEGATIVE to stage a Steele tribute concert with various guest musicians. However, according to Hickey, former TYPE O NEGATIVE keyboardist Josh Silver, who is married to Kenny’s wife’s sister, is still unwilling to commit to a Peter Steele tribute project, having spent “a long time” working for New York City as a paramedic.
TYPE O NEGATIVE, known for its brooding soundscapes and cult status in the 1990s and early 2000s, has recently seen a cultural resurgence as new generations discover the band’s genre-defining music.
TYPE O NEGATIVE was a New York–based goth metal band formed in 1990 by vocalist, bassist and songwriter Steele, alongside Hickey, Silver and drummer Sal Abruscato — later replaced by longtime drummer Johnny Kelly. Their 1991 debut, “Slow, Deep And Hard”, introduced their brooding style, followed by the provocative “The Origin Of The Feces” (1992). TYPE O NEGATIVE achieved breakthrough success with “Bloody Kisses” (1993),which earned a cult following and featured the single “Black No. 1”. The band continued to evolve with albums such as “October Rust” (1996),”World Coming Down” (1999),”Life Is Killing Me” (2003) and “Dead Again” (2007).
Revered for their distinctive blend of goth and metal, as well as Steele’s deep, iconic vocals, TYPE O NEGATIVE left a lasting legacy in heavy music. The band concluded in 2010 following Steele’s death, but their influence endures across the alternative and metal landscape.