Hey Pete, Rest in Peace. Taking that D train to heaven, I think.
When I was a good deal younger, and had gone through a period of teenage upheaval, I discovered completely by accident a band that was not only wildly different in their sound but also brazenly honest, which appealed strongly to my unbeknownst senses. Type O Negative was the first decent metal band I ever saw play live and it was at The Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona – I still have the ticket stub stored away with other sentimental items. They played a great set, appearing in orange prison outfits, the stage was arranged with chicken wire fencing and began the show with the theme song from the television show ‘COPS’, needless to say, I found this to be quite amusing. After they played their set, I was awestruck and knew then that I would be a lifelong fan of the Brooklyn based quartet, sometimes known as the Drab Four due to their interests in morbid humor and the darker sides of life. April 14th, 2010 was a said day for metal and Gothic rock enthusiasts. It was the day a legend among musicians passed, and much like the loss of his own friends and influences (see the campy song ‘Halloween in Heaven’) – he passed away with a legacy not yet fully constructed. Peter Steele, born Petrus T. Ratajczyk, was the loudmouth lead singer and bassist for the Gothic rock/thrash band Type O Negative. Any dedicated fan would know him on a seemingly personal level due to the up-close and sometimes boisterous antics displayed on video content supplemented in two officially released videos/DVDs – ‘After Dark’ and ‘Symphony for the Devil’ – but the antics were part of his personality which made him both liked and avoided by friends and family. In his lyrics were words of humor, wisdom, and brutal honesty. After he was sentenced to a New York prison for drug use, he cleaned up his act and helped put together the band’s last full length album ‘Dead Again’ which was received with praise for it’s authenticity to earlier material and a spattering of clarity in the recordings, but the most foreboding sense of the record lies in a song that shares the album’s namesake. He starts the song by singing, “The first to admit I’m a doomed drug addict…”, a struggle with cocaine addiction proved to be a difficult and apparent hazard to his health. He goes on to sing, “No excuse for drug abuse, said this line a thousand times…”, this mantra evidently true which he follows with, “Please make me smile if you learn from my trials, well, we all pay the price maybe saving your life for ya…” The song’s chorus reads, “I can’t believe I died last, oh God, I’m dead again.” A self-fulfilling prophecy perhaps, but an honest appraisal of his mistakes and poor life decisions which make him more than a musician, but a sort of streetwise, poor man’s philosopher.
When I heard the news from my significant other, I laughed and told her it was probably just another hoax not unlike the notorious prank pulled by the front man years ago stating on the band’s web page that he had died, attached to the article was an image of a tombstone with his name carved in bold insignia. It wasn’t until later that night when I read a statement released by the band that stated it was not a hoax and that Peter Steele, the towering giant with a bellowing voice, had actually died. I was shocked and crushed. The album ‘Dead Again’ had, which was written and recorded back in 2007, had certainly exemplified his ending. On this solemn day, after his passing, attire in dark green and black is demanded and while the world comes down a little bit for all of his fans – I think they will remember him not as a profit of doom or a blind man, like he might have compared himself to, but rather as the green man. A gifted vocalist who captivated every audience with genuine love for music and connection to fans. He will be greatly missed by all of his fans who knew how to appreciate the doom and gloom he made sound so sincere and unremitting power in every song.
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