PETER STEELE®

Peter Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), known professionally as Peter Steele®, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as the lead singer, bassist, and composer of the gothic metal band Type O Negative. Before forming Type O Negative, Steele had created the metal group Fallout and the thrash band Carnivore.

As the frontman for Type O Negative, Steele was known for his vampiric appearance, towering 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) stature, rich bass vocals, and a dark, often self-deprecating sense of humor. His lyrics have been described as "often intensely personal, dealing with subjects including love, loss and addiction." Steele credited Black Sabbath and the Beatles as his key musical influences. He has been listed among the "66 Best Hard Rock and Metal Frontmen of All Time" by Loudwire.

EARLY LIFE

Steele was born on January 4, 1962, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, to a Catholic family and attended Edward R. Murrow High School in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. His father was of Polish descent, and his mother was of Scottish-Irish and Italian ancestry. He was raised in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. Steele was the youngest of six children, with five older sisters. His father fought in World War II and later worked at a shipyard. Steele started guitar lessons at age 12 before moving on to bass six months later.

Though Steele was naturally left-handed, he played right-handed bass guitars throughout his career. This came about when one of his earliest bands, Aggression (also featuring Josh Silver), for which Steele played left-handed rhythm guitar, threatened to kick him out unless he switched to bass guitar. As a left-handed bass guitar proved too expensive then, Steele purchased a right-handed bass and taught himself to play it.

Steele worked for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation until he began touring with Type O Negative in the summer of 1994. He was based at Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where his job involved park maintenance, driving vehicles, including garbage trucks and steamrollers, and eventual promotion to park supervisor. Steele considered his days working for the parks department to be among his happiest.

MUSICAL CAREER

FALLOUT AND CARNIVORE (1979–1987)

In 1979, Steele formed the heavy metal band Fallout. In 1982, after the split of Fallout, Steele formed the thrash metal band Carnivore. With Carnivore, Steele's lyrics were often harsh, dealing with religion, war, race, and misogyny. Carnivore released their debut self-titled album in 1985. In 1986, Steele wrote lyrics for several songs on hardcore punk band Agnostic Front's second album, Cause for Alarm. In 1987, Carnivore released Retaliation before splitting up later that year.

TYPE O NEGATIVE

Formation

Steele formed the band in 1989 with his childhood friends Josh Silver, Kenny Hickey, and Sal Abruscato (later replaced by Johnny Kelly). The band originally used the name "Repulsion" but had to change it in 1990 due to legal issues with the American grindcore band of the same name. The band then used the name "Subzero". Steele had a tattoo in mind of a minus sign contained within the number 0 that he originally intended to represent the Subzero band logo. After discovering that another band was already using the Subzero name, and with his tattoo in mind, Steele came up with the name "Type O Negative" after hearing a radio advertisement requesting donations of type O negative blood. When Type O Negative signed with Roadrunner Records, Steele signed his recording contract with a mixture of Suave hair conditioner and chocolate syrup mixed with food dye, contrary to popular belief that it was his own blood and semen.

Slow, Deep and Hard and The Origin of the Feces (1991–1992)

Type O Negative's debut album, Slow, Deep and Hard, was released in 1991. The album incorporated the thrash elements of Carnivore merged with doom metal. Steele had written the music in the space of one night in the aftermath of a relationship break-up, and this was reflected in the lyrical topics of heartbreak, fantasies of revenge, and the contemplation of suicide, something Steele had himself attempted: "On October 15th, 1989, I slashed my wrists. All I can say is that I fell in love with the wrong person."

Steele caused some controversy when touring in Europe to support Slow Deep and Hard, thanks to rumors about his social and political views, with some critics going so far as to brand him a Nazi sympathizer, even though his bandmate, Josh Silver, is Jewish. Steele suggested that the European press had misunderstood his humor and that his sarcasm was sometimes lost in translation to print.

In 1992, Type O Negative released the "live" album The Origin of the Feces. The album included a fictitious hostile audience and an evacuation of the venue after a bomb threat had supposedly been called in. This simulated some real-life responses Steele and Type O Negative had recently received while on tour in Europe. The original album cover featured a close-up shot of Steele's anus.

Bloody Kisses, October Rust and World Coming Down (1993–2002)

In 1993, Type O Negative released their breakthrough album, Bloody Kisses. The album focused primarily on romance, love, sex, and death. The song "Black No.1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" pays tribute to gothic subculture and is an ode to a goth girl Steele had once dated. Steele attacked his detractors with the songs "We Hate Everyone" and "Kill All the White People,” which dealt directly with the band's rumored racist ideology and served to erode any such accusations. Bloody Kisses eventually achieved platinum status and established Type O Negative as one of the most influential bands in gothic metal.

Type O Negative released the album October Rust in 1996. Though it retained similar lyrical themes, it featured a more multi-layered and melodic sound than its predecessor. Steele penned most of the material on October Rust while on the road touring, though he had conceived some basic musical ideas during his early teens. Steele designed the Vinland flag that first appeared on the October Rust artwork. It has since appeared on every subsequent release by the band. The flag encompassed a variety of Steele's interests, political beliefs, and heritage. Steele based the design on a Nordic cross flag incorporating his favorite colors. The concept of Vinland is also referred to in the track’s title, "The Glorious Liberation of the People's Technocratic Republic of Vinland by the Combined Forces of the United Territories of Europa.” "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" is a tale about a ménage à trois that Steele based on a few true life experiences. The song "Green Man" had two meanings for Steele; it is written about the Celtic embodiment of nature and Steele's time with the parks department, when young children called him the "Green Man" due to the green uniform he wore on the job. The song introduction includes a sample of the garbage truck once driven by Steele. The song "Red Water (Christmas Mourning)" is about his father's death. October Rust eventually achieved Gold status.

Steele had been dealing with personal problems while recording and mixing 1999's stripped-down and heavier-sounding World Coming Down. Themes of drug abuse and addiction appeared on the album, particularly in the song "White Slavery.” Death also featured heavily on the album, with Steele mourning the loss of loved ones on the tracks "Everyone I Love is Dead" and "Everything Dies.” Steele recounted his experience with psychiatric treatment in the song "Who Will Save the Sane?". In "Pyretta Blaze," Steele tells of his sexual fantasy involving fire. Steele noted the emotional strain caused by executing songs from World Coming Down in a live setting. The setlists for live shows performed since the initial tour to support World Coming Down usually featured very few selections from the album.

In 2000, Steele made a guest appearance on the song "Just Say No To Love" from Iommi, the first solo album by Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. In 2001, Steele appeared on the song "Cross the Line" from the Biohazard album Uncivilization. In 2002, he guest appeared on the track "Descent" from the Doro album Fight.

Life Is Killing Me and Dead Again (2003–2010)

Type O Negative released the album Life Is Killing Me in 2003. Lyrically, the album deals with topics including self-pity, hatred, drugs, death, and religion. On the title track, Steele offers his criticism of the medical profession. The song "Nettie" centers around Steele's mother, while "Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things)" is about his father. "The Dream is Dead" refers to Steele finding it difficult to celebrate Valentine's Day as the date coincides with his father’s death anniversary. Steele wrote the song "(We Were) Electrocute" about a "stunning" ex-girlfriend and how they would attract the interest of passers-by when out together as a couple. Steele's favorite female television characters inspire the “How Could She?” track. "I Like Goils" makes light of the attention Steele received from gay men, specifically after his photoshoot for Playgirl magazine.

Steele performing in Berlin with Type O Negative, 2007

In 2005, Type O Negative left Roadrunner Records. Steele had never been happy with the conditions of the recording contract and had described it as "a millstone around my neck.” Steele alleged that Type O Negative's split from Roadrunner Records, aside from a poor offer, had to do with an unauthorized release of a "best of" compilation. Steele remained on friendly terms with the staff at Roadrunner Records, and in October 2005, he appeared on the Roadrunner United album to help celebrate the label's 25th anniversary.

There were unconfirmed rumors at one point of Steele's death after the band’s website posted an image of a tombstone bearing his name and the dates 1962–2005. According to an article dated May 14, 2005, Steele was not dead; the gag was related to their fresh signing with SPV Records. The website discontinued the tombstone picture in October 2005.

In 2006, Steele reactivated Carnivore with a new lineup that included longtime Type O Negative collaborator Paul Bento. The band played at the Wacken Open Air Festival in 2006.

Steele made his final recording on the 2007 Type O Negative album Dead Again. He revealed on MTV's Headbangers Ball that the new alliance with SPV Records was probably his favorite thing about Dead Again from a production standpoint. Steele considered Dead Again less melancholic and more positive than the band's previous albums. The album cover depicts the Russian mystic Rasputin, a historical figure Steele admired. The title track touches on drug abuse and Steele's sense of having killed part of himself after suffering a relapse. "Tripping a Blind Man" is a diatribe of how Steele felt after his family initiated his involuntary commitment. "Halloween in Heaven" is a song about dead rockstars that Steele was inspired to write by the death of his close friend Dimebag Darrell. Steele's final live performance was on Halloween night at Harpos Concert Theatre in Detroit, Michigan, the last show of Type O Negative's 2009 tour.

FURTHER APPEARANCES

PLAYGIRL

Following the success of Bloody Kisses, Steele began to receive attention outside of music. He appeared as a nude centerfold of Playgirl in 1995. Steele later found out via bandmate Kenny Hickey's contacts that only 23% of the magazine subscribers were female. After being asked by men to sign copies of the magazine, Steele somewhat regretted the decision: "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 seemed to be at least as many guys. Not that I'm homophobic, but it was certainly irritating." In a 2007 interview, Steele reflected on the posing as a naïve publicity stunt.

TELEVISION AND FILM

Steele appeared as a guest on the talk shows Ricki Lake, The Jerry Springer Show, and The Howard Stern Show. In 2003, Steele acted in the episode "Exeunt Omnes" of the HBO drama Oz. Also, in 2003, he appeared in the film Dirtbags (Armpit of Metal). He followed this with a role in the 2005 film Bad Acid. Steele is among the musicians featured in the 2011 documentary Living the American Nightmare.

PERSONAL LIFE

Steele stood 6' 8" (203 cm) tall, giving him a menacing stage appearance. Despite that perception, Steele admitted to suffering from stage fright, which he overcame by drinking alcohol before shows and by drinking red wine when on stage. He was also described as a person who was "friendly, funny and had a reputation for being generous to his longtime bandmates ... and kind to the bands he toured with." In his autobiography Iron Man, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi described his shock at Steele's death: “Peter was a big, tall, and very, very nice guy."

Outside of music, Steele lifted weights at home and on his tour bus. Steele also enjoyed reading books on the subject of science, engineering, art, languages, and math, and he had an interest in European culture. Steele liked working on his house and was interested in architecture and civil engineering. Steele also worked on his cars, including a heavily modified 1985 Pontiac Grand Prix he customized. Steele loved cats and kept several of them as his children. In the booklet for the 2009 "Top Shelf" edition re-release of Bloody Kisses, Steele confirmed that the album's dirge-like 11-minute title track had, in fact, been written about the death of a family cat called Venus he had owned for 17 years.

In 2005, Steele disappeared for an extended period with no explanation. Rumors of his death, terminal illness, and other speculations increased until the mystery was dispelled in an interview on the 2006 DVD Symphony for the Devil. In the interview, Steele briefly mentions his incarceration in Rikers Island and "the psych ward at Kings County Hospital.” Steele's family members had staged an intervention and insisted he check into a mental institution. Steele later confirmed he had been suffering from paranoia caused by his heavy substance abuse. Steele had been using cocaine since the age of 35, a decision he expressed great regret about. Steele then attended rehab for cocaine dependence and alcoholism and later served a 30-day prison term for assaulting a love rival. Steele made light of his incarceration by wearing a prison uniform on stage during live performances.

Steele stated in a 2003 interview that he had bipolar disorder and linked his mood swings to the types of songs he wrote. He also received occasional psychiatric treatment for depressive episodes. During a 2007 interview, Steele explained:

"I've always been a very depressed person, but that's only one side of me, you know. It makes me feel better when I can express my depression, my anger, my frustration through music ... sonic therapy."

In April 2007, Steele revealed that he began identifying himself as Roman Catholic in recent years after decades of self-professed atheism. In an interview with Decibel magazine, Steele explained:

"There are no atheists in foxholes, they say, and I was a foxhole atheist for a long time. But after going through a midlife crisis and having many things change very quickly, it made me realize my mortality. And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere. I also can't believe that people like Hitler are gonna go to the same place as Mother Teresa."

DEATH

Steele died of sepsis caused by diverticulitis (initially reported as heart failure) on April 14, 2010, at the age of 48. Before his death, he was preparing to write and record new music. The remaining members of Type O Negative decided to dissolve the band rather than replace Steele, with Johnny Kelly stating, "Even if there is somebody who could take his place, it wouldn't matter. We don't have any interest in continuing. It's impossible – it hasn't even come up in any kind of discussion. When Peter died, Type O Negative died with him."

(From Wikipedia)