Type O Negative

Type O Negative was an American gothic doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1989 by bassist and vocalist Peter Steele, guitarist Kenny Hickey, keyboardist Josh Silver, and drummer Sal Abruscato. Steele had previously fronted the abrasive crossover thrash band Carnivore, and when that band dissolved he gathered childhood friends to create something slower, darker, and more atmospheric. After cycling through the names Repulsion and Sub-Zero the band settled on Type O Negative, signing to Roadrunner Records and releasing their punishing debut Slow Deep and Hard in 1991. Their sound combined the crushing slowness of Black Sabbath and doom metal with Beatles-influenced melodies, deep baritone vocals, gothic atmosphere, and Steele's sardonic, self-deprecating sense of humor - earning them the self-given nickname "The Drab Four" as a nod to the Beatles' Fab Four. Their third album Bloody Kisses (1993) became a landmark, producing the gothic rock anthems Black No. 1 and Christian Woman and becoming the first album in Roadrunner Records' history to achieve both gold and platinum certification in the US. October Rust followed in 1996 and went gold, featuring Love You to Death and My Girlfriend's Girlfriend. The band toured extensively with Pantera and appeared on Ozzfest, reaching audiences far beyond the traditional goth metal world. Further albums World Coming Down (1999), Life Is Killing Me (2003), and Dead Again (2007) - their highest-charting album at number 27 on the Billboard 200 - kept the band active through their final years. Peter Steele died on April 14, 2010 at age 48 from sepsis caused by diverticulitis, and the surviving members announced shortly after that they would not continue the band without him.