Written By: Matt Bolton
Today we will look at some deep dark HEAVY roots from the tree of Type O Negative that continue to branch out today, with several other members of the band making music that would please the goth or average metal fan. The song that the band are most known for is Black No. 1, a classic that was featured heavily on dedicated music programmes such as MTV’s ‘Headbangers Ball’ and Channel V’s ‘The Heavy Shift’.
Peter Steele sadly passed in 2010 at the age of 48, dying of heart failure. He started as the frontman for a little band in Brooklyn that went by the name of Carnivore. The band was a mix of thrash and hardcore. The deep roots branched out to Type O. In 2006 Steele performed with former Carnivore members at Wacken Open Air Festival. The set went down a treat for the happy punters in attendance.
Type O was to come to an end in 2010 after Steele’s passing. Dead Again was the band’s final album, released in 2007. September Sun and Profits of Doom were the last videos the band released. Former members continued to write and release music since the band’s disbandment.
Guitarist and backing vocalist Kevin Hickey, and drummer Johnny Kelly put together a doom band titled Seventh Void, paying tribute to the late, great Steele on their first single and video Heaven is Gone.
Sal Abruscato, a former member of Type O started his own Goth band, A Pale Horse Named Death, taking charge of vocals and guitar with friend Johnny Kelly helping out behind the kit. Kelly, being a very busy man, also plays drums with Danzig and replaced Vinny Appice to join Rex Brown’s band Kill Devil Hill. This band will be explored in a HEAVY roots edition of Pantera in the future.
The last honourable mention is another Brooklyn band that Sal Abruscato was a big part of. That band was Life of Agony, who have broken up number of times, and recently reformed with Sal back in the band. One thing’s for sure, the roots of Type O run deep and continue to branch out, providing us with some awesome music.\m/
