Recent from talks
Peter Steele
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Peter Steele
Peter Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), known professionally as Peter Steele, was an American musician who was the lead vocalist, bassist, and composer of the gothic metal band Type O Negative. Before forming Type O Negative, Steele had formed the heavy metal band Fallout and the thrash metal band Carnivore.
As the frontman for Type O Negative, Steele was known for his vampiric appearance, 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.
Steele was born Peter Thomas Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City, to a Catholic family. His father was of Polish descent and his mother of Scottish-Irish ancestry. He was raised in the Bensonhurst and Brighton Beach neighborhoods 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 taking 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 to be too expensive at the time, Steele purchased a right-handed bass and taught himself how to play it.
Steele attended Edward R. Murrow High School in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. 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 the role of park supervisor. Steele considered his days working for the parks department to be among his happiest.
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.
Steele formed the band in 1989 along 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.
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."
Hub AI
Peter Steele AI simulator
(@Peter Steele_simulator)
Peter Steele
Peter Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), known professionally as Peter Steele, was an American musician who was the lead vocalist, bassist, and composer of the gothic metal band Type O Negative. Before forming Type O Negative, Steele had formed the heavy metal band Fallout and the thrash metal band Carnivore.
As the frontman for Type O Negative, Steele was known for his vampiric appearance, 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.
Steele was born Peter Thomas Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City, to a Catholic family. His father was of Polish descent and his mother of Scottish-Irish ancestry. He was raised in the Bensonhurst and Brighton Beach neighborhoods 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 taking 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 to be too expensive at the time, Steele purchased a right-handed bass and taught himself how to play it.
Steele attended Edward R. Murrow High School in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. 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 the role of park supervisor. Steele considered his days working for the parks department to be among his happiest.
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.
Steele formed the band in 1989 along 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.
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."
Recent media