Page 56 - Metal Hammer Issue 334 - UK (May 2020)
P. 56
PETER STEELE
ex-bandmate Johnny Kelly was brought
into the fold to fill the vacant drum
stool, receiving one pearl of wisdom on
joining: “Don’t quit your day job!” he
laughs. “When our manager asked if
I could get time off to tour, it was
a surprise. We ended up playing for six
weeks in the States, playing clubs, and
then went back to our jobs. It wasn’t
long before we got the call saying Nine
Inch Nails wanted us to tour with them,
then the same thing happened with
Mötley Crüe and we were doing it all
over again. We ended up quitting our
jobs, but even at that point we weren’t
expecting to make a career out of it!”
Touring alongside some of the biggest
metal bands on the planet was just the
boost in profile Type O needed, and on
November 9, 1995, Bloody Kisses was
certified gold by the RIAA – the first
such award in Roadrunner’s history.
“We had no idea just how successful that
record was going to be and how it would
affect people around the world,” Sal
explains. “Even after we’re all gone, it break-up wasn’t acrimonious enough
feels like people will still listen to these to sever ties completely. Despite
albums. We were guys who just loved officially signing to SPV Records in June
The Beatles – they had a massive effect 2004, Peter, Johnny and Josh still found
on Type O Negative and to me Bloody round every day and would hang around time to contribute to the landmark
Kisses was the White Album of the 90s.” just praying and kissing the door!” Roadrunner United project in 2005 (an
Follow-up October Rust doubled down All styles and subgenres of their all-star album organised by their old
on the gothic/doom elements that had sound to that point were revisited, but A&R Rep, Monte Conner).
made Bloody Kisses so successful, while crucially so too was the band’s caustic While Peter celebrated with his
also introducing just enough new wave humour. “Everything in Type O was musical family, his personal life took
to finally make full use of Josh Silver’s like a sarcastic comedy,” Johnny says. a downward spiral. In 2005, he spent a
keyboards. “October Rust caught Peter at “Unfortunately, a lot of people missed short stint in New York prison complex
his most prepared,” Johnny says. “It that! But that’s why I absolutely loved Rikers Island, for assaulting a man
surprised me, because we’d been on the the band on that first record – I thought (“Over a woman of course,” he told
road so much. It never worked like that it was hysterical, this guy going Hammer’s Alexander Milas in 2007).
again; after that, it’d take six months through absolute agony and deciding But the worst was yet to come when
just to think about getting together.” to put doo-wop vocals to his feelings!” his mother passed away in 2006
Far from being buoyed by two – something he had fretted about while
successful records back to back, things nfortunately, Life Is Killing serving time. “Every time I’d speak to
had started to go sour in Peter’s personal Me was doomed from the my mother I never knew if I was going
life as work started on the next release. start – a fact mirrored in to speak to her again,” he told Alex
Infamously difficult, World Coming Down its original title, The Dream Is Dead. Zander of MK Ultra Magazine. “That was
took Type O in a more thunderously “Roadrunner was becoming a different a real jail sentence for me.”
doomy direction, whilst also bearing record company by that point and Recognising how bad things had got
Peter’s most candid lyrics to date. Type O weren’t the big fish in the pond prompted a period of soul-searching
“Peter’s personal life bled into that anymore,” Johnny admits. “I know I for and reflection for Peter. It also prompted
record,” Johnny says. “Peter wasn’t in one was disappointed in how the World him to revisit some of his past output,
top form – drugs had started to get in leading to the resurrection of Carnivore
the way of things. It’s so powerful, but “DRUGS HAD with an all-new line-up, including Life
also very depressing. Even worse, he Of Agony’s Joey Z on guitars. Spots were
really didn’t want to play those songs STARTED TO GET booked at European festivals and,
live. Like, ‘Why do I want to be despite being a local sensation the first
Luckily, the darkness didn’t last, and IN THE WAY” international. “That tour was nuts!”
reminded of this again?!’” time round, Carnivore finally went
was almost nowhere to be seen on the JOHNNY KELLY, DRUMMER Joey exclaims. I remember we played
band’s next release, 2003’s Life Is Killing Wacken; we stepped out onto the stage
Me. “Josh brought in some demos for Coming Down record had been handled, and Peter plays a couple chords and just
Life Is Killing Me” remembers Max Ross, but even with that they tried to persuade goes, ‘Thank you, goodnight!’ and walks
one of the ‘enginucers’ at Systems Two us to sign another deal by telling us if offstage. We were offstage for about 10
studios at the time. “I’d never worked we did, they’d push this record. It was minutes, then came back and did the
with a band like Type O, but the guys like, ‘Well, why don’t you push this exact same thing again! But this time
were a blast and it was constant jokes. record first and then we’ll talk?’” went into a song – they just went crazy.”
People would send packages and Type O Negative’s relationship with Returning to his past also seemed to
flowers in constantly; this girl came Roadrunner had run its course, but the force Peter to address some of the GETTY
56 METALHAMMER.COM
