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{{short description|American gothic metal band (1989–2010)}}
{{about|the band|the blood type|O negative}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Type O Negative
| image            = Type O Negative in performance (Columbiahalle, Berlin - 15 June 2007).jpg
| caption          = Type O Negative performing at Columbiahalle (Berlin, Germany, June 15, 2007)
| alias            = {{flatlist|
* Repulsion (1989–1990)
* {{nowrap|Sub-Zero (1990–1991)}}
}}
| landscape        = Yes
| origin           = [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, New York]], U.S.
| genre            = <!--*PLEASE READ* These genres are edited too frequently. Before editing the genres listed here, discuss on the talk page why they need to be changed with a strong argument. It is pointless and unhelpful to split hairs about the types of metal: they are not well-defined and we go in circles. The best we can do is give the gist of their style; so, unless there's something obvious missing here, nothing is gained by adding or removing types continually. *PLEASE READ*-->{{flatlist|
* [[Gothic metal]]
* {{nowrap|[[doom metal]]}}
}}
| years_active     = 1989–2010
| label            = {{flatlist|
* [[Roadrunner Records|Roadrunner]]
* [[SPV GmbH|SPV America]]
}}
| spinoff_of       = {{flatlist|
* [[Fallout (band)|Fallout]]
* [[Carnivore (band)|Carnivore]]
}}
| spinoffs         = {{flatlist|
* [[Seventh Void]]
* [[A Pale Horse Named Death]]
* [[Silvertomb]] 
}}
| past_members     = 
* [[Peter Steele]]<!--Do not add "(deceased)" as this does not belong in the infobox, as per Wikipedia infobox guidelines.-->
* [[Kenny Hickey]]
* [[Josh Silver]]
* [[Sal Abruscato]]
* [[Johnny Kelly]]
| website          = {{URL|typeonegative.net}}
}}
<!--*PLEASE READ* Type O Negative's genres are edited too frequently. Before editing the genres, discuss on the talk page why they need to be changed with a strong argument. It is pointless and unhelpful to split hairs about the types of metal: they are not well-defined and we go in circles. The best we can do is give the gist of their style; so, unless there's something obvious missing here, nothing is gained by adding or removing types continually.*PLEASE READ*-->
'''Type O Negative''' was an American [[gothic metal]] band formed in [[Brooklyn]], New York City in 1989<ref name="auto1">{{cite news |title=Peter Steele, of Heavy Metal Band Type O Negative, Dies at 48 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 20, 2010 |page=B10 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/arts/music/20steele.html |access-date=August 22, 2012}}</ref><ref name=jenkins>{{cite news |last=Jenkins |first=Mark |date=October 22, 1999 |title=TYPE O NEGATIVE 'World Coming Down' |newspaper=The Washington Post |quote=...the Brooklyn goth-metal band shows some unexpected warmth...}}</ref> by [[Peter Steele]] (bass, lead vocals), [[Kenny Hickey]] (guitar, co-lead vocals), [[Josh Silver]] (keyboards, backing vocals), and [[Sal Abruscato]] (drums, percussion), who was later replaced by [[Johnny Kelly]]. Their lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "the Drab Four"<ref>{{cite journal |last=Martin |first=Dan |date=March 16, 2007 |title=Type O Negative: Dead Again |journal=NME |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/type-o-negative/8311 |access-date=August 28, 2012 |quote=Brooklyn's Type O Negative, or 'The Drab Four' as they're probably known to their friends...}}</ref> (in homage to [[the Beatles]]' "Fab Four" moniker).<ref>{{cite web |last=King |first=Jackie Lee |date=April 9, 2007 |title=Type O Negative at Metro Chicago |website=Unratedmagazine.com |url=http://www.unratedmagazine.com/Document.cfm?Page=main.cfm |access-date=August 28, 2012 |quote=...while referring to themselves as the Drab Four (in homage to Beatles.)}}</ref> The band went [[Platinum album|platinum]] with 1993's ''[[Bloody Kisses]]'', and [[Gold album|gold]] with 1996's ''[[October Rust]]'', and gained a fanbase through seven studio albums,<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |title=Peter Steele, Type O Negative Singer, Dead At 48: Singer reportedly died of heart failure, according to manager. |website=Mtv.com |date=April 15, 2010|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/28pchg/peter-steele-type-o-negative-singer-dead-at-48|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816160924/https://www.mtv.com/news/28pchg/peter-steele-type-o-negative-singer-dead-at-48|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 16, 2022|access-date=August 22, 2012 |quote=Type O released seven studio albums, with their most recent being 2007's ''Dead Again''.}}</ref> two best-of compilations, and concert DVDs.

Steele died on April 14, 2010, at the age of 48; some sources report the cause of death as heart failure<ref name="auto1" /><ref>[http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=138519 TYPE O NEGATIVE Keyboardist Confirms PETER STEELE's Death – Apr. 15, 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120527072540/http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=138519 |date=May 27, 2012 }} at blabbermouth.net</ref> brought on by an [[aortic aneurysm]], while others list [[sepsis]] caused by [[diverticulitis]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 15, 2020|title=10 years ago today, Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele died in Scranton|url=https://nepascene.com/2020/04/10-years-ago-today-type-o-negative-frontman-peter-steele-died-scranton/|access-date=June 3, 2020|website=NEPA Scene |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Type O Negative: Bloody Kisses |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/type-o-negative-bloody-kisses/|access-date=June 3, 2020 |website=Pitchfork|language=en}}</ref><ref name="cousin">{{Cite web|last=Toth|first=James|title=My Cousin The Rock Star|url=https://www.talkhouse.com/my-cousin-the-rock-star/ |access-date=July 22, 2021|website=Talkhouse |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalinjection.net/bummer-alert/peter-steele-dead-heart-failure |title=Peter Steele CONFIRMED Dead of Heart Failure (1962–2010) – Metal Injection|date=April 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BLABBERMOUTH.NET – TYPE O NEGATIVE To Issue Statement Regarding PETER STEELE's Death Later Today |publisher=Roadrunnerrecords.com |date=April 15, 2010 |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/type-o-negative-to-issue-statement-regarding-peter-steele-s-death-later-today/ |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100706162357/http://www.muzikablog.com/2010/04/15/peter-steele-dead/ Type O Negative's Peter Steele is dead!] April 15, 2010 MuzikaBlog.com Retrieved April 15, 2010</ref><!--READ STEELE'S PAGE IF YOU WANT A SOURCE. --> Seven months after Steele's death, the surviving members of Type O Negative announced that they would not continue as a band.<ref name=RockHard>{{cite journal |last=Raymond |first=Laurent |date=January 2011 |title=Type O Negative/Seventh Void: The Show must go on |journal=Rock Hard |volume=106 |page=40}} (Interview with Kenny Hickey, Johnny Kelly and Matt Brown, November 27, 2010)</ref>

==History==

===Origins (1989–1991)===
Type O Negative was formed after frontman Peter Steele's<ref name="auto2">{{cite web |last=Stingley |first=Mick |date=April 15, 2010 |title=Type O Negative Frontman Peter Steele Dies |website=Billboard.com |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/958602/type-o-negative-frontman-peter-steele-dies |access-date=April 22, 2013 |quote=Born in 1962, Steele played in a number of hardcore bands around his native Brooklyn before starting Carnivore,...}}</ref> previous band, [[Carnivore (band)|Carnivore]], broke up. Steele formed a new band with childhood friends Sal Abruscato, Josh Silver, and Kenny Hickey, which they initially named Repulsion. The band later changed their name to Sub-Zero because another band with the name [[Repulsion (band)|Repulsion]] already existed, then changed it again one final time, settling on the name Type O Negative.<ref name="goth icons">{{cite web |first=Rich|last=Hobson|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/how-type-o-negative-became-the-ultimate-goth-metal-icons|title=How Type O Negative became the ultimate goth metal icons|work=[[Metal Hammer]]|date=December 24, 2021|access-date=May 9, 2023}}</ref> Steele was still tied to the multi-album contract he had made with [[Roadrunner Records]] during his time in Carnivore, despite the fact the band had broken up; after receiving a demo from Type O Negative, Roadrunner decided not to drop Steele, and the band signed to the record label in 1991. Shortly after signing, they released their debut, ''[[Slow, Deep and Hard]]''.<ref name="auto2" />

===''Slow, Deep and Hard'' and ''The Origin of the Feces'' (1991–1992)===
Type O Negative's first album, ''[[Slow, Deep and Hard]]'',<ref>{{cite web |date=April 20, 2011 |title=Yahoo Music - Exclusive New Music and Music Videos |website=Music.yahoo.com |url=http://music.yahoo.com/type-o-negative/albums/slow-deep-and-hard--69541 |access-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> incorporated dragging [[Black Sabbath]]-esque [[dirge]] [[riff]]s, maniacal hardcore outbursts, and droning industrial and gothic atmospheres. The songs were long, multi-part theatrical epics, with lyrics loosely surrounding a story involving a man enacting revenge on a cheating girlfriend before ultimately contemplating his actions and committing suicide.

They began creating a new album, with the idea of presenting it as a live album. The subsequent 1992 album was entitled ''[[The Origin of the Feces]]'' and a [[warning label]] was put on the album cover: "Not Live at Brighton Beach".<ref>{{cite web |title=Type O Negative - The Origin of the Feces (Not Live at Brighton Beach) - Reviews - Encyclopaedia Metallum |website=Metal-archives.com|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Type_O_Negative/The_Origin_of_the_Feces_(Not_Live_at_Brighton_Beach)/4108/ |access-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> The album contains faux-live recordings of songs from ''Slow, Deep and Hard'', as well as previously unreleased songs such as "Are You Afraid" and "Hey Pete" (a cover of [[Jimi Hendrix]]'s "[[Hey Joe]]" with altered lyrics) and Black Sabbath's "[[Paranoid (Black Sabbath song)|Paranoid]]".

===''Bloody Kisses'' and ''October Rust'' (1993–1998)===
[[File:Seals and Crofts 1975.JPG|thumb|Type O Negative covered the [[Seals and Crofts]] song "[[Summer Breeze (song)|Summer Breeze]]"]]
In 1993, ''[[Bloody Kisses]]'', Type O' Negative's third album was released in 1993 to critical and listener acclaim, and eventually became the first record for Roadrunner to reach certified [[Gold certification|gold]] status in the US.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=April 15, 2010 |title=Type O Negative Singer Peter Steele Dead at 48 |website=Rollingstone.com |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/type-o-negative-singer-peter-steele-dead-at-48-20100415 |access-date=August 27, 2012 |quote=Type O Negative became one of the most unlikely bands to break into the mainstream in the 1990s with their third album ''Bloody Kisses'', which became the first album released by Roadrunner Records to go platinum.}}</ref> The newfound success brought by the album's release reportedly put a lot of pressure on the band; initially, Peter Steele expressed disinterest in touring nationally. [[Monte Conner]], who at the time was Vice President of A&R at Roadrunner, said in a 2018 interview with Revolver Magazine, "There was a lot of pressure for him to take the band to the next level, but he didn't want to quit his job... There was a point where it looked like the band might break up."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-17 |title=Why Type O Negative's 'Bloody Kisses' "Sounds Like Nothing Before and Nothing After" |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/why-type-o-negatives-bloody-kisses-sounds-nothing-and-nothing-after |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Revolver |language=en}}</ref>

''Bloody Kisses'' mostly addressed loneliness and heartbreak, with songs like "Too Late: Frozen", "Blood & Fire" and "Can't Lose You". The [[organ (music)|organ]]-driven "Set Me on Fire" is vintage 1960s [[garage rock]], while "[[Summer Breeze (song)#Type O Negative version|Summer Breeze]]" covered the 1972 [[Seals and Crofts]] hit. "[[Christian Woman]]" and "[[Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)]]" became the most popular tracks, after having been edited down to radio-friendly lengths (the album versions were 9 and 11 minutes long respectively). In order to promote the album, Type O Negative embarked on a two-year world tour. During this time, the band was featured on [[MTV]], [[VH1]], and in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. In the midst of this media blitz, drummer [[Sal Abruscato]] quit the band to join another Brooklyn quartet, [[Life of Agony]]. [[Johnny Kelly]], the band's drum technician, was therefore hired as a full-fledged member. ''Bloody Kisses'' was re-released a year after the original release in a limited-edition [[Digipak]] form, including eight of the musical tracks from the original (omitting the "filler" tracks) and the previously unreleased "Suspended in Dusk".

Type O Negative's ''[[October Rust]]'' picked up where ''Bloody Kisses'' left off, exploring themes of sex, nature and sensuality, first in a humorous sense on the single "[[My Girlfriend's Girlfriend]]" and then taken much darker with "Love You to Death". This record also saw a cover of [[Neil Young]]'s "Cinnamon Girl" as well as the fan favorite, semi-serene "Green Man". While not quite as successful as ''Bloody Kisses'', the album was certified [[Gold album|gold]]<ref>{{cite news|date=February 4, 1997 |title=Type O Negative flows into central Iowa - Iowa State Daily: Home |newspaper=[[Iowa State Daily]] |url=http://www.iowastatedaily.com/article_ffb3be31-35f4-50c1-9b1d-fb8eaf82a3cc.html |access-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> in the US, and was the first Type O Negative album to enter the top half of the [[Billboard charts|Billboard Top 200]], debuting at No. 42.

===''World Coming Down'' and ''The Least Worst of Type O Negative'' (1999–2001)===
With the completion of another successful world tour, writing for a fifth album began. In the period immediately following the release of ''October Rust'', resulting in 1999's ''[[World Coming Down]]'' (working titles included ''Prophets of Doom'' and ''Aggroculture'').''World Coming Down'' debuted at No. 39 on the [[Billboard charts|Billboard Top 200]] charts. ''World Coming Down'' featured a much darker, bleak tone than its predecessors,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2015/09/22/remembering-world-coming-fall-type-o-negative/|title=Remembering World Coming Down: The Fall of Type O Negative|date=September 22, 2015|website=Metalsucks.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/26519/Type-O-Negative-World-Coming-Down/|title=Type O Negative - World Coming Down (album review 3) |website=Sputnikmusic.com|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ninecircles.co/2015/09/30/retrospective-type-o-negative-world-coming-down/|title=Retrospective: Type O Negative – "World Coming Down"|date=September 30, 2015|website=Ninecircles.co}}</ref> having been written after a series of deaths in frontman [[Peter Steele]]'s family.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://typeonegative.rockmetal.art.pl/wyw/eng/enwpeteroutburn.html|title=# TYPE O NEGATIVE # Interview with... Peter [wywiad] #|website=Typeonegative.rockmetal.art.pl|access-date=November 26, 2019|archive-date=June 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625082305/http://typeonegative.rockmetal.art.pl/wyw/eng/enwpeteroutburn.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A [[best of]] album followed in 2000, entitled ''[[Least Worst Of|The Least Worst of Type O Negative]].'' Although most songs appear on previous albums, many are unreleased [[remixes]] or [[B-sides]] of previously released singles. Along with these songs are some unreleased numbers from the ''World Coming Down'' sessions, the band's cover of [[Black Sabbath (song)|"Black Sabbath"]] by [[Black Sabbath]] (Peter Steele's version with different lyrics, written from the perspective of Satan), and a cleaner version of "Hey Pete" (originally released on the mock live album ''The Origin of the Feces'').

===''Life Is Killing Me'' and ''Dead Again'' (2002–2009)===
[[File:Type O Negative in performance (Gods of Metal, 30-06-2007) (2).jpg|thumb|Type O Negative performed at [[Gods of Metal]] on June 30, 2007]]
Type O Negative's sixth studio album, ''[[Life Is Killing Me]]'' (originally called ''The Dream Is Dead'' after the closing song), was released in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wiederhorn |first=Jon |date=April 15, 2010 |title=Peter Steele Of Type O Negative: A Remembrance, Frontman's dark image belied his friendly, humorous personality. |website=Mtv.com |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1637149/peter-steele-type-o-negative-remembrance.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124181632/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1637149/peter-steele-type-o-negative-remembrance.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2011 |access-date=August 22, 2012 |quote=In 2003, Type O Negative released what turned out to be their penultimate album, ''Life Is Killing Me''.}}</ref> For this album, the band picked up the pace of their sound from the dirgeful slowness of ''World Coming Down''. Songs such as "Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things)", "(We Were) Electrocute", and "I Don't Wanna Be Me" convey the band's classic elements of melody, though the song lengths were much shorter on this outing, the longest being the 7 and a half-minute "How Could She?", a list of female character names from television shows. The album includes a humorous cover of the song "Angry Inch" from the musical ''[[Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)|Hedwig and the Angry Inch]],'' detailing a [[sex change operation]] gone terribly wrong. Type O Negative left Roadrunner after the album's release, having fulfilled their contract for the label.

In June 2004, Type O Negative signed to the Steamhammer imprint of [[SPV GmbH|SPV Records]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blabbermouth |date=2004-06-16 |title=It's Official: TYPE O NEGATIVE Sign With SPV/STEAMHAMMER RECORDS |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/it-s-official-type-o-negative-sign-with-spv-steamhammer-records/ |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}}</ref> Their only album for the label, ''[[Dead Again (Type O Negative album)|Dead Again]]'', was released in 2007, and debuted at No. 27 in the United States,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Type O Negative Billboard Chart History |url={{BillboardURLbyName |artist=type o negative |chart=all}} |magazine=Billboard |access-date=September 7, 2013}}</ref> the band's highest chart debut to date. At the same time, Peter Steele's previous band, Carnivore, reunited with a new lineup that performed at the [[Wacken Open Air]] in 2006. Their influence is heard on ''Dead Again'' with the [[Thrash metal|thrash]] and [[Punk rock|punk]]-influenced title track and "Tripping a Blind Man", while the slower "[[The Profit of Doom]]" and "[[September Sun]]" retain the gothic doom the band is known for.<ref name=":02" /> They continued to tour through October of that year, including a performance at the [[Rock am Ring]] festival in Germany.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 15, 2007 |title=Type O Negative - Rock am Ring 2007 |website=[[ARD (broadcaster)|ARD Mediathek]] |url=https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/rockpalast/type-o-negative-rock-am-ring-2007/wdr/Y3JpZDovL3dkci5kZS9CZWl0cmFnLTViMjE4Y2Q5LTQ2OWEtNDcxMS05YmYzLTYxOGZhNDI1YzY3Mw |access-date=February 5, 2024 |language=de}}</ref>

===Peter Steele's death, disbandment and aftermath (2010–present)===
On April 14, 2010, frontman and bassist [[Peter Steele]] died, reportedly from [[heart failure]].<ref name="auto1" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Peter Steele, 48, Singer and Bassist |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=B10 |date=April 20, 2010 |quote=Peter Steele, the singer, bassist and chief songwriter for the heavy metal band Type O Negative, died on Wednesday. He was 48. His death was announced on the band's Web site (typeonegative.net). The announcement said that the cause had not yet been officially determined but appeared to be heart failure}}</ref> The cause of death was later reported to be [[sepsis]], caused by [[diverticulitis]].<ref name="cousin"/> The following statement concerning Steele was released April 15 on the band's official website:<ref>{{cite web |title=Type O Negative' Official Computer Email Page |website=Typeonegative.net |date=April 15, 2010 |url=http://www.typeonegative.net/index.php |access-date=August 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814074413/http://www.typeonegative.net/index.php |archive-date=August 14, 2011  }}</ref>

{{cquote|It is with great sadness that we inform you that Type O Negative front man, bassist, and our band mate, Peter Steele passed away last night of what appears to be heart failure. Ironically Peter had been enjoying a long period of [[sobriety]] and improved health and was imminently due to begin writing and recording new music for our follow up to ''[[Dead Again (Type O Negative album)|Dead Again]]'' released in 2007.
The official cause of death has yet to be determined pending autopsy results. The funeral services will be private and memorial services will be announced at a future date. We'd like to share our thoughts and those of Peter's family below.
We are truly saddened to lose our friend and appreciate the tremendous outpouring today from around the world.

Sincerely,<br />
Josh, Kenny and Johnny
}}

In a November 2010 interview with ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]'' magazine, Johnny Kelly and Kenny Hickey confirmed that following Steele's death, Type O Negative had split up.<ref name=RockHard/>

[[Roadrunner Records]] released a box set of all the band's albums (with the exception of ''Dead Again'') for Back to Black Friday 2011, a spinoff of [[Record Store Day]], on November 25, 2011. Each vinyl cover has no text and ''[[The Origin of the Feces]]'' uses its original cover art. The box set also contains various bumper stickers related to the band.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Record Store Day Website |website=Recordstoreday.com |url=http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/5149 |access-date=November 11, 2011}}</ref> It was re-released in 2019, with new outer box art, remastered sound and a new, vinyl-specific version of the intro track "Skip It!" from ''World Coming Down'' (the original box set used the original CD version of the track).

The surviving members of Type O Negative have rejected numerous offers to reform the band with a new vocalist. In a June 2023 interview with ''Loaded Radio'', Hickey said that he was against this idea, explaining: "People have approached us to try and reform the band with a singer and go on the road...We personally don't think Peter is replaceable by anyone and it just wouldn't work." He did, however, mention that he would not be against the idea of some kind of tribute show with guest musicians, saying: "If somebody had the idea and got it together and got the logistics together, sure – I would be into that." He also mentioned that Johnny Kelly would love to perform a tribute show for Steele, but Josh Silver would more than likely not participate due to his current job as a paramedic.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://metalinjection.net/news/kenny-hickey-is-still-into-a-type-o-negative-tribute-show | title=KENNY HICKEY is Still into a TYPE O NEGATIVE Tribute Show | date=June 16, 2023 }}</ref> Kelly has also stated that a Type O Negative reunion without Steele would never happen, but believes the latter "deserves some kind of celebration" and did not rule out a tribute show.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/johnny-kelly-rules-out-type-o-negative-reunion-but-says-peter-steeles-work-deserves-some-kind-of-celebration | title=JOHNNY KELLY Rules Out TYPE O NEGATIVE 'Reunion' But Says PETER STEELE's Work 'Deserves Some Kind Of Celebration' | date=November 10, 2022 }}</ref>

In early 2023, Hickey and Kelly reunited to form Eye Am with [[Kirk Windstein]] and Todd Strange (currently and formerly of [[Crowbar (American band)|Crowbar]] respectively),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/type-o-negative-and-crowbar-members-form-new-band-eye-am/ | title=Type O Negative and Crowbar members form new band Eye Am | date=February 23, 2023 }}</ref> and in the following year, the band changed their name to Sun Dont Shine.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2024/10/02/eye-am-feat-crowbar-and-type-o-negative-renamed-to-sun-dont-shine/ | title=Eye Am (Feat. Crowbar and Type O Negative) Renamed to Sun Dont Shine | date=October 2, 2024 }}</ref> Their debut studio album, ''Birth to Death'', is due for release in early 2026.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/sun-dont-shine-feat-type-o-negative-and-crowbar-members-debut-album-birth-to-death-to-arrive-in-early-2026 | title=SUN DONT SHINE Feat. TYPE O NEGATIVE And CROWBAR Members: Debut Album, 'Birth To Death', To Arrive In Early 2026 | date=October 29, 2025 }}</ref>

== Artistry ==

=== Musical style ===
[[File:Carnivore at WOA 2006 3 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Peter Steele's previous band, [[Carnivore (band)|Carnivore]]]]
Type O Negative is primarily a [[gothic metal]]<ref name="Exclaim genres">{{cite web |first=Greg|last=Pratt|url=http://exclaim.ca/News/Type_O_Negatives_Peter_Steele_Dies_at_48|title=Type O Negative's Peter Steele Dies at 48|work=[[Exclaim!]]|date=April 15, 2010|access-date=May 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111074853/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/type_o_negatives_peter_steele_dies_at_48|archive-date=January 11, 2016|url-status=dead|quote=The band combined goth imagery with heavy doom metal and experimental tendencies}}</ref><ref name="goth icons"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/type-o-negative-releases-love-you-to-death-video|title=Type O Negative Releases 'Love You To Death' Video|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=February 14, 2023|access-date=May 9, 2023|quote=On March 13, 2007, American gothic metal band Type O Negative released its seventh and final studio album, "Dead Again".}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Type O Negative Biography |url=https://www.vinylmeplease.com/blogs/artists/type-o-negative-vinyl |access-date=July 29, 2025 |website=Vinyl Me, Please |language=en}}</ref> and [[doom metal]] band,<ref name="Exclaim genres" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=28 November 2022 |title=TYPE O NEGATIVE: Dead Again [Re-Release 2022] |url=https://vampster.com/cd-reviews/type-o-negative-dead-again/ |website=Vampster |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-01 |title=Type O Negative |url=https://www1.wdr.de/fernsehen/rockpalast/bands/ueber-type-o-negative-100.html |access-date=2024-03-20 |website=wdr.de |language=de}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Laliberté |first=Sophie |date=November 23, 2022 |title=Review: Type O Negative "Dead Again" [Nuclear Blast] |url=https://antichristmagazine.com/review-type-o-negative-dead-again-nuclear-blast/ |access-date=July 29, 2025 |website=ANTICHRIST Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> but has spanned many genres, such as [[alternative metal]],<ref name=":1" /> [[gothic rock]],<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |last=Huey |first=Steve |title=Slow, Deep and Hard |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r20728|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate=January 19, 2014 |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref><ref name=":02" /> [[industrial rock]],<ref name=":1" /> [[punk rock]]<ref name=":02" /> and [[thrash metal]].<ref name=":02" /> The band's first two albums, ''Slow, Deep and Hard'' and ''Origin of the Feces'', are rooted in [[crossover thrash]] with leftover songs from Peter Steele's previous band, [[Carnivore (band)|Carnivore]], and only elements of gothic doom,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Draveczki-Ury |first=Adam |date=August 17, 2013 |title=Type O Negative: Bloody Kisses |url=https://www.shockmagazin.hu/klasszikushock/type-o-negative-bloody-kisses |access-date=July 29, 2025 |website=Shock! |language=hu-hu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=June 17, 2021 |title=Type O Negative - 'Slow Deep and Hard' Exclusive Reissue on Blood Red Vinyl (limited to 500) |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/type-o-negative-slow-deep-and-hard-exclusive-reissue-on-blood-red-vinyl-limited-to-500/ |access-date=July 29, 2025 |website=BrooklynVegan |language=en-US}}</ref> This is reversed on ''Bloody Kisses'', where the punk-influenced "Kill All the White People" and "We Hate Everyone" are outliers, while the rest of the album established them as pioneers of gothic metal by combining doom metal, [[gothic rock]] and [[psychedelic rock]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiederhorn |first=Jon |date=August 17, 2018 |title=Why Type O Negative's 'Bloody Kisses' "Sounds Like Nothing Before and Nothing After" |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/why-type-o-negatives-bloody-kisses-sounds-nothing-and-nothing-after/ |access-date=July 29, 2025 |website=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

The band doubled down on goth and doom metal elements with ''October Rust'', seen as their most accessible album, due to coming at a time of stability in Steele's life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=J. |date=August 7, 2021 |title=Type O Negative 'October Rust': 10 Things You Didn't Know About "Weird, Sexual" LP |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/type-o-negative-october-rust-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-weird-sexual-lp/ |access-date=July 30, 2025 |website=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]] |language=en-US}}</ref> This is the first album with [[Johnny Kelly]] credited as the band's drummer, but [[Drum machine|programmed drums]] are used on the album. ''World Coming Down'' is darker, being written after a series of deaths in [[Peter Steele|Steele]]'s family.<ref>{{cite web |last=Matt |first=Metal |date=September 22, 2015 |title=Remembering World Coming Down: The Fall of Type O Negative |url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2015/09/22/remembering-world-coming-fall-type-o-negative/ |publisher=MetalSucks}}</ref> The following ''Life is Killing Me'' and ''Dead Again'' are similarly dark, but more [[Punk rock|punk]]-influenced.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2003 |title=Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me |url=https://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/album/1595 |access-date=July 30, 2025 |website=MetalReviews.com}}</ref> The former has more pop songwriting with [[arena rock]] elements,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neechski |first=S. L. |date=October 30, 2023 |title=Type O Negative Albums Ranked Worst to Best |url=https://thehardtimes.net/music/type-o-negative-albums-ranked-worst-to-best/ |access-date=July 30, 2025 |website=[[The Hard Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> while the latter is influenced by [[Carnivore (band)|Carnivore]]'s thrash metal and is the only album that Kelly recorded with a [[Drum kit|physical drum kit]].<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Type O Negative Remember Dimebag Darrell on 'Positive' New LP |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1553370/20070227/type_o_negative.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302140453/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1553370/20070227/type_o_negative.jhtml |archive-date=March 2, 2007 |website=[[MTV]]}}</ref>

Type O Negative are infamous for their joke intros, starting with "Bad Ground" on ''October Rust'', which is 38 seconds of low-level buzzing, meant to sound as if one or more audio leads is incorrectly plugged into the input jacks of an amplifier. Another example is "Skip It" on ''World Coming Down'', which is 11 seconds of staccato band noise meant to sound as if the listener's CD player is skipping, followed by guitarist [[Kenny Hickey]] shouting "sucker!"

=== Influences ===
Regarding the band's influences, [[Johnny Kelly]] has stated, "The common denominators, for certain, were [[The Beatles]] and [[Black Sabbath]]. Those are the two bands that everybody agreed on. They were favorites. Everybody was into different, various things. Those were the two that there was never an argument when one of their songs was being played."<ref name=":0" />

Additionally, Steele cited [[Deep Purple]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Judas Priest]], [[AC/DC]], [[Cocteau Twins]], [[Dead Can Dance]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview with The Vampire: Peter Steele of Type O Negative |website=Theroc.org |url=http://www.theroc.org/roc-mag/textarch/roc-18/roc18-06.htm |access-date=October 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901072603/http://www.theroc.org/roc-mag/textarch/roc-18/roc18-06.htm |archive-date=September 1, 2014  }}</ref> [[Einstürzende Neubauten]], [[Curve (band)|Curve]], [[Duran Duran]], [[the Cure]],<ref name="merged1">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqu3x4JTrew |title=TYPE O NEGATIVE PETE STEELE TRIBUTE INTERVIEW, PART 2 |date=April 20, 2010 |publisher=ArtisanNewsService |access-date=October 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629052749/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqu3x4JTrew |archive-date=June 29, 2014 |url-status=live |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> [[Depeche Mode]], [[Devo]], and [[Laibach]],<ref name="merged1" /> as personal influences. In the past, Steele and his bandmates expressed the frontman's appreciation for [[shoegaze]] acts [[Lush (band)|Lush]] and [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]] and for [[synth-pop]] bands [[A Flock of Seagulls]] and [[Simple Minds]].<ref name="Peter Steele • Ink 19">{{Cite web |date=October 21, 2003 |title=Peter Steele • Ink 19 |url=https://ink19.com/2003/10/magazine/interviews/peter-steele |access-date=August 29, 2020 |website=Ink 19 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=Everly |first=Dave |date=July 26, 2020 |title=Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses: the story behind the ultimate goth-metal vampire soundtrack |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/type-o-negative-bloody-kisses-story-behind-the-album |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002165328/https://www.loudersound.com/features/type-o-negative-bloody-kisses-story-behind-the-album |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |website=Metal Hammer Magazine}}</ref><ref name="merged1"/> According to Kelly, he and [[Josh Silver]] were influenced by [[grunge]] bands [[Alice In Chains]] and [[Soundgarden]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.antiheromagazine.com/interview-johnny-kelly-of-silvertomb/|title = Interview: Johnny Kelly of SILVERTOMB|date = September 28, 2017}}</ref>

==Soundtracks and covers==
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2017}}
Type O Negative's songs have appeared in many motion pictures, including "Blood and Fire (Out of the Ashes Remix)" on the 1995 ''[[Mortal Kombat (1995 film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' movie soundtrack (also on the bonus CD of ''Life Is Killing Me''), "Love You to Death" in ''[[Bride of Chucky]]'', "Everyone I Love Is Dead" in ''[[Faust: Love of the Damned (film)|Faust: Love of the Damned]]'', "(We Were) Electrocute" in ''[[Freddy vs. Jason]],'' and "[[Summer Breeze (song)|Summer Breeze]]" in ''[[I Know What You Did Last Summer]]''. As a result of [[Howard Stern]] being a self-professed fan, ''[[Private Parts: The Album]]'' contains "[[Pictures of Matchstick Men]]" with the band playing music and [[Ozzy Osbourne]] on vocals. "Haunted" also appears on ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]'' "soundtrack CD" (the album's concept was to contain songs from "a tape that was found in the woods with the students' gear"). In 1998, Arrow Videos made their own version of the 1922 classic horror film ''[[Nosferatu]]'' by simply overdubbing the [[silent film]] with a soundtrack consisting entirely of Type O Negative tracks, taken from the first four albums. This version is now on DVD from DigiView Entertainment, a company that makes budget-priced DVDs. It also has an introduction by actor [[David Carradine]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/9465528-Type-O-Negative-Nosferatu-The-First-Vampire |title=Type O Negative – Nosferatu The First Vampire |publication-date=2022 |access-date=June 27, 2022 |publisher=Discogs }}</ref>

In other media, the computer game ''[[Descent (video game)#Sequels|Descent 2]]'' features a shortened, instrumental version of the track "Haunted". Additionally, ''[[Descent II#Descent II: The Vertigo Series (1996)|Descent 2: The Vertigo Series]]'' contains a full-length version of the instrumental; the compilation ''Duke Nukem: Music to Score By'' features "Cinnamon Girl (Extended Depression Mix)"; "Love You to Death" in the computer game ''[[Blood (video game)|Blood]]''; "Out of the Fire" from the ''Life Is Killing Me'' bonus CD was a theme created for wrestler [[Glenn Jacobs|Kane]], but was never used. The opening two seconds of "I Don't Wanna Be Me" were used as a frequent sample in ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'', on the Liberty Rock Radio Station, and 2012 video game ''[[The Darkness II]]'' features Type O Negative's "[[Black No. 1]]" in its multiplayer lobby, played at random amongst other songs.

Type O Negative performed and recorded numerous covers. [[The Doors]]' "[[Light My Fire]]" has been covered live numerous times, mostly during the 1990s.<ref name="merged1" /> Steele has described the song as "probably the greatest song ever written" before apologizing for having "destroyed it". [[Seals and Crofts]]' "[[Summer Breeze (song)|Summer Breeze]]" appears on ''[[Bloody Kisses]]'', and [[Neil Young]]'s "[[Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young song)|Cinnamon Girl]]" appears on ''[[October Rust]]''. The tongue-in-cheek "Angry Inch" (from ''[[Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)|Hedwig and the Angry Inch]]'') appears on ''[[Life is Killing Me]]''. ''[[World Coming Down]]'' includes a Beatles [[medley (music)|medley]] consisting of "[[Day Tripper]]", "[[If I Needed Someone]]", and "[[I Want You (She's So Heavy)]]". Other covers include a rendition of [[Black Sabbath]]'s "[[Paranoid (Black Sabbath song)|Paranoid]]" and "N.I.B."; [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]]'s "[[Pictures of Matchstick Men]]" with [[Ozzy Osbourne]], two versions of [[Black Sabbath (song)|"Black Sabbath"]] (one with the original lyrics and one rewritten by Peter Steele to be from Satan's perspective), [[Jimi Hendrix]]'s "[[Hey Joe]]" (rewritten as "Hey Pete"); [[the Beatles]]' "[[Back in the U.S.S.R.]]", [[Deep Purple]]'s "[[Highway Star (song)|Highway Star]]", and [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]]'s "[[Bad Moon Rising (song)|Bad Moon Rising]]". A medley of [[Santana (band)|Santana]]'s "Evil Ways", "Oye Como Va", and "[[Black Magic Woman]]" are also available on the CD accompanying the DVD ''Symphony for the Devil''. The 2007 tour song set started with a cover of "[[Magical Mystery Tour (song)|Magical Mystery Tour]]" from the Beatles.

"[[In the Flesh?|In the Flesh]]", originally written by [[Pink Floyd]] from their album ''The Wall'', is another song that Type O Negative covered, used to open their 1999 World Tour. This version can be seen on the live DVD ''Symphony for the Devil''. Also on the same DVD, in "Too Late: Frozen", the intro began with Jethro Tull's "Aqualung".

==Band members==

'''Final lineup'''
* [[Peter Steele]] – bass, lead vocals, keyboards, guitars <small>(1989–2010; his death)</small>
* [[Kenny Hickey]] – guitars, backing and additional co-lead vocals<ref name="metal-archives.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Type_O_Negative/802|title=Type O Negative - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=Metal-archives.com|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref> <small>(1989–2010)</small>
* [[Josh Silver]] – keyboards, piano, effects, synthesizers, programming, sampler, backing vocals <small>(1989–2010)</small>
* [[Johnny Kelly]] – drums, percussion, backing vocals <small>(1993–2010)</small>

'''Previous members'''
* [[Sal Abruscato]] – drums, percussion <small>(1989–1993)</small>

'''Touring'''
* [[Scott Warren]] – keyboards <small>(2009)</small>

'''Timeline'''
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:22
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:5 right:15
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1989 till:14/04/2010
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:mm
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4
ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1989

Colors =
  id:Vocals    value:red        legend:Lead_vocals
  id:Backing   value:pink       legend:Backing_vocals
  id:Guitar    value:green      legend:Guitars
  id:Key       value:purple     legend:Keyboards
  id:Bass      value:blue       legend:Bass
  id:Drums     value:orange     legend:Drums,_percussion
  id:lines     value:black      legend:Studio_album
  id:bars      value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
  at:16/06/1991 color:black  layer:back
  at:17/05/1992 color:black  layer:back
  at:17/08/1993 color:black  layer:back
  at:20/08/1996 color:black  layer:back
  at:21/09/1999 color:black  layer:back
  at:17/06/2003 color:black  layer:back
  at:13/03/2007 color:black  layer:back

BarData =
  bar:Steele    text:"Peter Steele"
  bar:Hickey    text:"Kenny Hickey"
  bar:Silver    text:"Josh Silver"
  bar:Abruscato text:"Sal Abruscato"
  bar:Kelly     text:"Johnny Kelly"

PlotData=
  width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
  bar:Steele    from:01/01/1989 till:14/04/2010 color:Bass width:3
  bar:Steele    from:01/01/1999 till:14/04/2010 color:Key width:5
  bar:Steele    from:01/01/1999 till:14/04/2010 color:Guitar width:7
  bar:Steele    from:01/01/1989 till:14/04/2010 color:Vocals
  bar:Hickey    from:01/01/1989 till:14/04/2010 color:Guitar
  bar:Hickey    from:01/01/1989 till:14/04/2010 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Silver    from:01/01/1989 till:end        color:Key
  bar:Silver    from:01/01/1989 till:end        color:Backing width:3
  bar:Abruscato from:01/01/1989 till:30/10/1993 color:Drums
  bar:Kelly     from:30/10/1993 till:14/04/2010 color:Drums
  bar:Kelly     from:30/10/1993 till:14/04/2010  color:Backing width:3
}}

==Discography==
{{main|Type O Negative discography}}

'''Studio albums'''
* ''[[Slow, Deep and Hard]]'' (1991)
* ''[[The Origin of the Feces]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Bloody Kisses]]'' (1993)
* ''[[October Rust]]'' (1996)
* ''[[World Coming Down]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Life Is Killing Me]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Dead Again (Type O Negative album)|Dead Again]]'' (2007)

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" 
|-
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Nominee(s)
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan=4|Žebřík Music Awards
| rowspan=4|1996
| Themselves
| Best International Group
| {{nom}}
| rowspan=4|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anketazebrik.cz/historie/1996-1992/|title=1996-1992 – Anketa Žebřík|website=Anketazebrik.cz|access-date=July 22, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Peter Steele]]
| Best International Male
| {{nom}}
|-
| ''[[October Rust]]''
| Best International Album
| {{nom}}
|-
| "[[My Girlfriend's Girlfriend]]"
| Best International Video
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{allMusic}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120708072903/http://www.typeonegative.net/index.php Last update of official website] archived at the [[Wayback Machine]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/RoadrunnerRecords/search?query=Type+O+Negative Official videos] on [[Roadrunner Records]]' [[YouTube]] channel
* [http://www.thegauntlet.com/interviews/252/Type-O-Negative.html 2008 interview]

{{Type O Negative}}
{{Subject bar|portal1=1980s|portal2=1990s|portal3=2000s|portal4=2010s|portal5=Music|portal6=New York City|commons=y|d=y}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1989 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:American doom metal musical groups]]
[[Category:American gothic metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1989]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2010]]
[[Category:American musical quartets]]
[[Category:Heavy metal musical groups from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Roadrunner Records artists]]