The Discovery
The year 2001, somewhere around the month of June. Enjoying my summer vacations, I was busy doing what I loved the most, downloading music using P2P software.
Being an ardent music lover, always wanting to explore the depths of harmony and percussion, I was desperately trying to search and download Metallica's songs. Apparently they were the coolest band around and metal was the genre to listen to. Back then, liking Metallica was more of an eligibility criteria for cool gang tryouts. Lol.
Like any other 14-year-old, I searched for Metallica and metal on my favourite P2P software, Limewire. It displayed a never-ending list of random metal songs including various sub-genres such as doom, power, death, brutal, symphonic, gothic and melodic metal. Like the smart lad that I was, I narrowed my search by adding filters and opted for the most downloaded songs and artists.
Driven by the sole motto of listening to as much metal as possible, I ended up downloading lots of random metal anthems, almost everything from Metallica, Megadeth, AC/DC, Type O Negative, Manowar, Kiss, Motley Crue to The 69 Eyes. I tried listening to each one with an unbiased heart and ear.
I must have heard everything from 'Master of Puppets' to 'Highway to Hell', but somehow nothing struck a chord. Until I heard my first gothic metal track, Christian Woman by Type O Negative, from the album Bloody Kisses. It marked my first step into the genre of metal.
That track had some of the freakiest lyrics I had ever come across. Yet it had something that compelled me to listen again and again. It was nothing but the sheer power of the voice of the legendary Peter Thomas Ratajczyk, better known as Peter Steele. Little did I know back then that I would end up worshiping this man, his band, and this particular genre of music.
I think anyone who has an opinion, and voices it, will definitely offend someone. — Peter Steele
Savoring the Flavor
I soon got hold of their album, Bloody Kisses (1993), and instantly fell in love with it. Every track had a distinct aura and overflowed with emotions. The tracks emanated almost everything from melancholy and serenity to felicity and rage. The album teamed with evergreen classics like Black No.1, Bloody Kisses, Christian Woman, We Hate Everyone and Blood and Fire, which collectively made it a true masterpiece and a must-have on every gothic shelf.
I still remember being fascinated and addicted to their track Can't Lose You from the very same album, probably because it was the first time I ever heard an English band using sitar and tambura for rhythm and leads. That song till date happens to be one of my favourite goth tracks.
Post Bloody Kisses, the name Type O Negative became a religion for me and I, like an avid follower, heard everything they ever composed. They as a band had an amazing sense of humour and always managed to keep listeners on their toes with witty and slapstick intros.
Peter, being the lyricist for the majority of their tracks, often conveyed everything from his feelings to his beliefs. Thanks to him, every album was so saturated with emotions that it would instantly grip a man with a shaken-up life. He was a man with a tormented soul who just kept writing and singing to rid himself of a haunting past. Little did he know that this practice would unveil a great musician to the world.
Remembering the Legend
The name Type O Negative would be meaningless to me had it not been for Peter's vocals, which played the most pivotal part of the band. His song delivery always emitted strong emotion and passion, while carrying a relatively wide vocal range. He seemed to glide from mid-bass to the higher end of baritones seamlessly, which acted as the sole pillar of fantastic dynamics in every song. His voice, along with his fuzzy bass tone, happened to be the USP of their instantly recognizable, baritone-graced seven albums.
Despite his massive structure and chiseled muscular frame, it was his voice that represented him: big, soulful and unfiltered. In his lyrics, the giant was revealed to be gentle, wounded but smirking, and a little paranoid.
His words were often dark, ominous, threatening and sardonic but they were not fiction. They were part of his journey through hardships. His voice was deep and booming. He loomed over most people like a fleshy obelisk of self-deprecation. But he seemed to carry the light with him, regardless.
Peter Steele. 1962 - 2010. Aged 48.
You will be sorely missed. I can only hope that right now you are up in heaven, letting the almighty fully experience the impact of one of his greatest creations.
If it doesn't upset people, it is not rock music. — Peter Steele
Green light is on, red wine in hand. Drinking to a legend who walked this land.