Peter Steele: 1962-2010

This last week was marked by the tragic death of Peter Steele, lead singer and bass player of Brooklyn's greatest metal band, Type O Negative.

The towering 6'8" baritone with the powerful voice and sardonic delivery died of apparent heart failure on April 14.

 Born Petrus T. Ratajczyk, he drove a garbage truck for the Parks Department before embarking on a music career with New York bands Fallout and Carnivore. His next project--Type O Negative sparked the goth-metal movement by combining hardcore ethics and doomy, Black Sabbath riffing on their first album: Slow, Deep and Hard.

Type O were a band that I grew up with, a powerhouse that combined dark, gothic energy with a unique, Brooklyn sense of humor. They were best known for songs like "Black No. 1", which mocked Gothic girls and culture, being named after Clairol's popular hair dye. Their catalogue includes classic records Bloody Kisses and my personal favorite, October Rust.

I am sure the afterlife is a little bit darker, and a little bit louder.

Rock on, Pete.