RIP Peter Steele

This is (pathetically) quite a tricky post to write.  I don’t really know what to say about the death of Peter Steele, frontman of the awesome gothic metal band Type O Negative, on 14th April 2010 of heart failure, other than it kinda broke my heart a little.  Do I sound like a dopey, pining teenager yet? 

Now I am not professing to be a fanatic here.  I would fail any kind of quiz on Peter Steele/Type O Negative, there is plenty of material that I have not yet given my full attention to and I don’t have any TON tattoos.  But they are my favourite band and probably always will be.  I am thirty after all, and I am yet to find anyone that even comes close to comparing to them. 

I appreciate that not everyone will agree with me that the man was incredibly sexy, but for me he was yummy (in the pre-beard days)!  Factor in his size, pallor, long black hair, and the deep, melting voice singing amazing lyrics – that is a pretty irresistible package (fans will know what I’m talking about when I say size, not just his towering height and physique – naughty pic on google images if you search for Peter Steele).  Also, he was great mates with another band who I listened to repeatedly in my teens – Pantera, who also lost a band mate in an untimely fashion (RIP Dimebag). 

Peter Steele also struck me as a bit of a romantic, it may have been an image created for publicity, but I like to think it was genuine.  After all, he was arrested for a scuffle with a love rival, shows that he cared I guess, albeit in a bit of a misguided way.  A tortured artist too, with the crazy substance abuse that unfortunately seems to always accompany such individuals.  It is always a side-effect of greatness it (depressingly) seems, that the personal lives of the best, most creative people of the world are so miserable and tormented.  Not to mention the obligatory prison-time and psych-ward stay.  Poor guy. 

On the Wikipedia link from his name, on the subject of his death, it states that he had been “enjoying a long period of sobriety and improved health and was imminently due to begin writing and recording new music”.  Gutting!  As my hubby says, he had so much more to give. 

Follow this link http://www.youtube.com/user/typeonegative?blend=1&ob=4 to watch some “sonic therapy” from Type O Negative.  For added poignancy today I would recommend ‘Everything Dies’, it gives me chills. 

We miss you Pete…