Peter Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), who was professionally known as Peter Steele, was an American musician. He was the lead singer, bass player, and songwriter for the gothic metal band Type O Negative. Before creating Type O Negative, Steele formed two other bands: Fallout, a heavy metal group, and Carnivore, a thrash metal group.

As the frontman of Type O Negative, Steele was recognized for his vampire-like appearance, his height of 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters), his deep bass singing voice, and his dark, humorous style that often included jokes about himself. His song lyrics frequently focused on personal topics such as love, sadness, and struggles with addiction. Steele said that Black Sabbath and the Beatles were the most important musical influences in his career. He was named one of the "66 Best Hard Rock and Metal Frontmen of All Time" by Loudwire.

Early life

Steele was born Peter Thomas Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City, to a Catholic family. His father was of Polish descent, and his mother had Scottish-Irish ancestry. He grew up in the Bensonhurst and Brighton Beach neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Steele was the youngest of six children, with five older sisters. His father served in World War II and later worked at a shipyard. Steele began taking guitar lessons at age 12 and switched to playing bass six months later.

Although Steele was naturally left-handed, he played right-handed bass guitars throughout his career. This happened because one of his earliest bands, Aggression (which also included Josh Silver), threatened to remove him from the group unless he switched to bass guitar. At the time, left-handed bass guitars were too expensive, so Steele bought a right-handed bass and learned to play it on his own.

Steele attended Edward R. Murrow High School in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. Before starting to tour with Type O Negative in the summer of 1994, he worked for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. His job was based at Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where he performed tasks such as park maintenance, operated vehicles like garbage trucks and steamrollers, and eventually became a park supervisor. Steele described his time working for the parks department as some of his happiest experiences.

Musical career

In 1979, Steele created the heavy metal band Fallout. In 1982, after Fallout ended, Steele formed the thrash metal band Carnivore. With Carnivore, Steele wrote lyrics that often discussed serious topics like religion, war, race, and disrespect toward women. Carnivore released their first album, which had the same name as the band, in 1985. In 1986, Steele wrote lyrics for some songs on Agnostic Front's second album, Cause for Alarm. In 1987, Carnivore released an album called Retaliation, and the band ended later that year.

In 1989, Steele formed a new band with his childhood friends Josh Silver, Kenny Hickey, and Sal Abruscato (who was later replaced by Johnny Kelly). The band first used the name "Repulsion," but had to change it in 1990 because another band had the same name. They then used the name "Subzero." Steele had a tattoo idea of a minus sign inside a zero, which he wanted to use as the Subzero logo. After learning another band used "Subzero," Steele created the name "Type O Negative" after hearing a radio ad asking for donations of type O negative blood. When Type O Negative signed with Roadrunner Records, Steele signed his contract using a mix of Suave hair conditioner, chocolate syrup, and food dye, not his own blood or semen as some people believed.

Type O Negative's first album, Slow, Deep and Hard, came out in 1991. The album combined the fast, aggressive style of Carnivore with the heavy, slow sound of doom metal. Steele wrote the music quickly after a relationship ended, and the album's lyrics focused on heartbreak, revenge, and thoughts about suicide. Steele once tried to harm himself in 1989 by cutting his wrists.

Steele caused controversy during a European tour for Slow, Deep and Hard because of rumors about his views. Some critics wrongly said he supported Nazi ideas, even though his bandmate Josh Silver is Jewish. Steele explained that European reporters misunderstood his jokes and sarcasm.

In 1992, Type O Negative released a "live" album called The Origin of the Feces. The album included fake audience reactions and a pretend bomb threat, showing how real audiences sometimes reacted to the band in Europe. The original cover had a close-up photo of Steele's backside.

In 1993, Type O Negative released their most famous album, Bloody Kisses. The album focused on love, romance, and death. The song "Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)" was about a goth girl Steele once dated. Songs like "We Hate Everyone" and "Kill All the White People" addressed rumors about the band's racist views and helped clear up misunderstandings. Bloody Kisses became a Platinum album and made Type O Negative one of the most important bands in gothic metal.

In 1996, Type O Negative released October Rust. The album had a more complex and melodic sound than Bloody Kisses, but still included similar themes. Steele wrote most of the songs while touring, though some ideas came from his teenage years. Steele created the Vinland flag, which appeared on the October Rust artwork and later on all the band's releases. The flag included symbols from Steele's interests, beliefs, and heritage. The flag was based on a Nordic cross design with his favorite colors. The name "Vinland" also appeared in the song title "The Glorious Liberation of the People's Technocratic Republic of Vinland by the Combined Forces of the United Territories of Europa." The song "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" was about a three-person relationship Steele experienced. The song "Green Man" had two meanings: it described a Celtic symbol of nature and Steele's job with the parks department, where children called him "Green Man" because of his green uniform. The song's introduction included a sample of the garbage truck Steele once drove. The song "Red Water (Christmas Mourning)" was about Steele's father's death. October Rust eventually reached Gold status.

During the recording of World Coming Down in 1999, Steele faced personal challenges. The album's themes included drug use, addiction, and death. Songs like "White Slavery" discussed drug abuse, while "Everyone I Love is Dead" and "Everything Dies" mourned the loss of loved ones. The song "Who Will Save the Sane?" described Steele's experience with mental health treatment. The song "Pyretta Blaze" told a story about a sexual fantasy involving fire. Steele found it hard to perform songs from World Coming Down live, and few songs from the album were played in later shows.

In 2000, Steele appeared on the song "Just Say No To Love" from Tony Iommi's first solo album. In 2001, he appeared on "Cross the Line" from Biohazard's album Uncivilization. In 2002, Steele guested on "Descent" from Doro's album Fight.

In 2003, Type O Negative released Life Is Killing Me. The album's lyrics covered topics like self-pity, hatred, drugs, death, and religion. The title track criticized the medical profession. The song "Nettie" was about Steele's mother, and "Todd's Ship Gods (Above All Things)" was about his father. "The Dream is Dead" described Steele's difficulty celebrating Valentine's Day because it coincided with his father's death anniversary. The song "(We Were) Electrocute" was about an ex-girlfriend who attracted attention when they were together. The track "How Could She?" was inspired by Steele's favorite female TV characters. The song "I Like Goils" humorously addressed the attention Steele received from gay men after a Playgirl magazine photo shoot.

In 2005, Type O Negative left Roadrunner Records. Steele was unhappy with the recording contract and called it "a millstone around my neck." Steele said the band's split from Roadrunner also involved an unauthorized release of a best-of compilation. Steele remained friendly with Roadrunner staff and appeared on the Roadrunner United album in 2005 to celebrate the label's 25th anniversary.

At one point, rumors spread that Steele had died after the band's website showed a tombstone with his name and the dates 1962–2005. However, a May 2005 article confirmed Steele was alive, and the tombstone image was a joke related to the band signing with SPV Records. The website removed the image in October 2005.

In 2006, Steele revived Carnivore with a new lineup, including Paul Bento, a longtime collaborator. The band performed at the Wacken Open Air festival that year.

Steele's final recording was on Type O Negative's 2007 album Dead Again. He announced the album on MTV's Headbangers Ball.

Further appearances

After the release of Bloody Kisses, Steele gained attention beyond music. In 1995, he appeared as a nude centerfold in Playgirl magazine. Later, Steele learned from bandmate Kenny Hickey that only 23% of the magazine's subscribers were female. When men asked him to sign copies of the magazine, Steele felt regretful about the decision. He said, "After I did it, I thought, 'Oh my God, what did I do?' It was upsetting to see so many men had the magazine. While girls were okay, there seemed to be as many men. Not that I am homophobic, but it was certainly irritating." In a 2007 interview, Steele described the posing as a publicity stunt that was not well thought out.

Steele later appeared on talk shows such as Ricki Lake, The Jerry Springer Show, and The Howard Stern Show. In 2003, he had a role in the Oz episode titled "Exeunt Omnes." That same year, he appeared in the film Dirtbags (Armpit of Metal). In 2005, he acted in the film Bad Acid. Steele is also featured in the 2011 documentary Living the American Nightmare.

Personal life

Peter Steele was 6 feet 8 inches tall (203 cm), which made him look very tall and intimidating on stage. Even though he seemed strong and confident, Steele admitted he felt nervous before performing. To help calm his nerves, he drank alcohol before shows and also drank red wine while on stage. People described him as friendly, funny, and generous to his bandmates. In his autobiography Iron Man, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi wrote that he was shocked by Steele’s death, saying, “Peter was a big, tall, and very, very nice guy.”

Outside of music, Steele lifted weights at home and on his tour bus. He enjoyed reading books about science and had an interest in European culture. He liked fixing up his house and was interested in architecture and civil engineering. Steele also worked on his cars, including a 1985 Pontiac Grand Prix he modified himself. He loved cats and had several as pets. In the booklet for the 2009 re-release of Bloody Kisses, Steele said the album’s long 11-minute title track was about the death of a cat named Venus, whom he had owned for 17 years.

In 2005, Steele disappeared for a long time without explaining why. People began to guess he was dead, sick, or had other problems. The mystery was solved in 2006 during an interview on the DVD Symphony for the Devil. Steele briefly talked about being in jail at Rikers Island and in a psychiatric ward at Kings County Hospital. His family had asked him to get help for his mental health. Steele later said he had been struggling with paranoia caused by using drugs. He had used cocaine since age 35 and later regretted this choice. Steele went to rehab for cocaine and alcohol addiction and was also jailed for 30 days after attacking someone. He joked about his time in jail by wearing a prison uniform during live performances.

In a 2003 interview, Steele said he had bipolar disorder and connected his mood changes to the songs he wrote. He also received treatment for depression. In 2007, Steele said he had started identifying as Catholic again after many years of not believing in religion.

A biography titled Soul on Fire – The Life and Music of Peter Steele was written by Jeff Wagner, an editor for Metal Maniacs. The book was published in 2013. None of the band members who were still alive helped Wagner write the book.

Death and tributes

Peter Steele spoke in an interview before his death about health problems caused by his long-term use of alcohol and cocaine. He explained that these habits had harmed some of his organs.

Peter Steele passed away on April 14, 2010, at the age of 48, due to sepsis caused by diverticulitis (originally reported as heart failure). Before his death, he was working on new music. The other members of Type O Negative decided to end the band instead of finding a replacement for Steele. Johnny Kelly said, "Even if someone could take his place, it wouldn't matter. We don’t want to continue. It’s impossible – we haven’t even talked about it. When Peter died, Type O Negative died with him."

• On November 21, 2011, an oak tree was planted in Prospect Park to honor Steele.
• In 2011, the band Necrophagia dedicated the song "Trick R' Treat (The Last Halloween)" from the album Deathtrip 69 to Steele.
• The metal band Voyager wrote a song called "Iron Dream" in memory of Steele, which was released on their 2011 album The Meaning of I.
• Lacuna Coil wrote the song "My Spirit" in memory of Steele for their 2012 album Dark Adrenaline.
• The Moonspell song "New Tears Eve," from the 2012 album Alpha Noir/Omega White, is dedicated to Steele.
• Biohazard dedicated their 2012 album Reborn in Defiance to Steele.
• Swallow the Sun wrote the song "April 14th" as a tribute to Steele for their 2012 album Emerald Forest and the Blackbird.
• Meridian Dawn recorded a cover of the Type O Negative song "I Don’t Wanna Be Me" in tribute to Steele for their 2014 release The Mixtape EP.
• The Crowbar song "Symbolic Suicide," from the 2014 album Symmetry in Black, is inspired by Steele’s legacy.
• The band Danzig, which includes Steele’s former bandmate Johnny Kelly, has performed the song "On a Wicked Night" in his honor during live shows.
• The rock band Starset released a cover of "Love You to Death."
• Doom metal band Pallbearer covered "Love You to Death" on their 2016 EP Fear and Fury.
• In 2019, Trivium covered "I Don’t Wanna Be Me" in memory of Steele.
• Oceans of Slumber covered "Wolf Moon" on their 2020 self-titled album.
• In 2024, Split Chain covered “I Don’t Wanna Be Me.”

Discography

• Untitled 7" single (1981)
• Cause for Alarm (1986) – Co-writer
• Carnivore (1985)
• Retaliation (1987)

• Slow Deep and Hard
• The Origin of the Feces
• Bloody Kisses
• October Rust
• World Coming Down
• Life Is Killing Me
• Dead Again

• Whiplash, Power and Pain – Provided background vocals
• Tony Iommi, Iommi – Vocals and bass
• Biohazard, Uncivilization – Vocals
• Roadrunner United – Vocals and keyboards
• Doro, Fight – Vocals
• Songs of the Witchblade – Vocals