Artist: TYPE O NEGATIVE
Album: SLOW, DEEP AND HARD (CD)

Release date: 1991
EAN/UPS: 0016861931322
Media type: CD

Formed by ex-CARNIVORE frontman Pete Steele, TYPE O NEGATIVE premiered as a quartet in 1988 going by the formative titles of REPULSION and SUB ZERO. The Gothic influence and nihilistic experimental bent afforded onto their distinct brand of Metal has enabled the band to find their own unique placing in the Rock field. Steele is also unafraid to address deliberately provocative issues and record cover artwork featured a blurred close up of the vocalist's anus for 1992's 'Origin Of The Faeces'.

Brooklyn's FALLOUT would prove to be a catalyst for launching vocalist / bassist Peter Steele (a.k.a. Peter Ratajczyk) and Josh Silver onto the New York scene. FALLOUT also included John Campos on second guitar with the AGNOSTIC FRONT, and later CARNIVORE, drummer Louie Beateaux. Pre-FALLOUT both Steele and Silver had operated with formative act AGGRESSION. FALLOUT, having been assembled in 1979, issued the now highly collectable 'Rock Hard' 7" single in 1981. Only 500 copies were pressed through Silver Records. Gigs locally included a notable support to TWISTED SISTER but in 1982 the band folded. Whilst Steele and Beateaux initiated CARNIVORE, Silver and Campos duly forged ORIGINAL SIN.

As frontman for CARNIVORE, Steele went under the stage name 'Petrus Steele' with Louie Beateaux opting for 'Lord Petrus T'. CARNIVORE's early gigs made quite an impact with Steele often resorting to self mutilation carving crosses into his face. His talents in other areas were also much in demand as he is credited with penning the lyrics on the debut AGNOSTIC FRONT album. Following the self-titled debut album, released in 1985, CARNIVORE fractured as guitarist Keith Alexander left the fold in 1986 to create PRIMAL SCREAM together with ex-HELLICON vocalist Steve Alliano and former BLACK VIRGIN bassist Rob Graham. He was replaced by Marc Piovanetti for 1988's 'Retaliation' album. Subsequently, Steele set about completely re-inventing the band through REPULSION to SUB ZERO evolving eventually TYPE O NEGATIVE. This new band title was lifted from the New York telephone directory, Steele being intrigued by an advertisment offering cash payments for type O negative blood donations.

The band debuted in June 1991 with 'Slow, Deep And Hard', a record crafted under a proposed working title of 'None More Negative'. Antecedent to this, the tracks had originally been formulated over a six week period at Brooklyn's Systems Two Studios for a mooted third CARNIVORE album bearing a project title of 'Jesus Looks Like Me'. To promote 'Slow, Deep And Hard' TYPE O NEGATIVE toured the USA as part of a package billing alongside fellow New Yorkers BIOHAZARD and Scottish Punk veterans THE EXPLOITED throughout November 1991.

The second album, 'The Origin Of The Feces (Not Live At Brighton Beach)', a pseudo-live offering channeled via a solitary microphone in the studio, found the band taking self degradation to the limits with live audience cat calls of 'You suck' mixed in. Besides the infamous anus cover art, the band members photographs were tellingly obscured by excrement. Naturally the sleeve design created controversy and subsequent versions came packaged in a less offensive format, also adding an additional track with a rendition of BLACK SABBATH's 'Paranoid', the first song recorded with Johnny Kelly on drums.

1993's 'Bloody Kisses', which boasted studio contributions from members of LIFE OF AGONY, tamed the act as they prepared to muscle in on the mainstream. The album's commercial success, driven by club plays of 'Black No. 1' and 'Christian Woman', was recognised when TYPE O NEGATIVE gave the Roadrunner label its first gold sales certified album. It would then go one better to hit the million sales mark to earn a platinum award. Even though the band had a hit on their hands, tensions between co-founders Pete Steele and Sal Abruscato forced out the latter, the guitarist promptly joining LIFE OF AGONY.

Touring in the summer of 1993 found Johnny Kelly manning the drums for a truly exhaustive, near two year expedition that witnessed supports to the likes of DANZIG, QUEENSRYCHE, MÖTLEY CRÜE, GODFLESH, NINE INCH NAILS and PANTERA. Honouring their mentors, TYPE ON NEGATIVE donated their interpretation of 'Black Sabbath' to the all star BLACK SABBATH tribute album 'Nativity In Black'. To renew momentum in 'Bloody Kisses', Roadrunner requested a re-vamp, resulting in the removal of tracks 'Kill All The White People' and 'We Hate Everyone' with 'Suspended In Dusk'. Meantime, 'Blood And Fire' saw inclusion on the 'Mortal Kombat' movie soundtrack.

TRACKLIST:

1. Unsuccessfully Coping With The Natural Beauty Of Infidelity: a) Anorganic Transmutogenesis (Synthetic Division)
2. Unsuccessfully Coping With The Natural Beauty Of Infidelity: b) Coitus Interruptus
3. Unsuccessfully Coping With The Natural Beauty Of Infidelity: c) I Know You're Fucking Someone Else
4. Der Untermensch: a) Socioparasite
5. Der Untermensch: b) Waste Of Life
6. Xero Tolerance: a) Type "A" Personality Disorder
7. Xero Tolerance: b) Kill You Tonight
8. Xero Tolerance: c) Love You To Death
9. Prelude To Agony: a) The Truth
10. Prelude To Agony: b) God Love Fire Woman Death
11. Glass Walls Of Limbo (Dance mix)
12. The Misinterpretation Of Silence And Its Disastrous Consequences: a) Venus: Contrary Motion
13. Gravitational Constant: G = 6.67 x 10^-8 cm^3 gm^-1 sec^-2 : a) Unjustifiable Existence
14. Gravitational Constant: G = 6.67 x 10^-8 cm^3 gm^-1 sec^-2 : b) Acceleration (Due To Gravity) - 980cm^-2 sec
15. Gravitational Constant: G = 6.67 x 10^-8 cm^3 gm^-1 sec^-2 : c) Antimatter: Electromechanical Psychedelicosis
16. Gravitational Constant: G = 6.67 x 10^-8 cm^3 gm^-1 sec^-2 : d) Requiem For A Souless Man

LINE-UP 2006:

Pete Steele (vocals/ bass)
Kenny Hickey (guitar)
Josh Silver (keyboards)
Johnny Kelly (drums)