{"id":13689,"date":"2025-06-27T18:57:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T23:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=13689"},"modified":"2025-06-27T19:10:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T00:10:27","slug":"the-mk-ultra-interview-with-peter-steele-of-type-o-negative-from-spring-issue-1997","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=13689","title":{"rendered":"The MK ULTRA Interview with Peter Steele of TYPE O NEGATIVE from Spring issue 1997"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BLOOD ON THE GROOVES\u2026
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MAN OF STEELE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview by Alex Zander with transcription by Jason Harmon<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of readers may not know that the reason M.K. ULTRA exists is because of Peter Steele and his band, Type O Negative. As a writer, I had originally done the interview for three publications. 1) Backwards Dog – a \u2018zine by Aaron P. Arthurs, but due to his job placement was unable to meet his demands as a publisher, Backwards Dog ceased. 2) Rock Out Censorship – due to financial difficulties, the issue that ran my story was delayed a full year. 3) 3rd Nail – a goth \u2018zine out of Pittsburgh, PA., later claimed Type O mocked Goth and denied the story it\u2019s run. In a fit of anger, I burst out that I\u2019d just start my own mag. This great interview had to be read. The music had to be heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took six months, a lot of time, money and sacrifices, but in January 1995, M.K. ULTRA, with Peter Steele and Jesus Christ on the cover, saw the shelves of many record stores, bars, and specialty shops, as well as hands of many concert goers. It also turned out that our artist at the time, Syd Edwards, designed the bands most popular T-shirt, which sold for 30 bucks each. <\/p>\n\n\n

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TYPE O NEGATIVE T Shirt design by former MK ULTRA artist Syd Edwards 1995<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw Type O Negative go from playing very small clubs and mid-size theaters to sold out arenas, with the likes of Danzig, Pantera, and God for-fucking-bid, Queensryche. I watched Billboard Magazine every week to see the CD, Bloody Kisses, bounce in and out of the top 200 chart. They charted highest with their contribution to the Mortal Kombat disc via the remix of \u201cBlood & Fire.\u201d In June 1995, I got a Type O Negative tattoo by St. Marq at Skin Quake in Indianapolis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By August, Peter Steele was on the cover of Playgirl and began to make appearances on Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake. It wasn\u2019t until early 1996 that Bloody Kisses finally became certified gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Type O Negative busted their butts by touring for over 2 1\/2 years to earn that award, the full page ad in Billboard said, \u201cTrust your instinct, gold will follow.\u201d I looked at me co-workers and smiled and thought to myself, \u201cI told you so.\u201d I told my friends, family, co-workers, staff and you readers about this band for a long time. I saw them live 10 times in two years (I\u2019ve seen KISS 16 times in 17 years). I\u2019ve trusted my instincts as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I haven\u2019t read a negative review of Bloody Kisses or their live performance since the release of the now gold effort. but it wasn\u2019t always that way (read about it in Interview with the Vampire). But as Peter states, \u201cBad press is better than none.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even Beavis and Butthead got into it early on. During the video for \u201cBlack No.1\u201d Beavis says, \u201cThis band is like a cross between Danzig and Megadeth.\u201d Butthead responds, \u201cThis band is like a cross between Danzig and my butt.\u201d Beavis then replies by saying, \u201cThat\u2019s not very nice\u201d, and Butthead ends by stating, \u201cNo was, it was a compliment, my butt rules!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, as I said, they busted their butts for this gold. Touring with the like of Life Of Agony, Queensryche, Danzig, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails, Motley Crue, and even the Electric Hellfire Club. Type O played clubs on nights the headliners had off. Then, after the tour, they entered the studio, recorded October Rust (due late August \u201996) and went back out with Deep Purple and Ozzy. Without a doubt, this has to be the hardest working band this side of White Zombie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, after two years, you hold M.K. ULTRA, a magazine whose readers swear by the music of Type O Negative. So, in return, we got not only this exclusive interview with Peter, but also an interview with Josh Silver by Gail Worley in New York, and we\u2019re reprinting my first encounter with Mr. Steele in its entirety for those of you that didn\u2019t get M.K. ULTRA back then and for those of you that already Issue One, there are previously unprinted portions of the interview that ran back in January 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this bloods for you ghoulies. Drink up and prepare to intoxicate yourselves in October Rust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex:<\/strong> How\u2019s it going?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter<\/strong>: It\u2019s going good. I\u2019m here in the Roadrunner offices the rest of the day, which is alright because they\u2019re feeding me and I can use as much coffee as I like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex<\/strong>: First of all, I wanted to ask you how close you were to Shane Lassen (keyboardist for Electric Hellfire Club, who tragically passed away earlier this year) and how\u2019d you feel about what happened?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter: <\/strong>I consider myself a friend of his. It was quite shocking. I felt really bad for him. I felt especially bad for his family. His life ended quite quickly and quite mercifully. His family and friends had to deal with that tragedy, so my feelings aren\u2019t really at the forefront of my concern. It\u2019s really with the people who cared about him the most. I actually spoke to Thomas yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex:<\/strong> How\u2019s he doing??<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter<\/strong>: <\/strong>He\u2019s doing okay. He sent me a copy of his new tape, which sounds really good. Now there\u2019s a possibility we might be touring with those guys when we go headlining later this year. That should be fun\u2026all for the best. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex: <\/strong>I\u2019ve listened to the six song advance sample of the new LP. Is this pretty much summing up the sound of the band now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter:<\/strong> Yes. The songs we left off the sampler are in the same vein as the six you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex: <\/strong>Being that \u201cMy Girlfriend\u2019s Girlfriend\u201d is under four minutes, is this the single? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter<\/strong>:<\/strong> (laughs) Yes. That was the ready made single, which was unintentional that I wrote that song last and that it wound up on the album. It\u2019s about the two\u2019s company, three\u2019s an orgy type thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex<\/strong>: That\u2019s always a lot of fun, and so is the song. Are you doing a video for that one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peter<\/strong>: Yes we are. Actually, we\u2019re doing it next Tuesday or Wednesday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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