Fifteen years after the tragic death of frontman Peter Steele, the surviving members of gothic metal icons Type O Negative are preparing to release a new full-length live album. In a new interview with Sh!t Talk Reviews, drummer Johnny Kelly revealed that the project is near completion and likely to be released via Nuclear Blast.
The long-defunct band, which disbanded following Steele‘s death from heart failure in April 2010, has remained a cult favorite, and this new release marks a significant addition to their legacy.
“We were able to get our hands on a show. I just got a mix of one of the songs, just two or three weeks ago, to approve it,” Kelly confirmed in the interview. “It was mixed and mastered, and we were gonna put it out with one label, and now I believe we’re doing it with Nuclear Blast. I’m not exactly sure when it’s coming out. Right now we’re going through the artwork and stuff like that.”
While the live album is a concrete reality, the prospect of a live tribute performance remains a more complex subject. As the 15th anniversary of Steele‘s passing approaches, Kelly admitted that the pressure to stage a celebration of the band’s music is mounting.
“Honestly, I really don’t know, ’cause what’s happening now is people are starting to approach us,” Kelly said. “Saying… ‘It’s been 15 years. It’s time. You guys should do something.’ So we’re starting to get approached by people about doing something, but it isn’t something that we’ve been actively pursuing.”
He clarified that despite the outside interest, the band members—including guitarist Kenny Hickey and keyboardist Josh Silver—have not yet had the logistical conversations required to make it happen. “We’ve never discussed who would sing. That conversation has not happened.”
However, Kelly’s personal stance appears to be softening. He cited the recent success of the reformed Pantera lineup as proof that a respectful tribute can resonate with fans, despite initial skepticism.
“I think it’s time to do something in terms of celebrating Peter‘s life and his music,” Kelly stated. “You go online and you see a bunch of people, a bunch of haters… [saying] ‘No Peter, no Type O Negative.’ And then there’s other people who’ll, be like, ‘I’ll be there.’ And I’ve watched it with [the current touring lineup of] Pantera, for instance. Everybody complained all the way to the arena. They b**ched all the way to the arena.”
Reflecting on his own history touring with Pantera in the 90s, Kelly noted that the current tribute iteration is playing venues larger than the classic lineup ever did. “Seeing it that now, that it works with all these other bands, everybody out there, the sharks are out there now saying, ‘Who else can we get? Who else can we resurrect?'”
