Type O Negative’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Me’ Goes Gold In The U.S.

Gothic metal pioneers Type O Negative have officially secured their first-ever gold single in the United States.

On June 15, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded gold certification to the band’s beloved track “I Don’t Wanna Be Me” after the song officially surpassed 500,000 certified units.

Under current RIAA guidelines, an equivalent song unit is calculated as either a single digital track sale or 150 on-demand audio and video streams.

While this marks the legendary New York group’s first single to reach the gold milestone, Type O Negative had previously achieved major album certifications. The band scored a massive platinum record for their 1993 mainstream breakthrough Bloody Kisses and later earned a gold record for 1996’s October Rust.

Originally released as a promotional single in 2003, “I Don’t Wanna Be Me” serves as the fiery second track on the band’s sixth studio album, Life Is Killing Me.

Stylistically, the fast-paced track stands out within the band’s famously slow and brooding discography. Loudwire accurately categorized the song as “goth-punk-power-pop,” while Kerrang! magazine praised the track as “a highly-energized, sarcastic paean to self-hatred, waving a middle finger in their own faces as much as anyone else’s.” The UK publication also noted its strong influence of “old-school, catchy punk rock. At times, it even recalls the glorious heads down thrash attack” of frontman Peter Steele‘s prior project, the controversial thrash outfit Carnivore.

When discussing the creative roots of the track, Type O Negative guitarist Kenny Hickey previously revealed that the lyrics were deeply autobiographical for the towering singer.

“At the time, Peter wasn’t really doing too well, health-wise. He was getting sick of addictions and sick of life, hence the title ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Me‘. He didn’t wanna be Pete anymore,” he said at the time.

The song is also widely remembered for its highly entertaining music video featuring actor Dan Fogler. Throughout the clip, Dan Fogler humorously impersonates several pop culture icons, dressing up as Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and Eminem, before ultimately transforming into Peter Steele himself.

The Brooklyn-based group originally formed in 1990. The founding lineup featured Peter Steele, keyboardist Josh Silver, guitarist Kenny Hickey, and drummer Sal Abruscato, who was eventually replaced by Johnny Kelly. Following their 1991 debut Slow, Deep And Hard and the provocative 1992 release The Origin Of The Feces, the band found mainstream success with Bloody Kisses, driven heavily by the classic gothic anthem “Black No. 1“. The group continued to release a string of acclaimed albums through the 1990s and 2000s, including World Coming Down (1999) and Dead Again (2007).

Type O Negative formally disbanded following the tragic passing of Peter Steele. The legendary died of heart failure in April 2010 at the age of 48. Before becoming a goth metal icon known for his signature low, bass-heavy vocal delivery, he cut his teeth playing in the metal group Fallout and the aforementioned Carnivore.

Despite the band’s conclusion over a decade ago, their cultural impact has experienced a massive resurgence in recent years as an entirely new generation discovers their catalog. Looking to the future, fans can expect more archival material, as a full-length Type O Negative live concert recording is currently in preparation for a tentative release in late 2026 or early 2027.