A few random articles collected in time. More will be added as I get the oppourtunity to type them up. For some strange and ironic reason,they all happen to be with Josh Silver : )

Type O Negative in the Blood Stream... Spiking the veins of Josh Silver

T he frigid droplets of rain descended from a seemingly endless

blanket of dismal grey puffs suspended over the stagnant streets of

the city. The dance of the wind, hallow and

numbing intensifying the remote sensation of a

place abhorred for its swarming sea of detached souls. The divine

setting was today of all days, a befitting accomadation for one of

the most nefarious collection of mesmerizing musical Merlins.

Type O Negative would grace Toronto tonight with its sole scheduled

Canadian date on their recent tour in support of the fresh

incantation, October Rust. Perched in his lair on the eighth floor

of tainted green structure, the sole shade of radiance in the

repetoire of Type O's blackness, curious lone-wolf

keyboardist/producer JOSH SILVER awaited, as did his cohorts, for

their lure to stage under the cover of darkness.

Like a raven-tinged blossom, dark, silent, inconspicuous and all to

often forsaken, Silver is met, draped in a cloak of black, the

colourless shade of bleakness which stains his perception of an

increasingly desensitized civilization. Straight from the lips of

this strange wizard with words not to be tampered with, ZONE 451

proudly presents the following transcript of an odyssey into the

innerworkings of the mind of this shrouded wonder......

ZONE: A definite progression gleams throughout each of your

releases, October Rust, transcends new levels especially in terms

of soundscapes. How would you say this evolution took place?

JOSH: I think it's a natural evolution for the band. Naturally when

albums are years apart, which if your lucky they are. We don't want

to do five things that sound the same. Now we're, at least I'm

thirty three, and when we started I was quite a bit younger than

that and naturally things should change. Bands that do five albums

that do sound the same are dying, and stale, and destined to go

down the toilet. So, we do what we want to do and make ourselves

happy and from year to year it's bound to be different.

ZONE: Soundscapes have been a pretty prevalent throughout most of

your work, why did you choose to stray away from that aspect on

this release?

JOSH: We really had too much material to fit onto the CD to tell

you the truth. We're always running maximum CD length which is 74

minutes. We're always aware that no matter how much stuff we do,

that's where it's getting cut off. So, we got cut off early this

time.

ZONE: You weren't pleased with he video for Black No.1, do you

approve of Love You to Death?

JOSH: I'd have to say No I'm not happy with it. Videos are a weird

thing because you are subject to a directors interpretation and the

band has different ideas about what they want to see and they can

put them on the table, but it still goes through that period of

somebody interpreting it. So to me it could have been a lot

stranger, a lot more druggy, a lot more psychedelic, instead of the

typical psychedelia that they attempted to do. But you know we'd

need six months to sit down and work on something like that and

that's just not realistic unfortuneatly so, we're going to have to

be subject to somebody else's foolish interpretation.

ZONE: Since production is an area you seem very interested in,

would you want to pursue video production?

JOSH: Yeah, but I think a lot of the videos that the band could

come up with would not be financially feasible. So, you can have

all the ideas but you don't have to have the cash. I love

claymation, so I would have done something really trippey,

psychedelic, druggy, just something that's so out of the ordinary.

Instead, what we got was a semi-ordinary performance video with,

pardon the expression, dicky clips of other things in between.

ZONE: The mood surrounding each one of your albums has gone through

periods of change. From the anger on SLOW, DEEP & HARD to a more

melodic kind of melancholy on BLOODY KISSES, to a whole different

plain on this new one. Would you say, that Type O will tap in to a

whole new audience as a result?

JOSH: We're either going to lose a big audience or tap into some

new ones or both. I think some won't like the change and I think

some who would never like Type O Negative may but, we're not

worried about, we do what we want to do. If people love it great.

They hate it, great.

ZONE: Would you attribute this gradual shift in moods to maturity

and growth as a band?

JOSH: Maybe we didn't mature as a band! It's impossible to say.

Like I said we follow our hearts. If our hearts are getting old and

tired and less angry than that's what it'll be. You know, if it's

partially fantasy, partially depression, whatever, we'll go with

that feeling, whatever it is and worry about the explanation later.

ZONE: More on the technical side, I heard that for the recording of

October Rust, you chose to combine 32 tracks of analog with 28

digital, why?

JOSH: We needed space to tell you the truth, a lot of room, a lot

of tracks and 24...I love the way analog sounds. I like the

magnetic tape and I despise digital recording. I like the

degradation that sonics...what it does, when you put a signal on

magnetic tape it distorts all the harmonic content of it so it

gives it a feeling and it gives it a dirty disgusting sound and I

like that.

So we needed the room, so we used the digital tape for the things

that really don't need that many tracks like vocals and keyboards,

and drums bass and guitars need to be fucked up, they need to be

cloudy and dirty and gross so, we put everything like that on

analog and synced the two machines up.

ZONE: What was the studio experience like this time round, with

your new addition and all?

JOSH: Like any other album it was brutally hard, I'm not going to

say one albums harder to make than the other , they're all tough

and they're all what they are, you just have to able to work with

any situation you're given.

I've worked with Johnny before, mostly on my own, before we went in

to record, just to prepare him because he's coming out of some

whole different head, so he had to be adjusted to something that

suited him as s well as fit the band and where it's coming from,

and where it's going.

ZONE: As any member in a group situation carries with him his own

set of influences, what differences did you find Johnny

contributing to this recording experience?

JOSH: He's happy and we're depressed.

ZONE: So do you think that had an effect on the way the album came

out?

JOSH: After sitting in a room for months with me, he was quite

depressed. As you can see, he's no longer the smiling happy person

he once was.

ZONE: Was he from the same scene as you guys?

JOSH: Sure, he was in the same local Brooklyn scene we all came

from. He was in bands with Kenny when he was young. I've known him

for years because I ran a studio and these guys used to come

through all the time recording, so you know he's coming a little

bit more of a rock'n roll background than we all are, but with a

little screaming we can fix that.

ZONE: You are very active when it comes to deal with the technical

aspects of studio work and have produced several artists aside from

you own band. Is this an area you particularly enjoy?

JOSH: I love recording. Recording is the ultimate freedom. If you

can think of it and you have an understanding of the equipment, and

what it take so get what your looking for...that's the hardest

part, from brain to tape. You know, you can go in having no idea of

what you want, and you're probably not going to come out with what

you want. If you have a descent idea and you know what gets you

there, you'll probably be okay. I love it.

Fuck-ups, experiments, mistakes make beautiful tragedies. So we

allow that to happen. Sure, sometimes things you pain for months ,

you go in and do 'em, you go 'man that sounds like shit, it

stinks'. We're always open to changing things, even on the spot.

ZONE: A lot of bands crave the road and abhore being couped up in

the studio, do you anticipate the recording experience?

JOSH: I grew up in a studio. I've been recording since I was

thirteen and that was quite a while ago. It's the ultimate freedom,

like I said, I'll smoke a joint and just sit there and come with

all weird fucked-up sounds. Even when I straighten out they still

sound good. So far I'm not disappointed.

ZONE: How does the rest of the band view the experience?

JOSH: I think it's a lot of pressure on Peter, because vocals area

whole other world and I'm the guy that sits there and tries to pull

a good performance out of him and he gets frustrated and he wants

to jump through the glass and strangle me. i don't care, that's my

job, and I wouldn't be doing my job if I let things go and he

realizes that even as he's getting completely hassled. So I think

most people stress out in the studio, I do to. I mean, when it

comes down to playing a part like that, I could fuck up, kick

everybody out and do it alone and I'm like 'I can't record man,

you're looking at me, go away...' and they do. They leave and let

me do what I have to.

ZONE: What areas of the new album are you most pleased with?

JOSH: I like the weirdest stuff. I like the little sound snips,

"Military Madness", I like that...Peter wrote the chords and I went

completely sample happy and he liked it and named it something

aggrevating and that's cool, so I had no problem with that at

all...yeah I like stuff like that. There's some moments on the

album, I like the ambience on things like Love You To Death, just

for the saturation of everything...it's so wet, it's like

psychedelic vomit.

ZONE: You produced LIFE OF AGONY's first release RIVER RUNS RED,

and it was a massive success, why didn't you work with 'em the

second time in the studio, for UGLY?

JOSH: Time... & I wasn't their first choice.

ZONE: No? How could that be?

JOSH: Cuz they're young and foolish! (he laughs)

ZONE: Damn foolish!!

JOSH: It's a very complex situation - I mean, Sal was in the band

at the time....

ZONE: He's out now....

JOSH: I'm sure he didn't want to be sitting back with me busting

his chops!! I just think that as a band, they probably felt they

could get something better out of someone else and how can I say

they did or didn't because of course I'm going to like what I did

or what I would've done. it's that simple. If I hated what I was

doing why would I do it? But there's going to be a third album, and

I don't know what their plans are, but you can only hope and I only

like to produce stuff that I like.

ZONE: Because music shouldn't be shit out?

JOSH: Exactly. It's not a mass production business. Although it is

it shouldn't be. Whether it should or shouldn't be are two

different things, but I'm not going to participate in the mass

production aspect of it.

ZONE: You mentioned once before that only bands that impress you

and give you a flood of ideas instantly will be Silver production

candidates.

JOSH: The way I work is very simple. Basically if I hear a band

live or a recording, and if I don't get and idea right away, then

I'm not the right person for the band. If I instantly hear some

vision of what it should be when it's completed, I lean in close

and it sparks something in me. Then it's the right place for me to

be.

ZONE: Any new projects to speak of lately?

JOSH: I produced this band PIST * ON, which is coming out in

October ('96!), but that's the only thing at this point due to time

constraints.

ZONE: You mentioned once before that the fact you don't have a "big

name" in producing circles also largely affects the projects you

take on.

JOSH: I hear that people get ten times the offers I do even though

they don't know the difference between a channel and a track on a

tape machine because it's a name thing.

ZONE: Shouldn't talent have more of an influence on things?

JOSH: It should, but don't be a young idealist. Step into the real

world and deal with what's going on. I'm an old idealist, whether

you like it or not, it's a part of it.

ZONE: But other young bands and artists, like BILLY GRAZIADEI from

BIOHAZARD seem to be juggling a ton of offers. Shouldn't the same

apply to you as well?

JOSH: I think it's a jugment call. Who's to say what sounds good or

bad? I think October Rust is interesting, but not necessarily

technically amazing. Now, that's what we want.

ZONE: Wouldn't you say though, that TYPE o's albums have grown

technically as well as musically?

JOSH: Sonically yeah, but that only my opinion. There's no right or

wrong.

ZONE: But this is about your opinion.

JOSH: Okay, what classic rock do you listen to?

ZONE: Led Zeppelin.

JOSH: Technically they're atrocious, but they have personality and

style and it doesn't matter if it sounds like a bowl of shit. Who

cares, it's great. I don't love LED ZEPPELIN but I'm a SABBATH

freak, BEATLES...

ZONE: You have your own recording studio....

JOSH: It's a piece of shit and it got destroyed recently by an

electrical surge. Lightening struck near my house and toasted 80%

of the stuff and unfortuneatly my insurance doesn't cover it...

I'll steal more don't worry!

ZONE: Recently, on your web site and there were some pretty

interesting discussions revolving around certain personal

issues.....

JOSH: Lay it on me, I'm always interested in that kind of bullshit!

I don't go on the net myself but once in awhile I hear about

things.

ZONE: Okay, before we go into examples, tell us first of all, how

do you feel about people going into heated discussions about

personal issues of the the band and certain members that have

absolutely nothing to do with the music? Are these irrelevant,

trivial issues sometimes like an invasion of privacy?

JOSH: I think whenever you put yourself into a public position you

must expect that. If you're going to run for president of the U.S,

they're going to go back fifty years and dig up every goddamn thing

you did in your life, everything your kids did, everything your

wife did, and that's it. I mean if you allow for that, if that's

what you want to do with your life, KNOW that's what they're going

to do. Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter they're going to do

it. They don't care.

ZONE: Alright, for example, on the net, there was a chat box there

was this letter from a seemingly "young child" who wrote about his

mother's fascination with your lead singer and how he has come to

refer to him as "Uncle Petey" and how he would love for him to

become his dad...

JOSH: I think I've read that...

ZONE: Anyhow, some people took offence and this nasty war of words

took place. Basically, people told this kid where to go, his mom

became enraged and again, this topic is so far removed from your

music and what Type O is all about.

JOSH: I think it's sad that people have become so far removed that

they must engage in fantasy speculation to keep themselves

entertained. I feel bad for them to tell you the truth. That's how

I feel. Meet somebody, get a life, don't start worshipping rock

schmucks and think you're going to marry them and it's going to be

glorious. It's a joke! I mean how can anyone take it seriously,

they want Disneyland! This unfortuneatly is not Disneyland.

ZONE: You find it humourous?

JOSH: I find it a sad reflection on the state of humanity.

ZONE: These days a lot of bands are taking a real personal approach

to their music lyric-wise in that they literally expose their

innermost feelings, which in way, I guess makes them almost

vulnerable. Type O doesn't really take that approach, but do you

ever see yourselves heading in that more sentimental kind of

direction?

JOSH: I think we're pretty honest, we know what we are. We're four

assholes from Brooklyn and we're more than willing to admit that.

You can get as personal as you want and I fear no answer because I

know the truth and I'm not worried.

ZONE: You were in a tattoo magazine a while back, also something

that doesn't necessarily have to do with your music, was that a

hobby of yours?

JOSH: It was probably a self-destructive trend that started when I

was sixteen , and I've go to live with it. You've got to live with

the mistakes you make, as usual.

ZONE: Do you consider them mistakes?

JOSH: I find that they can get in the way. People see a tattoed

long-haired guy and instantly figure, 'Oh, he's some brainless

asshole'. Again that's a societal problem. It's not my fault that

that's the stereotypical category I instantly get shoved into, but,

at the same time, I regret a lot of things that I've been through.

From tattooing, I regret having tattoos, I would change what I have

now. You know I'm certainly not thinking the same things I was when

I was sixteen...I hope.

ZONE: Did your tattoos have a lot do with personal issues?

JOSH: I have a tattoo from when I got married and I have a lot of

things dealing with my brother's death, and death in general has

been an obsessive subject for me since my brother passed away. I

was ten, it became pretty obsessive, death. I Think despite there's

no specific way you can look at one thing and say 'well this isn't

for anything', everything has to do with death, where does it all

go back to?

It's basically psycho-analysis. It's easy. I mean, everybody has

their own share, everbody's obsessed with their own thing. You tend

to embrace what you fear the most, at least I do.

ZONE: Everybody has their own form of release as well, be it

through lyrics what have you, would you say that tattooing is sort

of an outlet for you?

JOSH: Yeah, it probably gets my masochistic tendancies out of my

system that's for sure! Like I said, it's just a big sea of

self-destruction. Most musicians are self-destructive, you find it

an easy call to make when you see what's going on.

ZONE: Do you find, does that change if at sixteen you had all these

feelings, have they gotten stronger or do you think you've

transcended to a whole new level?

JOSH: Good question, I don't know. (he laughs) That would definitly

take another decade of psychoanalysis to grasp the answer. It's

changed. I'm sure those feelings are still deep in there, I don't

think they're ever going to leave. I think even if you're aware of

what's going on psychologically, you can only change it to some

extent. You know shades of grey, and you may never really know the

answer.

ZONE: You guys are finishing up your North American tour for now to

head off to Europe, Why has Toronto been your only Canadian date?

JOSH: Those custom guys, they alway give us a hard time. They make

us get out of the bus.

ZONE: Really?

JOSH: Absolutely!

ZONE: They search it too?

JOSH: They did that the time before. They brought dogs on, they

said empty your pockets. Kenny walks up to the custom table , flips

his pockets out, (they wanted to see what was hanging out in the

linings), and a pot seed went bouncing across the table. It went

dink, dink, dink. And that was it, they ripped up everything. They

said empty your pockets buh, buh, buh, dogs on the bus. We didn't

have anything except for the pot-seed in Kenny's pocket so, they

ended up letting us in without being able to do anything about it.

It was just like two hours sitting there. Then we got searched in

Norway, that was total nudity.

ZONE: Are you serious?

JOSH: Absolutely. Get in take off all your fuckin' clothes, you are

going to do it, there isn't a choice. You WILL do it, cos' you're

in their country and it's tough shit. It's either that or you get

arrested. Then they do it anyway. So long as they didn't stick

anything in me. They pull your but cheeks apart, take a little

peak, flip up the hair, lift up your balls, they don't give a shit.

They're looking for drugs. We didn't have any so all they got was a

lot of dirty crevices. It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do

it.

ZONE: That's the price of touring I guess...

JOSH: Yeah, to different degrees. I think, if you're a country

singer, you're probably not going to get in as much shit than if

you're a young guy with long hair and tattoos and you look like you

should be on drugs, 'cos the truth is that 80% of the time they're

right. Yeah I do smoke, I do take drugs, so what? To me, pot should

be legal. It's all retarded that's it, but it doesn't surprise me

that in America we're all walking backwards. We got God running our

country. It's on my money, "in God we trust". I don't. Give me a

break.

ZONE: I know you have pretty strong feelings about being American..

JOSH: It's still the same shit, now it's getting worse. Now we got

Dole (he shakes his head) what's next?

ZONE: Are you interested in politics at all?

JOSH: I'm very interested, I refuse to vote though, because there's

no one I really care about.

ZONE: Do you think your music will ever come to reflect these

views?

JOSH: Not yet. It depends on the issue. I definitly have immmensely

strong political views. I despise the way it works, I refuse to

vote because if a huge company gives them a fifty million dollar

campaign donation, that vote counts a hell of a lot more than mine.

So really, business is electing everybody and that's the bottom

line. It's probably like that in most places. The saddest part is

that Americans realize it the least. That's what's frustrating

about it, not that it goes on, just that people don't think about

it.

ZONE: Guess we won't be seeing you on any MTV "ROCK the Vote"

promos then..

JOSH: AH, NO!!

Copyright © 1995, 1996 Zone 451°

Interview in Side line Magazine: Natural Feelings

Following Bloody Kisses, TYPE O NEGATIVE's fourth album, October Rust,

allows the Brooklyn-based band to reach a succes that they no doubt

deserve.Deep musical explorations resulting in dark and sensual atmospheres

seem to be the band's actual recipe... we took advantage of the band's

concert in Brussels to meet Josh Silver, keyboardist, who produced the album

with the so charismatic singer, Peter Steele. And here is the result of this

conversation with a man who certainly has more to say than what he lets

show...

SL. Peter Steele composed most of the songs of October rust while you were

on tour. According to you, did road life have much influence on his

compositions?

J. I would not say it is directly reflected in the material but i think that

living any different kind of life will naturally lead you to a different

kind of thinking. so, inevitably anything that comes into our personal lives

will be reflected in the music one way or another.

SL. October rust gives the impression that you kept the melodious side of

your previous album and that you developed it into a really more

atmospheric, more moving music. Tell us about this evolution?

J. I think that once you hear the material , it is pretty clear what the

album should sound like: a very psychedelic, very ambient , very smooth

record, a little sexual I think So it is true that we go into a direction of

what we think the album should be like but we don't sit down and make a

choice like: <<This is what we are gonna do>>. You just do what you do and

whatever happens happens. It has to be Natural, a natural progression. And

if you say: <<Well , Bloody kisses sold this many copies, so let's do it

again>>. That is bullshit!!! You have to do it from your heart , it has to

come naturraly, and that is the bottom line.

SL. Has this evolution of your sound come to an end or will you go on

developping it further?

J. I don't think that the musical evolution has come to an end. Every album

should be different. i don't see us doing the same thing twice ever.

SL. So what about your next album?

J. WE still don't know...it could be circus music, it could be

hardcore,...Your guess is as good as mine...

SL. Why did you choose <<October rust>> as a title fir the album? Is it

because of the mood of the album or it there something else to understand?

J. <<October rust>> involves pagan imaginary in relation with nature. I

think it is appropriate for the material of the package.

SL. Nature is very present with songs like Druides, Green man,

Wolfmoon,...or with the sleeves design.Does it have an influence on Peter's

compositions?

J. I would just say that the only thing the whole band does have any respect

for is nature because it is truly the only god ab-nd it has always the final

word.

SL. Peter's lyrics are always about him and also focus on women. In his

eyes, are women just an object of desire or do they mean much more?

J. That is a very personal question and I can only answer for myself...I

would just say that relationships and sexuality are the focus of all of

humanity.

SL. But if you have a look at his lyrics, what is your inpression?

J. I have the impression that it is probably written by someone who has had

a lot of trouble in relationships, who has been very

frustrated...relationships are 95% of human existence, they can be sexual or

intellectual...They are are the very base of human existence. So what better

tham to write about? And we have been doing it from day one, either with

ahrdcore and screaming or with soft music like it is on this album.

SL. So we can say that the whole album is about nature, women and Peter?

J. I would say nature and women actually . A lot of views that are expressed

on October Rust are universal.

SL. Any other subjects that inspire Peter?

J. Probably not.You know we are a band whose members have always had

problems in their personal lives. We grew up in New York... And now we have

been touring for three or four months...Al our relationships are a disaster.

We are not at home, we are here ...And inevitably there are just feelings

that everybody goes through. You can't avoid this situation, it is very hard

to have a relationship if you are always on the road. This is very tough, it

is something we chose to do and we never knew we would get to this large

scale but it has. That's life you know...

SL. Bloody Kisses was yet quite well acclaimed when it was released and now

you are gaining even more success with October Rust. Did you expect this

succes?

J. I expect nothing but I am never dissapointed. We go in this studio and we

make music. And if people like it, that is great, and if they don't , that

is cool . We are doing this first for us and then for others. If you don't

express your honest feelings on the record. I would say it is a lie...But

you cannot plan succes. either it happens or it doesn't . And if you plan

it, usually it is too artificial . Just think of Green Day for instance...

SL. Have you been touring in the USA before coming to Europe?

J. Not specially for this album. What happened is that we were finishing up

October Rust and we got an offer from OZZY OSBOURNE to open. So the day that

we finished the recording, we ahd our luggage in the studio and we went

directly from the studio to the airport. It was not really a tour for this

album but it was after the recording, so we did play one or two cuts from

it. then we did nine weeks of headlining and supporting in smaller and

medium places.

SL. With more tracks from the album?

J. Yes, right now we are playing four songs but some are over ten minutes,

so...Moreover we try to mix a lot:we do a little bit of Slow,Deep and Hard,

we do of course tracks from Bloody Kisses...

SL. Do you keep the same set for Europe or are there any changes?

J. What happens is that we are always playing new stuff. We are now playing

Wolf Moon that we did not play in the USA, but we did not plan it for

Europe. During the soundchecks we rehearsal some songs and then we play them

live. And that is why the set is changing.

SL. October Rust is charged with a lot of sensuality, feelings,...Isn't it a

kind of challenge to reproduce these atmospheres on stage?

J. I would not say it is not a challenge because we know it is not going to

be exactly the same. We have to adjust certain things to make it work live

and to try to keep it sounding somewhat similar to what is on the record. We

just do something that we consider good as live. As I said, it may not be

exactly the same but that's OK. A lightshow is a lightshow and a cd is a cd.

You know, being in the studio is limitless and that is the reason why you go

there to make a record. And you certainly have to take advantage of this. So

then we make worry about what we do live.

SL. When you are not touring or working in studio, do you have other

activities, hobbies or do you only concentrate on the band?

J. There is very little ife outside of TYPE O NEGATIVE right now and I hope

that it changes. I need a vacation, maybe have a relationship again...In

time I think things will go a little bit better but right now we have an

opportunity and we are very ambitious...I was bred to push ahead, no matter

what happens, that is to say that succes is very important because you have

to survive and to support yourself. But maybe this is just a way to avoid

your feelings, to submerge yourself in work and this takes away a little bit

of the problems.

SL. Do you believe this?

J. I would not say I do not believe in it but deep down in me...I can say it

is not true but I still do it, I am my father's son you know.

SL. Do you think this has much influence on your work?

J. Some good, some good...YOU know , some people are very ambitious, some

people want to sit home and watch TV for ten hours a day but I am not these

persons. I have to try to do something that is almost impossible or I won't

be happy. But I probably won't be happy even after it, so it is like with

the stupid NIKE commmercial <<just do it>>. This is a stupid commercial but

it is true.

SL. In this album's booklet we find the quote <<Functionless art is simply

tolerated vandalism...We are the vandals>>. Does that mean that you consider

your music as functionless?

J. You know, there is a difference between functional art and functionless

architectures, art,...So music , definitely, is functionless by comparision,

but it does have a function: it releases emotions...

SL. Anything to add to end all this?

J. My sincerest apologies...

October Rust

Reviewed By: Mary Ellen Gustafson

For "Type O Negative" fans, "October Rust" will be a natural progression

from their previous LPs. The description used by SPIN magazine for "Bloody

Kisses" -- "Tuneful gloom and doom" -- still applies on "October Rust." The

musical portions are in turn dark, melodic, touching, orchestral, folk,

metal and everything in between. The lyrics, mostly following the themes of

paganism and the "female persuasion" are in sharp contrast to the melodic,

pop oriented or folk musical backgrounds that accompany them. However, "TON"

manages to blend these deceptively mild beginnings into pounding

rock/progressive metal endings to their songs.

Most of the tracks have a very depressing bent to them, but are typical fare from

"TON." The first single, "My Girlfriends Girlfriend" is Peter Steele's tongue in

cheek (and possibly auto-biographical) take on threesomes, done in that deep

throaty voice that sounds like it comes from a tomb. "Green Man" IS based on his

past work for the NYC Parks Dept. An interesting cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon

Girl" is the only non-TON written song on the CD, and is a staple during their sets [Image]

on tour. All in all, if you are a fan of "Type O Negative" you'll like this CD. It

has an interesting sound, wild lyrics and a few little surprise tracks I'll let you

discover on you're own.

In the Press Kit, I discovered that during the making of "October Rust", the

band took time off for some outside projects, including an instrumental

version of their original "Haunted," which is featured in the new video game

"Descent II." I have to agree with the press release which states "Earthy,

tactile and infused with Pagan influences, fire imagery and salacious

sensuality, 'October Rust' is ear candy for a diabetic world. Have a taste."

I found some other interesting facts and tidbits in TON's Press Kit. The one

that really got me was in the Liner Notes. It says "Much to his discontent,

Mike Marciano was forced to engineer this recording. Please note that the

views and opinions represented herein are by no means endorsed or supported

by Mike Marciano." When you get a little further, and read who the band

wants to thank, the first names mentioned are "Mike and Nancy and Joe

Marciano, without whom this project could never have been done." Talk about

contradictions . . .! I know most people never read Liner Notes or all the

"Thanks to:" part of them, but it's often surprising what you find there.

Pre-Concert Interview with Josh Silver 2/12/97

Interview Conducted by Mary Ellen Gustafson

* AMZ - I haven't been following your band prior to "October Rust," so

that's what I'll be concentrating on. I've listened to the album dozens of

times, and read all the lyrics, and find a lot of paradoxes in what I've

seen and heard. Some of the songs are very respectful of women and love,

others are more focused on sex and lust but still have the underlying theme

of wanting to satisfy a woman. Are relationships the bottom line of what you

sing about?

* JS - I think relationships are the bottom line of most art period, whether

it's music or any other medium of expression. I think the human condition is

based on relationships and it's something we're always trying to capture. I

don't think it's disrespectful to discuss lust, because lust is a fact of

life - for both men and women - and we just happen to be men so that's the

way the music is written.

* AMZ - There is also the theme of paganism here. Is this a philosophy that

the band follows, or is it more for the natural progression from "Bloody

Kisses?"

* JS - Well, I don't think I know if Pagan is the right word. There are

Pagan elements in the artwork and in some of the lyrics, but I think it's

more of a respect for nature than true Paganism. I mean we have no God. We

know that. It's my philosophy anyway, that there is no religion and the only

thing left to respect is nature. We're not living as Paganists. I mean how

much of a Pagan can you be if you get in your car and drive away and pollute

the air. Then you're not living the Pagan life. You'd have to leave the city

to do that.

* AMZ - You have quite a variety in your fans - from kids who think they're

vampires to college students to older people like me. Do you have a feel for

why you appeal to such a large and diverse audience?

* JS - I think the music is very eclectic basically, and now that we've

toured with so many different kinds of bands I think we've just pulled a

larger audience of people. I think the music itself is pretty ambiguous. It

doesn't really fit in any catgory so we're not going to be able to draw

people from any particular genre.

* AMZ - Unfortunately a lot of people are pegging you Goth. I don't like to

categorize bands, but . . .

* JS - Exactly! I agree. Catgories aren't usually an asset, but they've got

to put you on the record shelf somewhere, so . . .

* AMZ - The cover of "Cinnamon Girl" on the album, and, according to the bio

a staple in your live show - what made you choose this song to do a cover of

- especially since you write all your own music?

* JS - It fit melodically and sematically with the album. We also like to do

covers that will sound entirely different when we're finished, because it's

our way of doing the cover. "Cinnamon Girl" seemed like it would work with

the album and it did.

* AMZ - Does it have anything to do with an admiration of Neil Young or just

the song itself?

* JS - Neil Young is a great song writer. I really don't like listening to

him, but I can appreciate somebody's song writing talent even if their voice

isn't my particular bag. It doesn't mean I think he stinks, it's just that

as a performer he's not my thing.

* AMZ - I found the song "Red Water" one of the most disturbing, yet most

interesting, songs on the album. Where did that idea come from, and is the

use of the words "red water" to leave the listener to draw their own

conclusion as to what that is? (blood, wine, something else)

* JS - That's my favorite song on the album. As far as what "red water"

signifies, blood and wine are virtually the same thing in a religious sense,

so it is open to interpretation, but wine was the intention. And when your

talking in the realm of Christmas and Catholicism and Christianity then of

course blood and wine are virtually the same thing.

* AMZ - I really enjoy the music on this album - and the way it clashes with

the lyrics. Peter Steele's voice is tailor made to sing these particular

kinds of lyrics, but yet some of the heaviest lyrics are accompanied by some

of the lightest, almost folk/pop music. I assume this is intentional, but

how do you come up with the ideas for the combinations?

* JS - I think it's essentially what happens. The material that's played by

the band is what's presented to the band, and pretty much it's which

selection goes sonically. I think it's nothing intentional. We do it if we

want to do it and it happens.

* AMZ - Do you all jam to come up with a song, or does Steele pretty much do

all the writing and then the rest of the band adds their signature to it?

* JS - Yeah, it's more like that. He'll come down and the band will play it

for one or two months and things go through evolutions and that's the

process and it works.

* AMZ - Your bio refers to a lot of the lyrics as being a tongue in cheek

look at things. I caught that when I listened to it, but what about these

kids that take this stuff so deadly serious?

* JS - I think you're right. There's definitely a humorous side to the

songs, and whether people see it or not that's really not a concern. The

people that get it, like you said, that's fine and you can sit back and

laugh, and the people that take it seriously can take it seriously. We're

not out to preach, tell people how to live, or tell them what to do.We have

an opinion and are expressing it. If you really get it that's great, if you

don't that's cool because there's also an ambiguity to music that allows

people to read into it what they want to. I think that's what's fun about

music. Pick any song where you really couldn't understand the lyrics and you

end up singing what you want to.

* AMZ-These days, some kids, as fans, emulate and take whatever you say as

gospel truth. I wondered - are you concerned that kids pick up a message

that you never intended to be there?

* JS - Good question, and quite honestly it's something I've been personally

fighting with for a long time now. Is it the responsibility of an artist to

censor his expression because it may be mis-interpreted or over-dramatized

by some young kid that's going to have a few problems, or is it the parents'

responsibility to raise them to handle different points of view, and all

kinds of art forms, and not end up with problems? What an artist does is a

form of expression, and any form of repression is censorship. Do I feel

responsible? I don't like to hear about tragedies that might be attributed

to a form of expression, but I don't feel responsible. It's a very gray

area, and like I said, I'm not trying to preach to people, but inevitably I

think that someone that's gonna go out and commit a mass murder because he

puts on a Type O record is probably gonna do it if he turns on his TV -

because without that Type O record he's just going to find another reason.

If a person's crazy enough to do something really serious like that, they

will find a way whether we're here or not. I mean murder and suicide have

been going on for milleniums without the influence of a Type O record.

* AMZ - But it seems that kids are looking for the dark stuff and the

Satanic stuff, WHICH YOU DO NOT DO, I'm not saying you do. . .

* JS - Not Satanic, but the dark side of life. You know, again, there are a

lot of influences out there that cause murders. But I think if you raise

your child right they're not going to be a murderer no matter what

influences are around. That's the bottom line. It's esoteric how involved in

this child's life you're gonna be, and what he/she will do.

* AMZ - I like the your philosophy.

* JS - It's not my philosphy, it's true.

* AMZ - But you said you think about it, and that's important. At least you

think about it.

* JS - There have been instances. I feel bad when tragedies occur, but not

responsible, because like I said, things like that have been going on for

ten thousand years and I certainly haven't been around that long.

* AMZ - I appreciate the interview and your honest answers. I know you have

a show to do so I'll see you on stage!

CONCERT REVIEW

"Type O Negative" pays attention to detail when they perform live. From the

stage set to the lighting to the arrival and arrangement of each musician on

stage, everything is carefully orchestrated for maximum effect. Following

the theme of their current CD "October Rust," the stage was decked in

partially nude saplings, vines wrapped the mic poles, and fog rolled through

the venue.

Since "TON" was scheduled to play at "U-Fest" in Phoenix in October, but it never

happened because of an incident between fans and "The Deftones" before "Type O"

played, the venue was packed with fans chanting their name. And when they finished

their first number, Peter Steele made a short speech about letting "bygones be

[Image] bygones" and promised the crowd they'd make up for it that night. Of course that

was more than well received by concert goers, and the audience was almost louder

than the band! This was followed by an extended version of "Love You to Death" from

the "October Rust" CD.

"Type O Negative's" cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" really had the

crowd rocking since it was a faster version of the number than the one on

the album. By the way, they mentioned that Neil Young doesn't like their

cover - but the fans, including me, sure do. After this number, Steele

finally let his hair down - literally (Up to this point it had been tucked

into a baseball cap.) and things REALLY started to groove. "TON" did a good

mix of older songs and covers, along with numbers from their most recent

album and a lot of odd but exciting instrumentals added in to several of the

songs. The sound system in the venue was not very good and it made it hard

to catch the name of every song they sang from where I was, but whenever the

audience knew the song, they joined in enthusiastically.

Another song from the album, "Baccus" was followed by a very strange cover of

"Light My Fire" by the "Doors." It took a while to even recognize the song. A few

of their older numbers were followed by a cover of "It's Too Late," and their hit

single "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend." To wind up the show, the band played "Black

#1" with Steele exhibiting his "talent" of playing his guitar with one hand, while

drinking a beer with the other one. An interesting sight, and he never missed a

note. There were no encores at this concert, but it was in a considerably smaller

venue than they had previously been scheduled to play at in October. Also, since it [Image]

was a club, they had to be off the stage by midnight. A bummer for the fans who

waited to see them through warm up sets by "DRAIN S.T.H." and "SISTER MACHINE GUN."

(Who were both very good by the way.) Regardless of the slightly shorter show, and

the venue where it was held, the fans had a good time, the band had a good time,

and everybody left talking about how awesome the concert was. I guess that's what

it's all about!

Bite Me, Issue #9 - Interview By: Nikki Neil

Type O Negative is a band who need no introduction. A band whose hard work

and perseverance has finally begun to pay off. With the success of their

Goth classic Bloody Kisses, Peter Steele's debut in Playgirl, their latest

and impressive release October Rust, the Ozz Fest tour, one might say that

the members of Type O are workaholics.

Currently you are playing Ozz Fest.

Correct. Ozz Fest for the next month, then two weeks of festivals, Europe

after that and possibly suicide or a vacation.

Well suicide is out, you just got engaged so you can't do that.

You're right, I guess I can't.

To many people Ozzy is an icon, is it exciting for you to be a part of all

this?

I think Black Sabbath is something all four members of Type O have grown up

listening to. Ozzy as an individual solo artist as well. So if you're going

to be forced to listen to somebody's music every night it may as well be

their's, can't be any better.

Your next video is scheduled to be "Cinnamon Girl" using footage from the

Dynamo festival, is that correct?

That is correct. The footage has been done. We haven't seen what they did

with it yet, so your guess is as good as mine, but it's supposedly in the

works.

"Cinnamon Girl" is also the next single to be released along with "Love you

to death" on the b-side, is that a remix?

It's not a remix, it's an edited version, a little more radio friendly from

8 minutes down to 5. There will be a "Cinnamon Girl" remix for which I have

nothing to do with, Charlie Clouser (NIN) did that one.

Up to date Peter Steele and yourself have been involved with producing all

of Type O's albums. If the band were to call it quits would you pursue work

as a producer or would you look for another band?

I think at 34 I'd probably just settle for production at this point. We've

been on the road for many years and it's a little wearing on everything

actually. I would like to produce one day, whether I get the opportunity is

a different story. I made a lot of enemies so there's a line of people

waiting to behead me.

Have you produced any albums by other artists?

There really isn't a lot of spare time. I've done three records. I did an EP

for Sheer Terror, I did Life of Agony's first record, and a band called

Pist-on.

In addition to being label mates with Life of Agony, there seems to be a

friendship as well.

Yeah, we've grown up together, I've known them for quite a few years.

I caught the show last year where they opened up for you, two great bands

for the price of one.

It's always fun to play with friends, especially them. They always make us

look so tall.

Keith makes anyone look tall, even me.

He is cute anyway.

Cute little guy and very nice. The song "Haunted" is featured on the video

game "Descent II", how did that all come about?

I don't know, there's a few of them in the works actually. I think the "Love

you to death" video is coming out in a video game called "Blood" which

should be released soon. I think the people that make the video games are

fans and feel the music is appropriate for the game so they ask our

permission and we have no reason to say no.

Have you played "Descent II" yet?

No, we don't have the patience for it unfortunately. We went through "Doom"

for a couple of months and since then I don't think I've touched a video

game.

On "Bloody Kisses" you extend special thanks to Dr. Kervorkian, is he a

friend?

He will be one day, he's not a friend yet. That was more of a political

statement. Dr. Kervorkian stands for freedom to die and end your suffering

which absolutely everybody should have that option. But in America you are

forced to suffer and live for absolutely no reason what so ever.

Many bands tend to record each album at a different studio, yet all the Type

O albums have been recorded at Systems Two, why so?

I don't think the sound really comes from the studio, each album has it's

own sound. The people at Systems Two have integrity and really care about

what they do. They treat us nice and we don't need a big name place just

people who give a shit and really know what they are doing and that's what

we got over there, so if it works don't f*ck with it.

Did Kenny really hire a blues musician off the street to open up for Type O

Negative?

Yes he did, he hired him right off the street corner. They loved him because

he was a neighborhood hero kind of guy. It was blues with filthy lyrics, big

300 lb guy. I missed it but I'm sure it was very interesting.

Do you find that you are a different person on stage vs. off?

No, I find that off stage I live in depression and on stage I live in anger

which are basically the same thing. I think the band was built around the

personalities of the people rather than taking the people and adapting them

to a particular role.

Tell me about your tattoo.

It's three feet long. It was just a lot of childhood rebellion that turned

into a very big mess and a lot of cover up work, a lot of things I already

regret and I'm sure will later regret in life even more.

What is your preference in keyboards?

Old ones that can sustain being thrown across the stage. That's the only

requirement I have.

With the bands busy schedule there's not much time for anything else, but do

you have any outside hobbies?

No. Personally, music is pretty much all encompassing for me, but we do have

a web site called "Unsuccessfully coping", you can see some of Kenny's

illiterature. He writes illiterature. Other people in the band do have

hobbies, Johnny is a cross dresser, Peter is a muscle man, and me I'm just

waiting to die.

Sorry, I already told you that you can't do that yet. You'll just have to

suffer right a long with the rest of us.

You're absolutely right, it's just a bad joke. I'm sorry. It's the only

thing left.

It's the only thing left once you've done all that you've set out to

accomplish.

It's got to be a mix, and you're right I do have an obligation to live and I

spit on you for reminding me. I'm joking *laughs*

Hold on, let me wipe it off. What is the web site address?

http://www.amexpub.com/dburger/neg01.htm (I reccomend you go there. It has alot of really cool informative stuff. By far the best site of Type O on the web)

Dave Burger is the guy that runs our web site and does a damn good job, so it's not an official

web site but it's an unofficial, official web site. It's far better than the

official one let me tell you.

So what's on the agenda for tonight, do you have a show?

Yep. I plan on drinking a half a bottle of vodka, get a meal afterwards and

try to do my best.

What's your preference in vodka?

Anything that's 80 proof or more.

And before we sing "Happy Trails" any parting words?

I'm terribly sorry.

Chatting with Josh Silver of Type O Negative

-By: Andreas Veneris, andreas@metaverse.com, (c)1996 OnRamp

For Type O Negative the summer of 1996 is a busy one. The guys have just

finished the mixing of their highly anticipated album, 'October Rust ', the

follow up to the certified-gold LP 'Bloody Kisses' (1993), and as soon as

they exited the studio they performed a few support dates to Ozzy's arena

'Retirement Sucks' tour. When this warm-up tour was over, Pete Steele

(vocal/bass), Josh Silver (keyboards), Kenny Hickey (guitar) and John Kelly

(drums) traveled overseas to perform a couple of dates and give interviews.

'October Rust', their fourth studio album, will be out by the end of August.

Roadrunner, their record label, has high expectations from the band who

recorded the moody, dark-visioned, and somehow sarcastic tunes, 'Black No.1'

and 'Christian Woman'. Indeed, 'October Rust' stands close to the high

expectations of their label and their fans. Somehow slower, it is able to

create this dark, gothic and heavy mood through tunes as 'My Girlfriend's

Girlfriends' (1st single), 'Love you to Death', 'Die With Me' and the

paranoid 'The Glorious Liberation of the People's Technocratic Republic of

Vinnland by the Combined Forces of the United Territories of Europa', a song

full of marching, screaming, sounds.

Peter, the founder, main composer and most intriguing figure of Type O

Negative, had to go back to the States to rehearse with his former band, the

legendary cult-band Carnivore. Carnivore, a hardcore thrash band of the 80s,

reformed after a 9 years hiatus to play, The Milwaukee Metal Festival. In

the meantime, Josh and Kenny continued their European interviews tour, and I

was lucky to catch up with Josh and chat with him on his way to Athens'

(Greece) airport.

How is Europe treating Type O Negative? "Very well", Josh replies with

determination. " We did some shows and many interviews. Fans here pay more

attention to the music and the lyrics than US fans do. We've been around

this continent for a month, we will now fly back to the States but we will

return in August to do the Donington festival". For those who don't know,

Donington is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, rock festivals in

Europe. It takes place every August at Castle Donington-UK and drops more

than 70,000 maniacs each time. How does Type O Negative feel about it? "I

think it's a great privilege to be sharing the stage with acts like Kiss",

Josh replies. "Kiss will play with their make-up and everything. I think

that this would be their only European show so people will run crazy, I'm

pretty sure about that". Oh yes, I'd totally forgotten that Kiss is

currently touring America and the Type O Negative guys are missing the event

since they're traveling, playing, and giving interviews in Europe.

Busness over pleasure? Maybe not, their summer schedule includes tickets to

a Kiss show! " No, we won't miss their show. Friends of ours bought us

tickets for their NYC show, therefore we'll have the chance to see them once

and, subsequently, play with them at Donington. I'm really excited for both

events", he replies with relief in his voice. So are you a big Kiss fan, I'm

asking him while he's watching the street leading to Plaka, the equivalent

of Bourbon Street for Athens. He smiles to me and this smile left me no

doubts that Josh Silver is indeed another big fan of the old Kiss party

band; but as far as his current listening preferences go, things are

different. " I love The Beatles and Black Sabbath and these are the only two

bands I spend time listening to. Black Sabbath and The Beatles, both changed

the way music sounded forever", he replies and refuses to add any other band

to the list.

"It was a great pleasure playing with Ozzy", he continues, referring to

their recent US tour supporting Ozzy. " The guy is such a rock giant, he can

still go on the stage and create panic in the crowd. It was a great

experience meeting him, playing with him and having the chance to talk to

him. We all are big Black Sabbath fans, Pete Steele included". Will you tour

the States again? "Oh yeah, this was just a warm-up support tour. Once the

album is released in late August and we're done with all festivals and tour

dates in Europe, we'll be back to the States to headline our own tour

nationwide".

I remember, last time I interviewed Pete Steele he said that Type

O'Negative is a band that would prefer not to tour if they had the

chance to do so. Does this still hold for the group? "Touring can be fun,

and can be a real big pain in the ass", Josh says. "Sometimes you have to go

on the stage and do your job although you're not in the mood of performing.

It's a job, man, and you have to do it, regardless if you like it or not. On

the other hand, playing music releases the aggression you have inside. At

those times, I really enjoy doing it". What about 'The Origin of the Feces',

I ask him while we're stuck in traffic. Was it a real live album or a joke?

I heard weird stories about it. He smiles and replies "Well, Roadrunner

wanted us to release a live album but we're Type O Negative...we have always

been different and so was this album! What we did when we got into the

studio, was to record all the songs and then add up voices on the background

to make it sound like a live album. We cheated the record company this way,

delivering a 'live' album to them and saving up some money for ourselves!".

Since we were approaching the airport, I started asking him questions about

their forthcoming release 'October Rust'. "It's a slow album, much slower

than what we previously did. Make sure you smoke lots of marijuana and have

sex while you're listening to it", he says. Indeed, 'October Rust' is a

slow-tempo album that hardly reminds the band of 'Slow, Deep and Hard',

their first release back in 1991. "We came into our own thing with our last

album, 'Bloody Kisses'", Josh explains. "The slower stuff, gothic heaviness

and mesmerizing rhythms is what fits our mood the best, that's why 'October

Rust' follows that mood more that anything that we've done before". Is Pete

still the main composer of the band? "Yes he is", Josh replies with no

regrets. " Type O Negative has been his own idea and he is the one who has

defined the style and mood of this band. He comes in with all the parts and

riffs and the remaining members can add or suggest something, but Pete

remains the main axis of the band"...which is not true, I say, since Josh

Silver did a lot of the production on the new album! He smiles, as he lights

another cigarette. "Well, yeah, I did some of the production but I rarely

write any new stuff", he concludes.

Where do you believe Type O Negative will be five or ten years from now, I

ask. "Well, it's hard to believe that we will all still be together into

Type O Negative five years from now", he replies with honesty and continues

" I will still be a musician and I will still be making my living out of

music, that's one thing that's for sure. Music is the only thing I know how

to do and I plan to do it for a long time, but I really doubt that Type O

Negative will be alive for such a long time". A last question as we're

entering the airport. Would you ever pose for Playgirl as Pete Steele did

last summer? "Naaa...", he grumbles out, "I don't have as big a penis as

Pete does". He smiles, picks his suitcase from the trunk and approaches the

check-in area.

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