Peter Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal

Gothic metal

Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...

 band Type O Negative

Type O Negative

Type O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"...

. Before forming Type O Negative, he had created the metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 group Fallout

Fallout (band)

Fallout was a heavy metal band formed in 1979 based out of Brooklyn, New York, USA. The band contained future Type O Negative members Peter Steele on bass and vocals and Josh Silver on keyboards, as well as John Campos on guitars and Agnostic Front drummer Louie Beateaux on drums...

 and the thrash

Thrash metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

 band Carnivore

Carnivore (band)

Carnivore was an American crossover thrash band formed in Brooklyn, New York by Peter Steele , and was formed out of the ruins of the Brooklyn hard rock group Fallout in 1982.-History:...

.

As the frontman for Type O Negative, Steele was known for his vampiric looks, towering height, rich bass-baritone

Bass-baritone

A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...

 vocals, and a dark, often self-deprecating

Self-deprecation

Self-deprecation, or Self-depreciation, is the act of belittling or undervaluing oneself. It can be used in humor and tension release.-In comedy:...

 sense of humor.