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Monday 17 April 2017

Editorial: April, 2017



Whoops! OK, so I'm even later with this month's editorial. Once again, life and the days seem to be flying by quicker than I can get through my to-do list. So apologies if you actually read this and were wondering what the hell I've been up to (I doubt it but it is nice to believe sometimes).

As usual I'm going to start by once again thanking everyone who has downloaded our latest compilation so far, and give double thanks to those who have donated some money for it. If you have already downloaded it please recommend it to your friends. If you haven't got round to downloading it yet (and if you haven't where have you been so far?) and can just spare a £1 donation, it will all go towards kicking blood cancer's ass! If you can't donate, that's fine too, but please do make sure you check out more from the awesome band's that made this possible!

But what is my topic of conversation this month. Well I think it has to be a brief look back at the tour de force that was Peter Steele seven years on (Good Friday to be exact) from his untimely passing.


Everyone has a band that speaks to them. That one band that you ‘Get’, that has never released an album you didn’t like, that has a song for every mood you’ve ever had or will have. Type O Negative were that band for me. A band to be a little fanatical for.

As I’m writing this I’m on my third rotation of 'October Rust'. Ask any genuine metal fans though, and there will be nods of agreement amongst them that this album was the bands finest moment alongside their breakthrough 'Bloody Kisses', and it ensured their place in the annals of music. For me it was the first album I genuinely and whole-heartedly loved. In the eighteen years since buying it, whenever I need motivation, a pick me up, or something cathartic to help put my mind at ease – this album has been the soundtrack.

When the news first broke of Peter Steele's death in 2010, I suppose like a lot of people I was sceptical at the news at first. The band famously made a bad joke about Peter’s death in 2005 on their website, when in fact he was at the time detained in a psych ward due to his substance abuse. But the second time around, it felt different, the outpouring of grief from people was so immediate and all too genuine.

It was later confirmed by the band to be true and in the weeks/months that followed it was confirmed that heart failure, possibly linked to Peter’s well documented years of substance abuse, was the cause of his untimely death. A cruel twist due to his newly found sobriety and at what would have been at the start of the next album writing cycle for the band.

Type O’s musical legacy is one fuelled by Steele’s personal demons. From substance abuse, bad break-ups, and family tragedies they all went into creating a palette to draw from. But it was also one that drew from his passions and humour too. Songs like ‘We Hate Everybody’, ‘Kill All The White People’ and covers such as ‘Angry Inch’ showed that it wasn’t always doom and gloom, even if the humour was a little black. Instead the band , with Peter at the helm, created a unique sound that bridged alien influences such as The Beatles, Black Sabbath, and The Sisters of Mercy and moulded them to suit.

But that was Type O Negative and Peter Steele - unique, contradictory, brilliant, and genuine.
In other news, we're on the hunt for a few new regular contributors to add to our staff. If you're interested in doing some reviews or even just a monthly column, please contact us at intravenousmagazine@gmail.com and we'll take it from there. What kind of person are we looking for? Well we're after people who are motivated, committed and eager to take the time to build up a list of PR and label contacts.

For more information on writing for IVM please visit HERE.

Finally in other news, I'd like to again extend the invitation to established scene DJs, artists, and bands to contribute guest DJ mixes that we will host on Mixcloud. What we're thinking is a series of hour-long mixes showing off new and classic acts which we will feature on Mixcloud as well as the Intravenous Magazine website. If anyone is interested, please contact us at the above email address.

And as always make sure you have these links in your favourites:




PS: The new logo is nearly finished...