Interview

Blind Greed Chats About Feces, Sluts, And Type O Negative's Peter Steele

Taking on one of Type O Negative's most memorable and iconic songs for Metalunderground.com's recently released Peter Steele tribute album, Arizona based act Blind Greed heroically stepped in to save the day when another band dropped out late into the project.

It should come as no surprise to Metalunderground regulars that someone as obsessed with bowel movements as Blind Greed vocalist Clyde would be a fan of the fallen legend who brought us "The Origin of the Feces." Drummer Jim Casner, keyboardist Fat Tony, vocalist Clyde, bassist Mike Bright, rhythm guitarist Rob Fletcher, and lead guitarist Brad Coletti all recently shared their thoughts on how the group approached such a well known song and how Peter's music helped them through tough times.

Read on to see what the band members had to say about being exposed to Type O Negative, or check out the band's Reverbnation, Facebook, and MySpace pages to hear Blind Greed's music.

xFiruath: Do you recall where you were or what you were doing when the news broke that Peter had died?

Clyde: I was talking “shit” on Metalunderground when the story posted. I felt the usual onslaught of emotions that everyone feels when an icon dies.

xFiruath: Where did the recording take place for your cover song?

Mike Bright: The Sanctuary. The process went well. We had some minor technical problems with equipment but the secret is Rolled Gold pretzels and lots of beer!

xFiruath: When recording, did you try to stick close to the original or put your own spin on the music?

Clyde: We came into this project far later in the game then the rest of the artists involved. Add to that the fact that we chose the song that basically put Type O on the map and at that point it was a no-brainer. We stuck to the original as best we could. We added our own flavor to the parts that we thought we had free reign on but for the most part we felt it was pertinent to showcase Peter Steele as well as the original structure and composition of the song. As I stated on MU we tried to get the birds to chirp the way I wanted them to but in the end we dumped their tracks and ate them.

xFiruath: When did you first get exposed to Type O Negative or any of Peter’s other bands?

Jim Casner: My “brother” Matt Cummings turned me on to them back in 1995.

xFiruath: Which Type O Negative album have you listened to the most and what do you dig about it?

Jim Casner: “Slow Deep and Hard,” I first heard it after breaking up with a “Slut… Whore… Cunt.” There isn’t a better CD for those times in my opinion and never has any band made such eloquent use of the word “twat” in a song.

xFiruath: Got a favorite Type O Negative music video or one that’s stuck with you the most?

Fat Tony: I would say “Christian Woman” because it dropped at a time when I was looking for anything darker than alternative or punk and more meaningful than thrash. It was exactly what Goth should have been.

xFiruath: Other than contributing to the tribute album, what’s been going on with your band lately?

Rob Fletcher: We’ve been doing a lot of rehearsing and demos in preparation to record a new album.

xFiruath: Been to any good shows lately or seen anything crazy at a concert?

Rob Fletcher: Hell yeah! Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie. Rob came out into the crowd and sang right behind me.

xFiruath: Does your band have any upcoming live shows?

Brad Coletti: Yes, as a matter of fact we have a show at the Pima County Fair the day after this tribute drops.

xFiruath: Metal has lost several legends recently. Who do you think will come up as the new metal icons to influence future generations of musicians?

Clyde: I think this remains to be seen. Certainly everyone involved in this project has a chance to make their mark on the scene. As this metal gear continues to turn I’m constantly reminded that paradigms continue to expand and collapse respectively. Every day someone new hits the scene and titans from the past continue to amaze me. All I can say for sure is that it’s a really good time for anyone who is metal and metal is good for anyone who chooses metal as a way of life and that is as it should be.

xFiruath: Anything else you’d like to say?

Clyde: Yes of course I would! However, I don’t think the readers of MU are truly interested in my affinity for feces smearing so how about we just celebrate the shooting star that was Peter Steele. Cheers!

Ty Arthur splits his time between writing dark fiction, spreading the word about underground metal bands, and bringing you the latest gaming news. His sci-fi, grimdark fantasy, and horror novels can be found at Amazon.