Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly recently revealed that he discovered an unreleased song from the band’s 1996 album sessions. He shared his findings in an interview with Loaded Radio.
Kelly explained how he came across the forgotten track while going through old demo recordings from the band’s archives.
“I dug up a whole bunch of cassettes recently and I found a lot of stuff — demos. I actually found a song that we never used,” Kelly said. “I have a bunch of ref[erence] cassettes from demos that we did and stuff. And then I was just listening to them, and I came across the song. Part of it wound up getting cannibalized. Parts of the song wound up on other songs, on ‘Life Is Killing Me’ and stuff like that. But it’s a complete song.”
The drummer acknowledged that while the song wasn’t considered strong enough for the original album release, it could have value as a bonus track decades later.
“At the time, the song wasn’t strong enough to be on ‘October Rust’. And if we were releasing ‘October Rust’ today, it still wouldn’t make the record,” he continued. “But 30 years later, to release it as a bonus track on something, it’s worth it — it’s worth it for that. Now, if we can get a good transfer from a cassette and actually get a good mastering out of it and make it sound good.”
Kelly also discussed potential release plans. He noted the timing considerations with other Type O Negative projects.
“This year is the 30th anniversary of ‘October Rust’, but I don’t know if it’s good policy to have the [previously announced Type O Negative] live record coming out this year and a box set for ‘October Rust’. Maybe. I don’t know. We’ll have to see,” he said. “But right now I’m just going through the cassettes and seeing what I have.”
The discovery comes as fans await news about potential anniversary releases for the influential gothic metal album.
Kelly’s archaeological dig through the band’s archives has yielded more than just the single unreleased track. It revealed a broader collection of previously unknown material from Type O Negative’s most celebrated era.
Blabbermouth reported that the cassettes Kelly discovered originated from his personal collection that he had taken home from keyboardist Josh Silver’s house after daily songwriting sessions during the October Rust era. This detail provides insight into the band’s creative process during one of their most productive periods, when members would regularly gather at Silver’s residence to develop new material.
The drummer’s excavation efforts have uncovered what Loaded Radio described as a treasure trove of live cassette tapes. These include both soundboard and room recordings featuring the classic lineup of Peter Steele, Kenny Hickey, Josh Silver, and Kelly himself from the band’s peak years between 1994 and 1997. These recordings capture the band during their most influential period, when they were crafting the sound that would define gothic metal for generations.
The unreleased track has already received endorsement from another surviving band member. Blunt Magazine noted that guitarist Kenny Hickey expressed his support for the song during the same interview, stating “I like the song.” This approval from Hickey, who was instrumental in shaping Type O Negative’s distinctive guitar sound, adds weight to the potential value of releasing the previously unheard material.
The timing of this discovery coincides with growing interest in Type O Negative’s legacy, as the band continues to influence new generations of metal musicians despite the death of frontman Peter Steele in 2010. Kelly’s methodical approach to cataloging the band’s unreleased material suggests that fans may have more surprises in store as he continues to work through the extensive archive of cassettes from the band’s most creative period.
