
An Unreleased TYPE O NEGATIVE Song From 'October Rust' Sessions Has Been Unearthed: 'It's Worth' Putting It Out As 'A Bonus Track'
April 30, 2026In a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly revealed that he recently unearthed a cassette containing an unreleased song from the songwriting sessions for TYPE O NEGATIVE's fourth studio album, 1996's "October Rust".
"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," Johnny said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET)."
Regarding the origin of the cassette containing the unreleased TYPE O NEGATIVE song, Kelly said: "I would go to [TYPE O NEGATIVE keyboardist] Josh's [Silver] house when we were working on the records. I would always go home — say, after the day, we were working on a song. This was back when cassettes [laughs] were being used. CDs really weren't standard yet as far as in the studio for refs and stuff like that. So 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."
As for the possibility of the song in question being made available in the not-too-distant future, Johnny said: "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… 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…"
He added: "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. But right now I'm just going through the cassettes and seeing what I have."
TYPE O NEGATIVE effectively broke up after the passing of frontman Peter Steele in April 2010 from heart failure at the age of 48. Born Petrus T. Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York, he stood 6' 7" (201 cm) tall, and had a low, bass-heavy voice, which was one of the most recognizable features in TYPE O NEGATIVE's music.
Before forming TYPE O NEGATIVE, Steele played for the metal group FALLOUT and the thrash band CARNIVORE.
TYPE O NEGATIVE, known for its brooding soundscapes and cult status in the 1990s and early 2000s, has recently seen a cultural resurgence as new generations discover the band's genre-defining music.
TYPE O NEGATIVE was a New York–based goth metal band formed in 1990 by Steele, alongside Silver, guitarist Kenny Hickey and drummer Sal Abruscato — later replaced by Kelly. Their 1991 debut, "Slow, Deep And Hard", introduced their brooding style, followed by the provocative "The Origin Of The Feces" (1992). TYPE O NEGATIVE achieved breakthrough success with "Bloody Kisses" (1993),which earned a cult following and featured the single "Black No. 1". The band continued to evolve with albums such as "October Rust" (1996),"World Coming Down" (1999),"Life Is Killing Me" (2003) and "Dead Again" (2007).
Revered for their distinctive blend of goth and metal, as well as Steele's deep, iconic vocals, TYPE O NEGATIVE left a lasting legacy in heavy music. The band concluded in 2010 following Steele's death, but their influence endures across the alternative and metal landscape.
A full-length concert recording from TYPE O NEGATIVE is currently being prepared for a tentative late 2026 or early 2027 release.
Last November, Johnny told Sh!t Talk Reviews about the group's upcoming live album: "We were able to get our hands on a show… And we were gonna put it out with one label, and now I believe we're doing it with Nuclear Blast."
He added: "At this point it's really hard to find stuff that's of any sonic quality that we could release. At this point I'm willing to just repackage bootlegs and put 'em out. Why not? PEARL JAM sells 'em at every show."