KENNY HICKEY: TYPE O NEGATIVE Is 'Bigger Than Ever', Thanks To TikTok

In a new interview with Ed Hackimer of This Day In Metal, Kenny Hickey reflected on his time as a member of TYPE O NEGATIVE, which effectively broke up after the passing of frontman Peter Steele in April 2010 from heart failure at the age of 48.

" Well, looking back, I think everything had to be the way it was with TYPE O," the guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I mean, you can always improve on something, but I think, historically, it's become its thing. And nobody's gonna wanna change it. I wouldn't change it now."

TYPE O NEGATIVE originally formed in the late 1980s, following the breakup of Steele's previous band, CARNIVORE. The band existed for 20 years and built a strong following through frequent touring and seven studio albums.

As for how TYPE O's music is viewed by hard rock and heavy metal fans today, Kenny said: "The band's bigger than ever. It's bigger than ever. My youngest [daughter], she's 24 now. I went to [her] college. She was surrounded by TYPE O fans. So we've reached a whole another gen[eration]… Our original generation isn't dead yet, for the most part, and now we've just added another two generations on top of it. So, [we're] doing better than ever, man."

Illustrating how TYPE O NEGATIVE's popularity as grown in recent years, Hickey continued: "We just got a gold single for streams. You know how many streams you need for that? 250 million. That's 250 million streams for [the single] 'I Don't Wanna Be Me'. [It] went viral on TikTok, and it just blew the band up, and then just now all the rest of the music has been exposed to these kids. So that's what's happening. God bless TikTok. God bless TikTok."

Kenny added: "Look at what TikTok did to CROWBAR. I mean, a super-doom heavy band that has no commercial value at all now have 1.9 million listeners on Spotify. They're exploding everywhere, and it's because… It could only happen on TikTok. It was discovered by these kids."

Asked if it's still possible that he could team up with the other surviving members of TYPE O NEGATIVE to stage a Steele tribute concert with various guest musicians, Kenny said: "Logistically right now, no, it's not — it's not possible. But never say never. The offers are out there. But not right now."

Hickey had previously said that former TYPE O NEGATIVE keyboardist Josh Silver, who is married to Kenny's wife's sister, is unwilling to commit to a Steele tribute project, having spent a long time working for New York City as a paramedic.

Kenny also confirmed that a full-length concert recording from the long-defunct band is being prepared for an official release.

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 Hickey, Silver 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.