Peter Steele in the 80s:
Carnivore Era Photos

The Birth of Carnivore: Brooklyn's Barbarian Thrash Machine

Photos from this formative period, circa 1983-1985, depict Steele as a hulking proto-metal god. One enduring shot, often circulated in fanzines like Rip Magazine, shows him shirtless on a Brooklyn rooftop, veins bulging from his gym-honed arms, a chain necklace dangling over his chest hair, with the Manhattan skyline faintly visible behind him. His expression is pure defiance—lips curled in a sneer, eyes locked on the camera as if daring the world to challenge him. These images, shot by local photographer Maria Ferraro (a fixture in the NY metal scene), capture Steele's 80s aesthetic: leather pants, studded wristbands, and a mane of hair that would grow even wilder as the decade progressed. "We were barbarians," Steele later reflected in a 1990s interview with Kerrang!, "playing for blood and beer in basements where the sweat drowned the amps."

Carnivore's live shows were legendary for their violence and spectacle. Black-and-white photos from L'Amour in Brooklyn (1984) reveal Steele mid-rant, microphone stand gripped like a battle axe, crowd-surfing over a sea of fists. The band's logo—a snarling wolf head devouring a prey—emblazoned on banners and jackets, became a staple in these shots, symbolizing their "eat or be eaten" ethos.

Carnivore* (1986): The Debut That Shook the Underground

Roadrunner Records signed Carnivore in 1985, leading to their self-titled debut album released on October 1, 1986. Produced by engineer Norman Dunn at the Music Building in Manhattan, the record featured 10 tracks of unrelenting thrash, including anthems like "Predator," "Carnivore," and a blistering cover of Kiss's "Black Diamond." Steele's lyrics reveled in machismo and apocalypse: "The predator's always been here / Predator's still here / Predator's always near," he bellowed on the title track, a mantra that defined the band's identity.

Carnivore era photos from the 1986 promo cycle are gold for fans. The album cover itself—a stark black-and-white portrait of Steele, Beato, and The Boss in a dimly lit studio—shows Steele front and center, topless with a pentagram medallion, his 26-year-old frame rippling under stage lights. Interior gatefold shots capture the trio in action: Steele's sweat-slicked torso during a studio jam, drum kit splintered from Beato's onslaught, and The Boss shredding a Gibson Flying V. Live photos from CBGB's that fall, snapped by Village Voice contributor Jack Mitchell, freeze Steele in a berserker pose—legs spread wide, head thrown back, veins popping as he unleashes "Iron Priest," a track railing against vegetarianism with lines like "Herbivores get out of our circle!"

These images highlight Steele's 80s evolution: from street tough to metal icon. A candid series from a 1986 European tour mini-doc (bootlegged on VHS) shows him in Amsterdam, arm-wrestling fans in a dive bar, his laughter booming amid cigarette smoke. Fans on forums like Metal Archives note how these photos foreshadow Type O Negative's brooding sexuality—Steele's piercing blue eyes and chiseled jaw already hinting at the baritone crooner to come.

Retaliation* (1987): Peak Carnivore Fury and Final Stand

Carnivore's sophomore effort, Retaliation, dropped in September 1987 via Roadrunner, cementing their cult status. Clocking in at 42 minutes, it ramped up the extremity with tracks like "Retaliation," "The City Is Dead," and "World Wars III & IV," blending Steele's death growls with proto-death metal riffs. The album's cover—a explosive collage of war imagery and the band in combat gear—mirrors the era's Reagan-era paranoia. Notably, it featured guest spots from Agnostic Front's Louie Beato (no relation to the drummer) and Madball's Freddy Cricien, tying Carnivore to NY hardcore royalty.

Photos from the Retaliation sessions and tours are the crown jewels of Peter Steele in the 80s iconography. A promotional still from July 1987 shows Steele in full battle regalia: camo pants, a bandolier of guitar picks, and a mohawk-tinged mohawk, posing with a prop machine gun in a Brooklyn warehouse. Shot by photographer Glen E. Friedman (known for capturing punk's raw edge), this image screams 80s excess. Live shots from The Ritz in Manhattan (October 1987) capture the chaos: Steele stage-diving into a pit during "Sex and Religion," his massive frame crushing barriers, blood trickling from a split lip. One viral photo sequence from a Cro-Mags co-bill shows him shirtless under red gels, tattoo of a skull emerging on his bicep (inked that summer), roaring "Give me the meat from the bone!"

Steele himself embodied the album's themes. In a rare 1987 Metal Forces interview, he declared, "Retaliation is about fighting back against the weak—meat-eaters unite!" These words, paired with photos of him devouring raw steak backstage (a staple anecdote), paint a larger-than-life persona. The band's final lineup tweak—adding bassist David "Blackie" Tambone—appears in late-80s shots from European festivals, like the 1987 Aardschokdag in Netherlands, where Steele towers over fans, beer in hand.

The Carnivore Demise and Steele's Transformation

Carnivore imploded in 1988 amid lineup shifts and label frustrations. Ross The Boss departed for Manowar, and internal clashes ended the band after a final Brooklyn gig at The Funhouse on December 17, 1988. Photos from that night—Steele drenched in sweat, hugging Beato amid feedback—mark the era's poignant close. Bootleg images circulated in zines like Maximum Rocknroll, showing a post-show Steele, exhausted but grinning, chain-smoking on a fire escape.

These Carnivore era photos transitioned Steele into the 90s. By 1989, he'd form Type O Negative with Kenny Hickey, Josh Silver, and Sal Abruscato, softening his image toward gothic romance. Yet the 80s shots endure: a 1985 Polaroid of Steele flexing in a gym mirror, annotated "Carnivore Power"; a 1987 tour bus candid with the band chugging Jack Daniel's; even rare color slides from a 1986 photoshoot in Prospect Park, his pale skin contrasting black leather.

Iconic Photos and Their Lasting Legacy

Compiling Peter Steele in the 80s: Carnivore Era Photos reveals patterns: omnipresent nudity or near-nudity (Steele often stripped onstage), weapons as props (axes, chains), and urban decay backdrops. Key collections include:

• Maria Ferraro's Brooklyn Series (1984-1986): Street portraits emphasizing Steele's height and build.
• Glen E. Friedman Live Shots (1987): High-energy pits at The Ritz and CBGB's.
• Promo Packs (1986-1987): Studio glamour with a thrash twist, distributed via Roadrunner.

Digitized on sites like Metal Injection and fan archives, these images have surged in popularity post-Steele's death on April 14, 2010, from heart failure at age 48. A 2017 Metal Injection piece celebrated Retaliation's 30th anniversary with a Bowery Electric gig featuring Cro-Mags, reprinting 80s photos and calling Carnivore "a barbarian thrash band way ahead of its time."

Today, these photos authenticate Steele's origins—a Brooklyn beast whose Carnivore roar echoed through metal history. They remind us that before the velvet cloaks and bass grooves of Type O Negative, Peter Steele was pure 80s metal mayhem, captured forever in frames of sweat, steel, and savagery.

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