Josh Silver was born on November 14, 1962. He became Type O Negative’s keyboardist, backing vocalist and a producer whose responsibilities extended beyond his own performances. On “Love You to Death,” from 1996’s October Rust, he played piano and contributed production and engineering work—a combination that helps explain his place in the band.
His musical connection with Peter Steele began long before Type O Negative. In a 2011 interview with MetalSucks, Silver said he had known Steele since he was 11. They grew up with similar musical tastes and played together in Fallout, a Brooklyn band formed in the late 1970s. After that group broke up, Silver formed Original Sin before he and Steele eventually reunited in Type O Negative. Their shared history helped them understand each other without explaining every idea, although it didn’t spare them arguments. “We each had things that the other didn’t have,” Silver told MetalSucks. Disagreements could end with both men pleased by the recording. Their responsibilities overlapped, too: Steele contributed to production, Silver did some writing, and their bandmates helped develop the music. Silver said he gave songs the same effort whether or not they suited his personal taste.
His production work reached outside the band. In 1993, the year Type O Negative released Bloody Kisses, Silver produced Life of Agony’s debut, River Runs Red. Bassist Alan Robert recalled in a 2023 MetalSucks interview that the relationship began with demos at Silver’s home studio, Sty in the Sky. Silver suggested lowering their tuning from E to D and helped create the album’s dramatic audio scenes. His involvement began while the group was developing its sound and continued into the storytelling woven through its debut.
Silver’s home also became an important workspace for Type O Negative as they prepared October Rust. Guitarist Kenny Hickey told XS Noize in 2021 that much of Bloody Kisses had been developed in rehearsal, with the recording built around live playing and drums tracked first. The approach changed for its follow-up. After extensive touring, the band took time to develop material at Silver’s house before entering the main studio. As his equipment improved, more preparation could happen there. Hickey recalled relying on Silver for production and engineering throughout his time in the band.
By 2007’s Dead Again, Type O Negative was leaving more room for songs to develop during recording. Silver told Dread Central that they had entered the sessions with less fixed material and found that the more open approach gave the album its own character. Live drums also changed the process, with Johnny Kelly’s playing helping push some songs toward a more upbeat feel.
For Silver, a keyboard part didn’t have to sound like a keyboard. He explained in that interview that listeners could mistake keyboards for guitars on October Rust, and guitars for keyboards. The band chose instruments according to the feeling a part needed. He pointed to “These Three Things” on Dead Again as a specific example: the leads at the end were played on keyboards.
