In April 2007, Steele revealed that he began identifying himself as Roman Catholic in recent years, after decades of self-professed atheism. In an interview with "Decibel" magazine, Steele explained: "There are no atheists in foxholes, they say, and I was a foxhole atheist for a long time. But after going through a midlife crisis and having many things change very quickly, it made me realize my mortality. And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere. I also can't believe that people like Stalin and Hitler are gonna go to the same place as Mother Teresa." Steele's biography "Soul On Fire – The Life And Music Of Peter Steele" was penned by Metal Maniacs editor Jeff Wagner, and was released in 2013. None of the surviving band members cooperated with Wagner in the creation of the book. Steele died of sepsis caused by diverticulitis (initially reported as heart failure) on April 14, 2010 at the age of 48. Prior to his death, he was preparing to write and record new music. The remaining members of Type O Negative decided to dissolve the band rather than replace Steele, with Johnny Kelly stating "Even if there is somebody who could take his place it wouldn't matter. We don't have any interest in continuing. It's impossible – it hasn't even come up in any kind of discussion. When Peter died, Type O Negative died with him." On November 21, 2011, an oak tree was planted in Prospect Park to commemorate Steele. Following his death, the metal band Voyager penned a track entitled "Iron Dream" in memory of Steele, released on their 2011 album "The Meaning of I". Lacuna Coil wrote the song "My Spirit" in memory of Steele for their 2012 album "Dark Adrenaline". The Moonspell song "New Tears Eve", from the 2012 album "Alpha Noir / Omega White", is dedicated to Steele. Biohazard dedicated their 2012 album "Reborn in Defiance" to Steele. Swallow the Sun wrote the song "April 14th" as a tribute to Steele for their 2012 album "Emerald Forest and the Blackbird". Meridian Dawn recorded a cover version of the Type O Negative song "I Don't Wanna Be Me" in tribute to Steele for their 2014 debut release "The Mixtape EP". The Crowbar song "Symbolic Suicide", from the 2014 album "Symmetry in Black", is inspired by the legacy of Peter Steele.