It's never easy to recover from tragedy. Just ask the Polish technical death metal juggernaut Decapitated, who lost their acclaimed drummer Vitek to a horrible automobile accident last year while on tour, an accident that also seriously injured singer Covan. What was such a promising and fastly growing career now sees the band on indefinite hiatus, unsure of just how to proceed, if at all. Despite all this, the band has released an excellent DVD called Human's Dust, a collection of live performances of the band from 2002-2004, that shows what a formidable unit they were early in their career. Guitarist Vogg spoke with Sea of Tranquility Publisher Pete Pardo about the late drum virtuoso Vitek, the DVD, and the present situation of Decapitated.
SoT: The last year has been pretty tumultuous for the band. If you can, please talk about the accident and how the band has tried to recover from it in the months after it.
Vogg: It's really hard to talk about this.We had the accident in Russia one day before the last show on this tour...My brother Vitek as you know died,and Covan is still recovering. I can say only that time makes things better...
SoT: Vitek was a one of a kind drummer, who was being praised as one of the best of the new breed of extreme metal drummers. Can you talk a little bit about him, and what he was like as a person both on the stage and away from the music?
Vogg: He was a beautiful person, such a great human being.He was always smiling, helpful, and friendly to everybody, so talented, and a real hard working person.He was my brother and my best friend...I cannot imagine that I will never talk to him or play with him again. Jamming with him was everything for me, everything that I loved. I was always proud of whatever he did, because he was so briliant, and such a good man.I can't believe he is not here now.
SoT: Our heartfelt condolences go out to you-this is such a terrible loss. How is Covan recovering from the accident?
Vogg: Covan is still recovering. I'm sorry, but I cannot talk about his condition now. I can only say that he needs a lot of time to recover...perhaps 1, 2, maybe 3 years? Nobody knows at this point.
SoT: Wow, that's tough...so, what are the future plans for Decapitated? Is the band going to continue on?
Vogg: I'm still thinking about that but I don't know what to say at this point...it's still too early.
SoT: On another note, the band has a new DVD out capturing live footage from 2002 &
2004-how does it feel to see these great live concerts, when the band was still maturing and in the process of becoming the technical death metal machine that you fully became by 2005/2006?
Vogg: I'm so proud of this DVD actually.We were young but we tried to do the best that we could. Sometimes, for me, its funny to see us playing with such seriously bad faces (laughs) and without any experience on stage, but I like this DVD, and it reminds me a lot of good times and I think the shows are wonderful.
SoT: Of the few Decapitated CD's you recorded, which one do you believe is the strongest overall, and why?
Vogg: I don't know. I like all of them,you know. Those albums are like a story for me,like a story of my life since we started the band. Each album is different and it's hard for me to say which i like the most and which one is the strongest overall.
SoT: What are some of the most memorable tours, and which bands did you like playing with the most?
Vogg: There were a couple of amazing tours we did and we will never forget them. I'll never forget the first UK tour we played with Lock Up and Corporation 187 because that was our first real tour with real metal heros like Jassy Pintado and Shane Embury.I have really good memories after touring with our friends from Vader, Krisiun,Hypocrisy,Gorreroted, Necrophagist,Cephalic Carnage,Suffocation and many many more amazing bands. For me all the tours that we did were amazing even though we had some problems with promotors,drivers etc...nevermind. It was always good to be on tour.
SoT: Any new bands that you admire?
Vogg: Blindead, Ketha, The Faceless, Suicidal Silence, Gojira, and Divine Heresy I all like a lot.
SoT: The metal scene in Poland has been very strong for a few years now. What is the relative popularity of bands like Vader, Behemoth, Riverside, Decapitated, etc, compared to other common acts in Poland?
Vogg: I think the bands you are talking about, they make music they are serious about and believe in what they do. I know Peter and Nergal and I can say that those guys work so hard to get where they are these days.
SoT: Is there any message you would like to give to the many Decapitated fans regarding the past and future of the band?
Vogg: I wana say thanks so much to all the people who have supported us for years. Enjoy life and do the best in whatever you do. Thanks!
Pete Pardo
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