Inner Decay
Chicago’s Inner Decay, a melodic death metal band with a particular love for their chosen genre’s wicked and twisted past. Their debut album Souls of War is a concept album about the horrors of war and the importance of family, and is an ostentatious statement for such a young band. Their latest single “Lure of the Wicked,” was released late last year and demonstrates that they continue an upward swinging trajectory in both talent and ambition. I was able to catch up with guitarist and founder Tomasz Bielski and bassist Alfred Mulle after the Winter Solstice and they graciously answered a couple of questions about their inspirations and future plans.
ID: Inner Decay
How is your New Years starting out? Have you made any resolutions yet?
ID: Our only resolution this year is to finish writing and recording our next album!
What was the best show you played in 2019?
ID: We enjoyed every single show in 2019 and it’s really hard to pick the best one. We had the honor of opening for some legendary bands like Flotsam and Jetsam or Vital Remains. So those are definitely worth mentioning.
You just played Forever Deaf Fest back in December? How did that go for you?
ID: FDF went surprisingly well for a middle of the week show. Definitely a night to remember. We hope that Fest grows bigger every year and we hope we get to play it again sometime in the future.
We seem to be in the middle of a death metal revival right now, why do you think death metal is having a moment in the spotlight? Who is to blame?
ID: Well death metal never really went away. You just need to know where to find it. Part of the “revival” is due to social media and services like Spotify. It’s easier than ever to find and listen to bands from all over the world without leaving your couch. And then you have organizations like the NYDM (New York Death Militia) who have chapters in every state and in several countries. They’ve been around for 20 years helping to support and further the underground metal scene.
What would you tell someone who wasn't into death metal to convince them to give it a shot?
ID: Well that all depends on if they like metal at all! You’d have to ease them into it with the “lighter” stuff and then expose them to different genres of death metal. They may not like brutal death metal but might like black metal or folk metal. You just have to let them feel it out themselves.
Where does the inspiration for your music come from? Both musically, and in terms of life experience.
ID: Musically our inspirations are all the bands that we got into when we were very young in the early ‘90s. Definitely bands like Death, Sepultura, Kreator just to name a few. As to life experiences Tom grew up in Poland and even though communism ended there in 1989, the early ’90s with all the transition to democracy was a pretty dark period. Music was the easiest way to feel connected with the wider world. Extreme music was a way of life for many young people during that time. There was definitely a sense of brotherhood.
What are your plans for 2020 (besides surviving the winter)?
ID: Keep writing new material, basically. We’re approaching the point when we’ll be ready to enter a studio to record our second full length. We don’t have any deadline though. We want to take our time and make sure we feel confident about the new songs. Definitely putting out the best possible album we can is our main goal at the moment.
Your debut LP Souls of War was a complete concept album. Was it daunting to release a complete statement like that right out of the gate? How do you approach writing a project like that?
ID: Most of the songs for our debut album were written in a short period of time before the band was established. That’s where the feeling of consistency is probably coming from. And then once Silvestre hopped on board on vocals, we agreed on the idea of a concept and lyrics with war as the main theme. Now our new material is being written in quite a different way and through a longer process. So, the idea of a concept album won’t be the case here. Also, we went through several lineup changes between that album and our next one, so it naturally will be quite a different album, which we find very exciting.
Who are some metal and/or heavy bands here in Chicago who you think deserve more recognition?
ID: Chicago’s scene is so diverse and there are so many talented bands. Just to mention a few of our friends: Crusadist just released a crushing album that’s well worth checking out. Our friends in Blood of the Wolf always deliver a brutal and precise performance and they’ll be opening for Polish legends Vader in March. That is a show not to miss. Also, our good friends in Ditheist are getting back together after a hiatus with some changes in the lineup. If you’re a fan of old school twisted death metal Ditheist is definitely a band to follow.
Dream bill, all local. Go!
ID: Novembers Doom, Cianide, Broken Hope, Bones, Usurper
Best places to grab a bite in Chicago before a metal show?
ID: Depends on the venue. Kuma’s is a great choice, however, if a show is at Reggies, their food is awesome!
Do you have any shows coming up that you'd like people to know about?
ID: We are super stoked to be a part of Blades of Steel Fest that will be taking place in Milwaukee in April. Some legends on that bill so hopefully we can get some of the Chicago crowd headed up there with us. A great event that’s worth a trip to Wisconsin. It’s not that far after all.
Inner Decay will play along with around twenty other phenomenal bands as part of Milwaukee’s Blades of Steel Fest, on April 10 at Club Garibaldi’s. Three Tremors will be headlining among others. Single-day passes are $35. Three-day passes are $90. Get your tickets here.
Just announced: Inner Decay are opening for Napalm Death and Aborted at Reggies on April 24th. Tix are on sale Friday, January 31st for $20.
Transcript has been edited from the original for purposes of clarity.