DECAPITATED WILL CONTINUE – BUT IS THAT A GOOD THING?
It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since the tragic car accident that killed 23 year old Decapitated drummer Vitek and injured vocalist Covan so badly injured that he’s still recovering; the announcement a mere week after the accident that the band was signing with Nuclear Blast was cause for optimism that once Covan had fully recovered the band would continue, but here we are after all there this time and there hasn’t been any real news.
Well, apparently the band’s sole remaining member, Waclaw “Vogg” Kieltyka, is going to continue with Decapitated come hell or high water. Lambgoat reports that he’s looking for new members to rebuild Decapitated:
“I was thinking about that for a long time and it’s really hard decision for me, but I have decided to continue this band and keep Decapitated alive. I know it will be not the same anymore but I want to try and I’m sure Witek and Covan will support me and will be happy about that.
“So I want to say that if anybody from drummers and vocalists feel that they can continue what Witek and Covan did and put all power, energy and live time for this band, contact me – [email protected]
“Everyone who is interested, please prepare this tracks: “Day 69”, “Post Organic”, “Invisible Control”, “Long Desired Dementia”, and send it as audio/video format.”
I understand Vogg’s desire to continue on, and I understand that it’s probably easier for him to get people to pay attention to any new projects as long as they fall under the Decapitated name; and, certainly, the hardships Vogg must have endured these past many months makes it difficult to begrudge him any chance of future success.
But I do have to wonder about the wisdom of continuing on under the Decapitated name. Ultimately, this is going to be an almost entirely new band, and given the circumstances under which the old band seems to have dissolved, I’m just not convinced Vogg wouldn’t be better off just starting a new band.
Think of it this way: if Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich had also either died or been rendered unable to play following the bus accident that killed Cliff Burton, would it have been right for James Hetfield to soldier on with the Metallica moniker? It’s one thing to keep a band name long after the original line-up is gone if everyone quit or was fired (see: Megadeth, Napalm Death, etc.), but when death and serious injury come into the picture… I dunno. Philopsophically and ethically, it seems like a much stickier situation to me.
My fellow Decapitated fans, I leave it you to weigh in.
-AR
