Decapitated Talk Bangalore Open Air Set and ‘Cancer Culture’ Album

As far as band histories go, Poland’s tech-death metal veterans Decapitated have seen and lived through a lot in nearly 30 years that they’ve been in action. From the tragic passing of their drummer and co-founder Witold Kiełtyka aka Vitek in 2007 to other band members being arrested in 2017 while on tour through the U.S. on criminal charges that was later dropped.

Vitek’s brother Vogg aka Wacław Kiełtyka – the founder of the band and principal composer and guitarist – speaks with Rolling Stone India over an email interview and says, “There is no band on this planet with such a list of tragedies and unlucky situations as we have.” True to the band’s resolve to keep putting music out, he doesn’t see these challenging junctures as a point where they wallowed in pity. He adds, “It’s all about to keep going and never give up. Life is not fair sometimes, and anytime something can change, or something can happen, it’s about standing up and keeping going even if it is hard. After Vitek passed away, it was the hardest times in my life. He was my brother and my music soul so it will never be the same without him but I try to keep going in best way I can. I miss him so much.”

In the years since releasing pulverizing, face-melting death metal songs like “Day 69,” “Homo Sum” and “Spheres of Madness,” Decapitated have become a world-renowned band with eight albums to their name, most recently putting out Cancer Culture in 2022 via Nuclear Blast records. They also made it to India in 2011, headlining the second edition of the erstwhile Deccan Rock festival in Hyderabad.

More than a decade on, Decapitated are making their way back to India, performing at metal festival Bangalore Open Air on February 9th alongside the likes of German thrash legends Kreator, Sweden’s melodic-death metallers In Flames, black metallers Watain and others. Vogg talks about coming back to India, writing songs that emerged out from dark times for the band and what’s coming up next. Excerpts:

Rolling Stone India: What is it like for Decapitated to make its way back to India?

Vogg: We played in India a long time ago in Hyderabad. I remember that festival, it was such a great show. The audience was amazing, and we had a great time. It is great to return to your country, especially in companies like Kreator and Watain.

What kind of memories do you cherish from your last trip to the country? 

It was hot as hell. [laughs] We played soundcheck at 12 noon, and we needed to wear wet towels on our heads because it was just too hot. I think our cables even started to melt. [laughs] But I remember nice people, very friendly and open. Great food and a different culture than here in Europe. I really liked it.

It’s going to be a couple of years since the release of Cancer Culture. How do you look back at how it’s been received by audiences all around? 

Oh, it’s been amazing feedback. It’s a very good record, one of the best in our career. We did a few things that we had never done before in the past, [like] the female voice [of metal band Jinjer’s Tatiana Shmailyuk] on “Hello Death.” [The] album sells very well, so it seems that people love it.

By your own admission, the songs on this album were the product of some really intense and dark times for the band. Since that period in 2017, I think the realization came to the band that things would never be the same again. Did you draw determination from that feeling? 

Everything has an impact on the music when you create – bad times or dark times. Good times can inspire, and dark times can also inspire artists. After 2017, nothing was the same, but we take this as a lesson, and it just works better for us, after all. The album is strong, and we are stronger than ever before.

Decapitated has always been about pushing boundaries when it comes to lyrics and themes. In a world that’s now more closely watching and dissecting ideologies, do you feel the urge to push back even more and write about stuff even if it say, might lose you fans? It also feels very much tied into Cancer Culture! 

We talk about important things that happen on this planet. Also, about things that concern humanity and each of us individually. We are all people; we have many common traits. We have similar problems, regardless of the latitude we live in. Some of our features and behaviors are the same and common to all humanity. We try to write about it and often show some of these issues in a direct and often brutal way. The texts on Cancer Culture are adequate for modern times and describe them well.

What’s going to be in store as part of your setlist at Bangalore Open Air?

Well, I can’t tell you now because it won’t surprise anymore but every Decapitated fan will be happy about the setlist. We have a new album, so a pretty solid part of Cancer Culture plus classics [are included]. We are always trying to make all Decap fans happy. [We] never forget about old albums and older fans that have grown on albums like Nihility or Organic Hallucinosis.

What else is coming up in 2024 for Decapitated?

New music, for sure, and touring. The most important thing for 2024 is our coming back to American territory. We will play a co-headlining tour with Septicflesh, Kataklysm, and Allegaeon in April and May. I will also work on new songs between the tours, so things are rolling. We keep doing what we love and have been doing for years, but now on a different level.

Decapitated perform on February 9th at Bangalore Open Air, held at Bits Club, Hennur. Get tickets here.