RAGINPIT MAGAZINE

As I arrived at The Pound for this all-day outdoor metalfest and got myself situated, I entered the tour bus that both Decapitated and Hypocrisy share on their "Annihilation of the Wicked" tour. This tour includes the following bands: Hypocrisy, Soilent Green, and RaginSpeedhorn. I was greeted very warmly by Covan, singer of Decapitated.

He approached me and said, "Are you the girl from Raginpit?" I responded, "Yes I am." Since I was there to interview Hypocrisy, I automatically assumed that he was one of the band members of Hypocrisy. After talking to him for a bit, I found out that he is with Decapitated. So after talking a while longer, I decided to grant him an impromptu interview. Actually, it was cool because it threw a little monkey wrench into my plan and sometimes doing things in which you hadn't planned on is a good thing; it keeps you on your toes. Now, as you have probably already guessed, I don’t know much about Decapitated, but I do know that they have been around for some time.

Decapitated formed in 1996 in Krosno, South Poland. The average age for the members of Decapitated when they started was only fourteen years old. The members all attended music school and then began playing their own style of music, much to the chagrin of their peers. For the most part, the style and intensity of their music was shunned by the masses, but in true metal form, they pressed on and continued to take death metal to new heights. I sat down with the newest member, Covan and talked with him about his perspectives on life, metal, and music.

So you’re the singer - the shouter and screamer? [Laugh]

Covan: Yes, I’m the shouter [Laughs]. I’m here to express emotional states.

That’s what metal is, man - getting all the frustrations out and expressing yourself from your gut.

Covan: Yeah you're right, you're quite right because writing lyrics and then performing on stage gives you a chance to shout it out loud. During the day, you have a lot of shit going on or whatever and you're trying to express it out.

You know, I’m a concert goer. I go to shows all the time and I mosh and get into shows [at this point Covan gives big "hell yeah" to me], but I'll tell ya, going to show after show is exhausting and tiring. What’s the hardest thing about touring?

Covan: The traveling and hearing the engine in the bus 24 hours a day. The sound tires you out. Sometimes you need to chill out and go to the seaside or the woods and listen to the fucking birds... whatever. Maybe I don’t sound death metal, but it's true: you need a day off.

How do you not lose your mind while on tour? What do you do to keep yourself sane?

Covan: It’s very easy to catch depression sometimes on the bus... Well, ya know, you have friends to talk to and it helps.

How old are you and how long have you been in Decapitated?

Covan: I’m 26 and the new singer. They called me just before summer. Everything was rushed because I had to do a festival, like in two weeks and had to learn the songs. It was my first experience with death metal. The other band I was in was a completely different band. It was a weird type of music, with thrash guitars and theatrical sounds. Jeff Walker from Carcass was in it - totally different type of music. It’s like jumping from the lake to the sea [laughs]. It’s big fun and an experience.

That’s good you're trying new music - it helps you expand and grow as a singer.

Covan: Yes. The people I work with are very professional and I learned more in six months with this band then the nine years with my former band.

What have you learned?

Covan: I have learned to build vocal lines. I did it my own way, but they taught me a different way. It was a sharing experience. Some bands are in the same position year after year and don’t grow. Sometimes people close themselves and not learn new styles and stay in the same position.

Is this your first big tour with Decapitated?

Covan: No. It’s the first with the big bands like Nile and Hypocrisy and Anthrax. Wow! I grew up listening to these guys!

When you're up on stage, what are you thinking about?

Covan: When people mosh, it gives me energy. Sometimes I get on stage and I think, "God, what to do...?" Sometimes I feel confused. We're not used to playing open-air during the day, so the sunlight sometimes destroys my feelings.

How was the crowd response for you guys?

Covan: For being the second band, it was good.

When do you guys head back to Poland?

Covan: 'Til the 14th of February. We have 4 days break then running our butts to England for a couple of days of shows. We have management issues that need to be straightened out.

So what is going on?

Covan: It's always about money issues. Sometimes management likes to hide something from the bands. You play for ten years and still play for a case of beer and food... come on! When you get older, you got bills to pay. We can’t afford to live alone and I share a place with friends. I have business with my family so that helps out. [They offer me a beer and we clink glasses.]

Organic Hallucinosis is your new release on Earache Records?

Covan: Yes. This is the last album for Earache and we'll be looking for a new label.

What are your goals for this band and your personal goals?

Covan: To tell you the truth, when I was a kid, I started listening to metal. I was like, “It would be great to form a band,” and we start playing. My next dream was to record. Now I have with Decapitated. I don’t know… just to go further and record the next album, to have fun. We're still young.

It was fun and interesting learning about this band from Poland. These guys were cool and down-to-earth. I like that. No stuck up attitudes here. So, Raginpit readers, go and pick up their latest release, Organic Hallucinosis, out now on Earache Records.

You can also find out more about Decapitated at the following sites:

www.earacherecords.com
www.myspace.com/decapitatedpl

Pitgirl signing off.