I) Hi JA, how are you? I won’t ask you to give me a biography, it would be so long, but as we’ve just gone through a brand new year, what is the conclusion that you could draw from that past year? Some new decisions to make for 2004 ? 

DKD- Greetings Olivier and everyone else that may be reading these lines. The last year was a big mess for DKD due to the departure of JM and problems with a few releases. In March I had to compose the split CD with URN on my own so that Tormentor (drums) [ndlr: DESASTER, METALUCIFER] could learn the songs. I waited for JM to show up until I couldn’t wait no more. I’ve been looking for musicians here in Portugal to play live again, but no one seems to be interested or has the balls to be in a “real band”. Anyway, last year was good in terms of creativity (I already recorded around 40 minutes of new material) but everything else sucked! The new album isn’t selling that well here in Portugal and people who were supposed to support the band have gone in other paths… Decisions for 2004… Probably time to start looking for a new label and find musicians to go back on stage and perform our Metal rituals. 

II) According to what I heard, the newest split LP/CD must soon be released and you didn’t use a drums machine, but you summoned a real drummer and a new guitarist (they apparently stem both from Germany). Do you have something to tell us about this? What do you think of the German scene ? 

DKD- Yes I have something to tell. I only asked Tormentor to do the drums; everything else was played by me, except for some female vocals done by a Portuguese friend. I decided to work with Tormentor cause since I’ve met DESASTER in the Summer of 02 we’ve been in contact and Tormentor kept on saying that he would love to play for DKD so I just did it and I’m glad I did cause it turned out very interesting. It was great to work again with a drummer. It’s always great to see how a song changes when other musicians add their own special touch to it. The German scene is just like all the others, great bands, good bands, shitty bands. So it was, so it is and so it shall be ! 

III) DECAYED is considered black-metal for some people, and death-metal for others, as the band deals with the 1980’s feeling including a mix of black, thrash & speed. BM & DM now separated into 2 different directions… What is your point of view about the evolution of both styles ? 

DKD- I don’t like it. Eheh! What can I tell you… I think that Death Metal went brutal (I like to understand what a vocalist is singing) and Black Metal went… crap! Folk shit, Tekno shit, feeble screams (called “evil” by some). My sister says that most BM vocalists sound like little girls. Ahah! How low can you go? There is no evolution (or most isn’t evolution) there is just people without goals, almost everyone is lost and they all want to be original (whatever that may be) and that just isn’t for me. When I started to listen to Metal in 1986 I did it cause Metal was everything I wanted in music. So, why change perfection ? 

IV) You have more than 90 songs and about 20 covers (BATHORY, CELTIC FROST, VENOM, etc.). Do you aim at showing your admiration of these bands? What do you think of the evolution of these bands? What do you think of Quorthon, of his way of composing, as he though keeps certain hindsight towards business & fashion ? 

DKD- Like I just said above, I worship Metal so yes I like to pay tribute to a certain Era. Nowadays I don’t like to say that I pay homage to the bands as most of them (if not all) suck and I think that we must separate the musician from the human. Some humans have the capacity to create godly works, but that doesn’t mean that as humans they are anything to admire. Recently I’ve met the guitarists of EXODUS. Although their 3 first albums are of my faves, they (humans) are nothing compared to John Connelly (NUCLEAR ASSAULT) that I met the same day. Now, that is a remarkable human. I was dead drunk talking about how great they were in the 80’s and he left saying that he would return to finish the conversation. Obviously I didn’t expect that he actually would return, but five minutes latter he was back and went: “You were saying”… Shit man! That had an impact on me. But I think that this wasn’t the question… It’s just that so many people talk about what real Underground is and what John did is Real Underground in my eyes. Anyway, there is no old band that I listen to nowadays, or at least I can’t recall one now. As for Quorthon, he did some decent works (Hammer, Twilight, Blood) but everything else… and his ideals don’t work for me. In fact, he should have dropped the name after “Blood Fire Death”, that was the last BATHORY album. 

V) I heard that the split cd with DECAYED / LUX FERRE & CORPUS CHRISTII had been cancelled by War Prod & Nightmare Prod. What happened? And what do you think of CORPUS CHRISTII that you often quote in your interviews? What do you feel when they quote DECAYED as a main influence or when the bands say they admire your works and longevity ? 

DKD- Apparently, Nightmare Prod wasn’t pleased with my refusal in using a photo of dead Jews (already used by millions of NS bands) for the cover so they cancelled the CD. Let’s face it, even if it wasn’t a well known photo, if the CD was all Portuguese why use a German photo? It made no sense to me. I don’t like the music of CC if that is what you want to know. They have some cool ideas, but it isn’t my cup of tea. But I have no problems with the guys behind the band, we now and then meet at some pubs and have a few beers together. We’re just separated by a few years. What? Does anyone really admit to actually admiring DKD? I know that almost everyone knows about us and admire our work (or at least that is what I get when I contact bands for trades and ask if they know of me) but I hardly (if ever) read it somewhere. 

VI) You know Johan from the Belgian death-metal SUHRIM. How have you succeeded in creating MANTIIS ? 

DKD- I spent a month in his house, drinking, smoking, listening to Metal and one night we just started talking that we should do a band with Gemini/Rats (both me and Johan are plus Paul - drummer of SUHRIM) and thanks to the booze we quickly came up with the band name, the style to play and everything else actually. When Metal runs in your veins you are part of a World Metal Brethren and things just work out. Just like with Tormentor. We had never played together but after 5 minutes we were already playing as One. By the way, anyone interested in releasing that EP ? 

VII) Why have you decided to re-record old songs from the ALASTOR period? ALASTOR’s influences are close to thrash from the 1980’s with yelled vocals à la WHIPLASH / ONSLAUGHT. Can you tell us about the forthcoming album? Do you intend to write Portuguese lyrics once again ? 

DKD- In 95, after the release of the MCD “In Lustful Mayhem” we had nothing to do cause the label had all these stupid rules, so I just started playing those old songs and then we just recorded them, me and JM that is. I don’t like to just hang around and not create something now and then. The forthcoming album will be released in August and I have just remixed it and sung on 2 songs cause due to the vanishing of JM, those 2 songs were without vocals. So now the album is (once again) ready. To me it sounds a bit more like the debut. All lyrics for ALASTOR will always be in Portuguese. I think that it give us a nice difference from the rest. 

VIII) You have already performed live in France with IMPIETY & ABIGAIL in 2000, and that was the longest tour of DECAYED. What do you remember of that European tour? It looks as if DECAYED hadn’t played any gig for 2 years since then… Are you fed up with touring of is it due to the impossibility to find appropriate musicians ? 

DKD- I have many memories from that tour. Some are great, like meeting people that I only knew from letters, handling problems, testing yourself and your friendships. Some gigs remain, like Germany; the best gig and also the worst. In Paris, all the problems with the sound and still those crazy Metalheads asking for more… It’s great and I would kill to have that again in my life. But, without a line up isn’t possible to play live. I would like to at least get a bass player and a vocalist cause I’m not too comfortable in singing live. There are a few plans with foreign musicians but I’m not sure if it will be possible (money, money). 

IX) You have toured with French bands such as ANTAEUS, TEMPLE OF BAAL, ETERNAL MAJESTY… What do you think of the French death/black background? And why did you choose to release that “French Attack” mini cd-r ?

DKD- Again, the same answer: good bands, great bands, shitty bands. We decided to release the “French Attack” cause the first time that we played outside of Portugal was in France. We were very curious to see how a foreign crowd would react to our drum machine. We were used to play in Portugal and almost everyone was already used to the drum machine when attending our shows, but to play outside of Portugal… we had no idea of what would happen. It turned out better than we could expect and that gave us more strength to try and do a tour. 

X) Wannes from PENTACLE (ex-ASPHYX) claimed he had stopped wearing war-paints in 1991-1992 because of the fashion phenomenon that had begun with the Nordic BM wave. What is your point of view ?

DKD- Wannes, I wonder why people just stop writing after a few years… oh well, that’s Life, right? But Metal shouldn’t be just like Life. Anyway, opinion about doing things because others do it or not doing it because others do it: FUCKING BULLSHIT! You should do what you want and not even think about the others. If you like it and you want it that is what really matters. I think that humans just use others to justify themselves and their actions in order to not actually say the truth! Simple as that. I started using paint cause I was drunk at a gig and thought that it would be fun ! 

XI) When I read your biography, I can see that it is divided into 5 ages. Does each one correspond to an important evolution of the band? Moreover, JM decided to leave DECAYED. Do you think it will enable the band to have a new musical direction ? 

DKD- I think so. Now and then, there are changes within the band or around the band that make us follow a different path. For example, when I decided to buy the drum machine our sound changed but also the way of composing. Things we were used to do when composing (like going from 4x4 to 3x4) had to stop. I wouldn’t call it evolution, rather different paths. It seems that the new stuff composed by myself and recorded by myself already sounds a bit different; people say that now it sounds “new” although retaining the DKD Metal brand so there is no new musical direction. If that should happen I would use a different name (one of my projects). 

XII) DECAYED worked with several labels such as Hiberica, Drakkar, Iron Pegasus, Barbarian Wrath… You don’t seem to be tied to one particular label. Did you get in touch with them by yourself ?

DKD- To be honest, I can’t remember. Some I know that I contacted myself, but others contacted me. I use different labels cause usually the “main labels” I work with can’t release all the ideas that I come up with, so I just contact other labels and ask them if they’re interested or not. Sometimes it’s the labels that contact me to know if I want to do something with them. And I always find new ideas for that. 

XIII) The band was formed in 1991 (13 years ago). Wouldn’t you like to sell more records to buy a Ferrari and then show off on the Portuguese coasts, you would cut your hair and sing Ricky Martin lyrics… More seriously, is the occult and blasphemous side narrowly tied to the DECAYED spirit and music ?

DKD- Actually it was in 1990, but only in August. I would like to sell more records, I would like to have a full line up, I would like to do tours, I would like to live off the band but when you want to do things your way, it isn’t easy and most of the times; impossible. To me, doing things my way or the occult are the same thing. I would never be into the occult if I didn’t live my life according to the “laws” of the occult. I’m not sure of how to answer this, not without using half of your zine and I know that most people would never understand what I’m talking about. Like they say: if it needs explaining, you’ll never understand it. And yes, the occult is part of DKD cause it is part of myself and my life, just like the Past is also part and Metal. 

XIV) You had declared that Metal had its limits, and you had to respect them or not be Metal. Did you mean that Extreme Metal must stem from a certain heritage and obey to certain rules? What do bands such as NUNSLAUGHTER, SABBAT(JAP), DESASTER, IMPIETY inspire you ?

DKD- First of all, I don’t give a fuck about Extreme Metal, the only thing I give a fuck is METAL! Anyway, what is Extreme? To my mother BON JOVI is Extreme. Is it Extreme to you? I don’t think so. Like I said before, if you do things because you want to, it will show in the final result and it will sound honest. That is what I respect: Honesty. You know, it is difficult to talk about some bands when you know the people behind them. Like I said about the old bands, it’s the same with the new bands. Some bands are good but the humans suck and other bands are pure shit/noise but the humans are great.

XV) When we think of Portugal, we often think MOONSPELL. You had shared tours with them in 1993 & 1995 if I’m not mistaken with an ancient drummer of DECAYED who left the band in 1992. Do you know guys from MOONSPELL ? 

DKD- Again the MOON topic. I like this. And it seems that people are always looking for gossip, so here it goes and I usually don’t do this Olivier: the drummer of MOONSPELL learned to play Metal with me. When he joined DKD in 91 he only knew how to play Samba, Pop and crap like that that he was learning at school. I told him that he should forget all that crap and play with feeling. It took me some months but I achieved my goal. Unfortunately, he never developed much, but our music did: it became faster and double bass-drum. So, although I was fond of the kid, I had to get myself another drummer and he was dismissed. When MOONSPELL started looking for a new drummer I told Fernando that he should try our ex-drummer cause their music was a lot easier to play and so he did. So yes, I know all the guys of MOONSPELL. I also gave a few lessons to the keyboard player and the guitar player was always telling me back in 94 how this or that riff of our debut was great. See what I mean when I stated that people never give the real appreciation to DKD? Nevermind. 

XVI) How would you describe DECAYED to someone who has just discovered Metal and who is meticulously making his own jacket with patches ? 

DKD- A mix of VENOM and BATHORY but a bit faster, not forgetting the slow songs that we have. What do you think? I could say a few more bands, but since most of them were influenced by VENOM, there’s no point and I only say BATHORY cause they have a few elements that VENOM didn’t have. Sometimes, when I’m feeling “evil” I say that we are what BATHORY would become after “Blood Fire Death”. 

XVII) I think you must be a vinyl LP/EP collector. Are there still rare stuffs that you would like to get? What are the latest releases that you bought? If your house would burn, which are the 5 albums that you would absolutely try to save from hell’s flames? Or maybe you would prefer to save the refrigerator or your mother-in-law? Ok, well, it’s up to you to conclude… 

DKD- Olivier, there are so many vinyl that I would like to get, but most I never saw and others are just too expensive. The last stuff I bought was TWISTED SISTER and a compilation where the best thing has got to be ROGUE MALE that I listened in 86 or 88 but never managed to get. And I would try to save my sister and mother, the two most important people in my life. And my computer is more important than my LPs cause I have lots of stuff in here that took me years to do (lyrics/concepts/songs). As to conclude, a big thank you for this very interesting interview. Hope that I didn’t shock many people, I know that I have that effect sometimes. For those who never heard DKD, try it out, you might be surprised. Hail Metal ! 

Subsidiary question :

For the forthcoming issue of our fanzine, we will draw up a file about the Portuguese scene. According to you, what are the organisms, labels, associations, bands, zines, etc. that deserve our support ? 

SHIT! That is not fair. I’m a bit out of the scene so I really can’t tell you much about that.

Contact :
http://come.to/decayed