As any fan of the genre will tell you, there's Death Metal and then there's Real Death Metal. Plain ol' Death Metal is a scene populated by those content to follow established patterns, basing their sound on the blueprint of years gone by and expecting little more than the acknowledgement and respect of their peers.

Real Death Metal however is a more sparsely filled environment, inhabited by those who have desire to take the sound and attitude that little bit further. Bands residing here use imagination, ability and undiluted belief to get where they are going. It is such a world that Polish four piece Decapitated choose to call home, and it is a world they are seeking to dominate with their distinctive brand of technically flawless Death Metal.

Decapitated are not what you might call your average band - formed in 1996 when the average age of the band was just 14 years old, based in Krosno, Southern Poland, all attending music school yet facing ridicule with the release of their 'Cemeteral Gardens' demo in June '97 due to their young age, they succeeded in wiping the smiles from the doubters faces with a sound that, whilst showing a debt to Death Metal heroes of the past, convinced many that the band were out of the ordinary.

Following up the demo with another in October '98 titled 'The Eye of Horus', the band's abilities really began to shine, the music school commitment obviously reaping benefits. Many people focused on Decapitated's age as a reason to doubt them - the fact was that the band were already becoming an established live act throughout Poland, and in working so hard on the road had earned themselves a cult reputation as genuine contenders rather than simple novelties.

The underground murmurings were not lost on the major Metal labels, and eventually Decapitated signed with Wicked World/Earache for the release of the debut album, 'Winds of Creation.' Issued in April 2000, the record immediately struck a chord with Death Metal fans everywhere, and the band began to be hailed as potential big league players. The technical tightness on display and the simple honest conviction that that band displayed were enough to convince many, and the albums standout tracks such as 'Blessed' and 'Way to Salvation' proved that despite their young age, Decapitated were ready to challenge Death Metal's big guns.

Decapitated toured the UK with grind all-stars Lock Up upon the release of 'Winds of Creation' to a phenomenal response, which eventually led to the band being voted 'Best Newcomer' in Terrorizer Magazine's 2000 Reader's Poll, and a further European tour in 2001 with Immolation continued to spread the word. Anticipation was high for a new recording-

And so at the ripe old average age of 20, Decapitated have finally delivered what they have been promising all along - a genuinely creative Death Metal album. 'Nihility' is a record that twists and turns, each track crafted and skilled into what is fast becoming a trademark Decapitated sound.
Like most great albums, there is no one element that defines the whole, instead each component, from the complexity and inventiveness of the drum work to the colossal progressiveness displayed by the guitar playing contributes to the overwhelming aura around the record, the knowledge that this is something very special indeed.

And so Decapitated are silencing the doubters and quietly staking their claim for prominence in what is rapidly becoming a New Wave of Death Metal. Special bands like Decapitated don't come along very often, and when they do, they tend to let the music do the talking - which is something Decapitated do in the most vicious, precise and innovative way possible.

Source: www.decapitated.pl