Decedent formed in Michigan just a few years ago, but the band has quickly carved out a place in the brutal death metal underground. After dropping their debut full-length For Those in Shallow Graves earlier this year, they're back with the new EP Predestined for Tragedy, which they see as another step in shaping their style, a grimy and groove-laden sound.
Bassist Malakai DeMoines tells No Echo that the band's origins trace back to friendships formed long before Decedent existed. "Decedent formed around the summer of 2022," he says. "We all grew up together, and Anthony and Josiah are cousins."
The members grew up together through middle and high school, bonding over a shared obsession with extreme music. "We discovered we all loved a lot of extreme music, and specifically the bands coming out on Maggot Stomp around 2019 through 2022 inspired us a ton to start our own band." They took a DIY approach from the start, even when it came to learning their instruments. "Josiah taught me guitar so I could play bass, and Anthony learned drums on an old kit sitting around in his garage."
Decedent leans into brutal death metal, but DeMoines says the band has spent the last few years figuring out how to make those influences their own. "We have tons of influences, especially on the new EP," he says. "Bands like Scattered Remnants and Malignant Altar are all-time favorites that we always keep in mind."
With Predestined for Tragedy, the band wanted to move past just recreating their influences and push their sound forward. "We really wanted to put something out that would be worthy of being called a decent brutal death metal record," DeMoines says. "Since Decedent is our first band, it's been a lot of fun discovering our sound and seeing how our individual styles and influences interact."
While DeMoines is proud of For Those in Shallow Graves, he felt the band still had more to offer. "The main idea for the EP was carving out our own, less derivative sound," DeMoines explains. "We felt like we were ready to grow out of that."
READ MORE: Record Label Profile: A Chat with Ben DePaoli of Iron Fortress Records
Outside the studio, DeMoines points to Michigan's heavy music community as a place where bands like Decedent can grow. "The entirety of Michigan has a super healthy scene, save for a few expected scene beefs here and there," he says. "Hardcore, death metal, screamo, grind—you can go to a show in any major city on any given weekend and find at least one good band in whatever genre you like."
He names Anhedonia, Necrotic Defilement, Will to Power, Ascendancy, Excremental Scaphism, and World of Malice as bands that deserve more attention.
Decedent recently signed with State of Mind Touring and is getting ready to spend more time on the road. "We hope to get the ball rolling on longer runs with some cool bands," DeMoines says.
New material is already coming together. "As for writing, we're constantly in motion. Josiah sends at least a couple of ideas almost every week, and we just love jamming together. New material is always coming together. It's just a matter of when we can afford studio time."
Before that, Decedent will play Iowa Metal Fest on August 15, joining a stacked lineup of brutal death metal bands. Formed three years ago, Decedent has already shown an eagerness to grow beyond its influences.
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Predestined for Tragedy is out now and available on vinyl and CD via Iron Fortress Records.
Decedent on social media: Instagram
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