Interview with Anthony from Mortal Decay, by Jen

Are you an original member of Mortal Decay?
Yes, I started the band in late 1991 with original vocalist John P. Guitarist John Hartman joined soon after so he is considered an original. We are the only two left.
What happen with your former singer Kelly?
Kelly was out of work for a while and that made it hard for him to come from NY to practice and without practice, you can't progress. He's a great guy and did a lot for us, but we felt that letting him go was the thing to do.
Who is singing for you now?
We just finished about 15-20 shows with our original vocalist Johnny. He was helping us out and it was something he wanted to do as well, but he is attending school and has a band of his own and cannot be a permanent member and do the extensive touring that we want. So right now we are trying out people and nothing is set in stone yet.
How was the Cleveland fest in May? Which bands did you catch. What did you think?
The Cleveland show was SICK!!! Excellent bands, great friends, Jack Daniel's, who could ask for more? Fetus played a great set, Internal Bleeding (the new stuff rules), Vomit Remnants from Japan were awesome (the "Sickening Erotic Fanaticism" tattoo on the one guys leg impressed me), Cryptospy as usual were amazing, Cephalic Carnage were impressive… a lot of great music that weekend.
How many CD's does Mortal Decay have out? Are they still available?
We have out 1997 release "Sickening Erotic Fanaticism" available, and July 29th at this years Milwaukee Metal Fest 99 we are releasing out demo CD "A Gathering of Human Artifacts", that has all three demos re-mixed and re-mastered in order, 72 minutes long and 17n tracks. We are still working new stuff and plan on recording and label shop soon.
How long have you been playing drums?
I've been playing seriously for around 8 ½ years.
What kind of set do you have?
I play Tama drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, DW5000 bass pedal, Pearl hardware ( I better get paid from those companies for that!!!!)
Who are some of your influences?
Neil Peart and Rush have been my biggest influence. I remember my older brother playing me them when I was around 8 years old and ever since I've worshipped them, especially the playing of Neil. Carther of The Dave Matthews Band is another big influence, Dave Weckel of Chic Corea. I listen to so many drummers for so many different reasons. These are three all around bands that I enjoy.
What bands are you listening to these days?
The bands listed above, Dream Theatre/ Liquid Tension, Macabre/ Gordian Knot, King Diamond/ Fate, Portishead, Immolation, Death, Voivod, Sarah McLauchlan, Morbid Angel, Cynic… That list goes on as well.
Who are some of your favorite bands you have played with?
Doing shows with Deaden is always a lot of fun, Internal Bleeding are a great bunch of guys and they're almost as good as me reciting Jerky Boys calls, Disfigured are a lot of fun, just to name a few.
What is the furthest you have traveled to play a show?
We've played Milwaukee, Iowa, Canada. They all seemed like it took forever to get there. It's a good thing we played shows on the way and back, it makes it seem shorter.
What you guys do for a living?
We all have jobs, nothing worth mentioning but we have good paying jobs that give us off for shows when we need it.
What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies besides drumming?
I love to listen to and play jazz, a lot of basketball, work-out and jog, go out and get drunk once in a while, read true crime books. I love to keep busy.
Anything else you want to add?
Buy our "Sickening Erotic…" CD, as well as out "A Gathering of Human Artifacts" CD. They are $15.00 dollars each, (postage included), and a BIG thank you to you Jenn for the interview, I appreciate you thinking of us- See you soon!!!!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/mortaldecayusa
http://www.uniqueleader.com/