Formed in late 1991 by Anthony Ipri (drums), John Hartman (guitar) and John Paoline (vocals), MORTAL DECAY has become one of the premier forces in modern death metal. Shortly after their inception, the band, also featuring guitarist Anthony Divigenze and bassist Brandon Stockl, recorded their debut demo "Dawn of Misery" in February 1992. The nine-song offering was well received throughout the Southern New Jersey scene and shows were met with equal enthusiasm.
Several months after "Dawn..." was recorded, guitarist Anthony Divigenze was replaced by Brian Valenti and the band continued to play shows while preparing material for their next release. The now-classic demo, "Grisly Aftermath", was recorded in March of 1993 and contained five new songs far more powerful than their previous release. The demo was released to rave reviews and even more enthusiastic audiences, with MORTAL playing shows throughout the Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York areas.
In 1994, Brian Valenti and Brandon Stockl left MORTAL and Ipri and Hartman took time to regroup, all the while preparing new compositions for the next offering. In the process, MORTAL was joined by bassist Ron Steinhauer and guitarist Joe Gordon. After tightening up with the new line-up and material, MORTAL DECAY recorded the critically acclaimed "Brutalizing Creations" demo in April 1995. Containing five new compositions and released in June 1995, "Brutalizing..." again won high praise from reviewers, including a prestigious "10 Skulls" in S.O.D. (Sounds of Death) issue #7, and the outfit began playing even more shows, including their first shows in Cleveland and Canada.
In early 1996 MORTAL suffered their first major line-up disruption when long-time vocalist John Paoline announced he was leaving the band. Shortly after John's departure MORTAL was joined by Kelly Izquierdo (ex-DEATHRUNE) while the group continued to write and play throughout the remainder of the year. During this time the band was approached by Pulverizer Records, who wanted to sign the outfit on the strength of the "Brutalizing Creations" demo. After several weeks of negotiations, MORTAL DECAY signed with the upstart label for their first full-length album.
July 1997 saw the release of MORTAL DECAY's debut full-length, "Sickening Erotic Fanaticism." Recorded in February of 1997 and featuring their most punishing songwriting to date, "Sickening..." showcased a progression from their early material while retaining the brutality that their fans have come to appreciate. To promote the album, in spring 1998 the band embarked on their first tour with Illinois-based act DEADEN throughout the Midwest and east coast, with MORTAL's first performances in St. Louis and South Carolina. 1998 also saw the band's first appearance at the celebrated Milwaukee Metalfest, playing to a room packed with their most intense audience to date.
The band made another significant change in late 1998 when vocalist Kelly Izquierdo was dismissed and while MORTAL searched for several months to find a replacement, they never slowed in their activity. The band continued to play local shows with original vocalist John Paoline filling in and continued to construct new songs throughout 1999. In response to the overwhelming demand for a new release as well as the out-of print demo material, the band also spent part of 1999 in the studio remastering the three demos for a planned CD release. "A Gathering of Human Artifacts" was unleashed in autumn of 1999 to hold fans over until the next full-length and has sold significantly well throughout the underground, thanks in no small part to the far superior sound quality.
Early into the year 2000, MORTAL was approached by Unique Leader Records toward a possible signing and was offered a supporting slot with DISGORGE (CA.) on the Bloodletting North America tour, headlined by DEEDS OF FLESH and CEPHALIC CARNAGE. The band's first full-scale tour, featuring a returning Izquierdo, was a moderate success, allowing them to play in markets like California, Texas, and Florida for the first time and finally culminating in their second appearance at the Milwaukee Metalfest, again playing to rabid fans.
Upon returning home the band signed a deal with Unique Leader, one of the industry's fastest growing independent labels, for the release of their second album and spent the remainder of 2000 constantly rehearsing. Early in 2001 MORTAL entered the studio to record the long-awaited follow-up to "Sickening..." when they were hit by a surprising development as Kelly Izquierdo once again left the group during recording. MORTAL quickly recovered when John Paoline once again stepped in to record the album with stunning results, exceeding even the band's expectations.
"Forensic", MORTAL DECAY's second full-length album, is the culmination of the band's hard work over the past four years and is sure not to disappoint fans, old and new. Featuring a more progressive and technical approach than ever before, "Forensic" displays an obvious increase in musical capabilities, showcasing incredible chops in all areas and a lyrical intelligence rarely seen in contemporary death metal. Anxious to take the beast to the masses, MORTAL is actively seeking a replacement vocalist and hopes to plan an extensive tour, which will hopefully see their first shows in Europe. In the meantime, MORTAL DECAY is planning on writing the follow-up to what will ultimately be one of death metal's landmark releases.
Source: http://www.mortaldecay.net/
