Today is a sad day for metal. Blabbermouth reports:
Drummer Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka of the Polish extreme metal band DECAPITATED passed away in a Russian hospital from injuries sustained in a recent road collision. He was 23 years old.
Vitek and DECAPITATED singer Covan (real name: Adrian Kowanek) were hurt in an accident earlier in the week involving DECAPITATED's tour bus and a truck carrying wood in Gomel, on the Russia/Belarus border. Both musicians reportedly sustained serious head injuries in the collision, which is believed to have been the fault of the band's driver (although this has not yet been officially confirmed).
According to the Polish Internet portal Onet.pl, Vitek underwent trepanation, a form of surgery in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the skull, and was due to be transported to a hospital in Krakow, Poland for further treatment.
Covan's family released a statement yesterday (Thursday, November 1) that the vocalist's condition had improved. At the time, the vocalist was still said to be at a hospital in Novozybkov, Russia, where he and Vitek were taken following the accident.
I am in utter shock. This is deeply saddening news. My last memory of Vitek was seeing him on the last stop of the Summer Slaughter tour, earlier this year and he was nothing but smiles, happy to be in New York, just really excited to play. In fact, while most metal musicians put on this angry front while playing on stage, you can see while the band was performing that he was truly happy to be on stage performing…he belonged on stage. I remember when first hearing Decapitated, the drums immediately stood out to me, and I hoped that one day I could see them perform their masterpieces live, and I was lucky enough to see them perform twice. For those of you who have never heard DECAPITATED, I strongly suggest going out there and getting Nihility and Winds of Creation immediately, and you will be blown away by the musicianships of metal heads who at the time were only teenagers. Rest in Peace, Vitek
Here is the band's "Enter Sandman" persay, Spheres of Creation:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfRT5FZYI10[/youtube]
