In what is some bittersweet news for DECAPITATED fans, Nuclear Blast Records has announced that they have signed the band to a deal. The signing happened before the band got into the accident that took the life of their drummer, Witold 'Vitek' Kieltyka. The label issued the following statement:
"We're looking forward to the upcoming mix of technical superiority, brutal riffs and blastbeats on album number five. The joy over these awesome news are of course overshadowed by the tragic death of drummer Witold 'Vitek' Kieltyka. Vitek passed away on November 3rd in a Russian hospital due to severe head injuries resulting from a heavy car crash involving the band's tour bus and a truck while touring Russia. The highly respected and acclaimed blastbeat maestro was only 23 years old. Rest in peace, Vitek!"
AMON AMARTH confirmed earlier this week that DECAPITATED would not be coming out on the road with them for their upcoming headlining run. Amon issued the following statement:
Because of the recent tragic events, DECAPITATED will not be able to be part of the North American tour. We are deeply sadden by the events and are disappointed that our metal brethren will not be able to share the stage with us.
We’ve tried to find a replacement for DECAPITATED but it has been impossible. We’ve decided to play a longer set and throw in some songs that we either never played live before or haven’t played live in a very long time. And we think we have a set list that will please both old and new fans!
We are really looking forward to hitting the roads in North America and finally do a full 90-minute set. We hope that as many of you as possible will be able to catch the show!
DECAPITATED is trying to raise funds to help the families of Vitek and Covan. If you would like to help, visit www.myspace.com/decapitated
