review: Internal Decay - Swedish death metal album from 1993

Internal Decay

A Forgotten Dream

Vic Records

5 December 2025

Vic Records has a knack for finding recordings from the old days, before metal music became "internet metal." Back then, audiences went to shows, and the only way to remember an event was to rely on one's own memory, aside from the occasional picture that you did not take, but that a friend of a friend of yours took because, unbeknownst to you, he was able to find a camera and remembered to bring it to the show. You hadn't actually seen the picture with your own eyes, but you heard from a friend of a friend that he had seen the picture.

I know absolutely nothing about this band! I do not believe that I had ever heard their name before. Vic Records says about this album: "Recorded at Sunlight Studios, Stockholm, Sweden in January 1993 with Thomas Skogsberg and Lars Linden." The information on Metal Archives shows a demo in 1991 and this album, and then nothing else. This is the 1993 album, but it has been "Remastered by Achilleas Kalantzis at Suncord Audiolab (Possessed, Vio Lence, Varathron). Booklet and artwork carefully restored like the original release by Ra Design (Sodom, Asphyx, Destruction)." Metal Archives states that all five members were, are, and continue to be involved with a whole bunch of bands, but mostly names that are lesser known to me.

To my ears, the music is early melodic death metal. The vocals are intense, aggressive growling, similar to the classic death-thrash vocals of Kreator. There are some death-thrash moments, some background keyboards in certain places, slower segments, and plenty of uptempo passages, along with some nice guitar melodies. As I say, this is early melodic death metal, and it is not substantially incorrect to say that, on this album, there is a certain vibe also found during this period in Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates, a certain melodicism, a certain sensation that this is not some type of imitation of Entombed. If anything, by 1993, this band was thinking to make sure they sounded different because of all the Entombed clones at the time. In addition, these lyrics are different from the typical death metal fare. In general, the main point is not gore, zombies, satanism, or graphic violence. The lyrics on Metal Archives generally read like poetry, stories, personal struggles, depression, and loneliness. These lyrics are far better than the typical genre lyrics, while still not totally free in all respects from that typical imagery. Overall, though, they are not embarrassing lyrics, unlike so many bands.

This band, Internal Decay, keeps the music heavy while working in some melody. How does the album sound today? It is the sound of a band that has tons of ideas, and they are working on developing them. This album is the band laying down a general statement of purpose, but they were just getting warmed up. Their next album would have been Internal Decay really bringing to life a much fuller and more complete vision of their sound. Then, the third album would have been their masterpiece. On this debut, there are whispered vocals, a bit of guest female singing, acoustic or clean guitar, atmospheric moments, and piano/keyboard. They were hinting at many things to come. Looking on Metal Archives, it looks like they could not hold it together. Perhaps there was too much musical disagreement between the members wanting to be pure death metal and the members who wanted to be more than just another "Swedish death metal" band. For example, their 1991 demo seems like typical death metal focused on blasphemy, satanism, and that stupid stuff, whereas on the album, as already stated, there is much less of that.

Metal Archives shows the history of the band like this: 1987–1988 (as Misery), 1988–1989 (as Critical State), 1989–1991 (as Subliminal Fear), 1991–1994, 2023–present. Look at that last part! What?! Are they active again? Yes. In fact, their Facebook page says: "The wait is over — The fires of Internal Decay burn again! After 33 years of silence, the storm returns. Internal Decay is back and will release an EP with new material in February, on the mighty Hammerheart Records. Exclusive and limited to 700 ex in total (350 vinyl & 350 CDs). More info to come." We will soon find out where the new music stands in the current era. In the meantime, from Vic Records, we have this gem.

A Forgotten Dream by Internal Decay

https://www.facebook.com/internaldecayofficial/