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Get Thrashed with Truth Decayed’s New Single, “Opposing Direction” [Premiere]

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Whether you’re a thrasher or not, there’s a lot to love about Truth Decayed and their brand new single “Opposing Direction.” The song is a grand and monumental slab of vintage thrash metal; a worthy follow-up to “Modern Day Illusion,” the first single released off of the band’s debut EP, coming to you this Friday, October 23rd.

The circumstances in which Truth Decayed developed are unique indeed, with the group developing as a lockdown band, unable to find their stride together as performers on the road as is typical of new musical ventures. That hasn’t stopped them from working as hard as possible to create enough musical cohesion to release some very impressive singles that, if anything, demonstrates their potential as a burgeoning young act within the very competitive heavy metal scene in their native South Africa.

Although very fresh and new, there is a lot of experience and skill that’s driving Truth Decayed forward. The band was formed by long-time friends and associates Warren Jones and Ryno Theron, both veterans of the South African scene. Early in his career, Jones was a member of the Durban, South Africa band Mystical Element and also played in the successful tribute act known as Metallica, Kill Em All Tribute. Theron has been a featured player in several local Durban metal acts, most notably the band Throne.

For the last few years, Theron has developed a solid solo career that included the release of his critically acclaimed Howling Rush album. To complete the band, Warren enlisted the services of bassist Johan Maree, a talented newcomer to the music scene, and drummer Brandon Carey, a former member of the well-regarded melodic death metal band Stigmata Dawn. With the lineup now completed and their EP on the horizon, expectations are big for Truth Decayed and their innovative brand of thrash metal.

With such an exciting new band as Truth Decayed, we caught up with them to ask a few questions about their new single, new EP, and what’s in store for the future.

“Opposing Direction” is a really impressive piece of thrash metal with a sort of modern but classic thrash metal feel to it. Were there any specific bands that inspired the sound of this song?

Ryno Theron: “Warren and I are both Slayer and old school Metallica fans. Brandon is also a big fan of Sepultura, also particularly their older stuff. I’m a big Sepultura fan myself and draw a lot of inspiration from Max’s (Cavalera) vocals. So yeah, a lot of that older classic thrash metal does inspire us and blends quite well with Johan’s love for Arch Enemy, Brandon’s love for Amon Amarth and modern bands like Sylosis that Warren and I enjoy a lot.”

Artwork for ‘Modern Day Illusion’ by Truth Decayed

Did all four of you contribute your own individual parts to “Opposing Direction?” Tell us a little bit more about how the song was recorded.

“‘Opposing Direction’ is the more collaborative song on the EP, as it was written when we as a new band really started clicking. We all did pretty much cover our own parts with a few exceptions here and there, and Warren wrote the lyrics for this one. The recording process for this song was better than for our first single ‘Modern Day Illusion’ but still a bit rushed, as we were trying to get things done for the plans we had ahead.”

It’s obviously difficult to write songs as a band within this pandemic we’re stuck in. Did you find it challenging to be able to competently write new songs as a unit when you can’t write and record as you normally would?

“It obviously had its challenges in the beginning, but as restrictions started easing in South Africa it got a lot easier. Thankfully nowadays with the internet access and tools that are available, you can work around it at least.”

How does “Opposing Direction” compare with the other songs on your debut EP? What would you say really stands out to you about this track?

“I would say it is the groovier song of the EP. The first track is very in your face, and direct, whereas this one is a bit more of a journey in nature. I think the standout point of this track is that you can hear everyone’s influences in the band coming out with this track.”

Without being able to tour, it’s a tough time to be productive as a band. How are you spending your time right now? Are you writing new music?

“We are working on getting a gig ready for when that will become more of a reality again, and we are also working towards a full album.”

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