Morose Vitality: This is NOT Spinal Tap…

It’s long been acknowledged that Raleigh and Wilmington are the best cities in NC to find good, local metal music. Though the number of followers here is admittedly small, the fans are devoted and growing in number.

One popular Raleigh-based extreme metal band is Morose Vitality. I sat down with them to discuss their music, the metal scene, and their Sunday show at Volume 11 Tavern.

Morose Vitality has existed in various forms since 2003, and has been playing with their current line-up since January. The band is composed of singer Dave Swan, a bartender at Ba Da Bar, bassist Tod de’Aden who also plays for Charlotte band Apotheosis, guitarist Mikie Bruce, lead singer of Slug Nut, and drummer James Beasley who has the most metal job of all: gluten-free baker at Whole Foods.

They describe their personal sound as “not death metal as much as extreme metal…death metal is too genre specific, we incorporate lots of different influences from different genres.” Some of these influences include Decapitated and Attila, whose vocalist has heavily influenced Swan’s singing style. The band focuses on fast, technically-driven instrumentals supported by lyrics that deal with the band’s “distaste for the lack of thought most people put into their lives, and problems with organized religion.”

To Morose, this ability to discuss controversial issues without feeling alienated from their peers defines the local metal scene. “You don’t have to look a certain way, talk about things a certain way…the people don’t judge you like they do at other shows…you can do what you want, wear what you want, and people accept you,” says Swan. According to the band, the supportive nature of the Raleigh metal community is what sets it apart from cities. “Raleigh fans are more committed, it’s all the same faces, and everyone’s like ‘hey man’ even if they only know your face and not your name.”

Morose Vitality is looking forward to their upcoming show on Sunday the 5th at Volume 11 Tavern as a chance to gain new fans and welcome them into the metal community. The band will play second in a line-up that opens with Worse Than Birth, and continues with Mantic Ritual, Krisiun, and Destruction.

Asked to describe this show, de’Aden said, “It’ll be all shirtless men, hair, sweat, and blood. It’ll be a spectacle-it’ll be great.”

Listen to the band and see more concert dates here.

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