Social Decline is a Danish band which plays
really hard music. They was so kind and let me
interview them. All this took it´s place in the
end of February 2023. Bo is the one who have
answered the most of the questions
Please tell me a little about every member and
the history of the band? Age, work, bands
before?
(Bo) We were formed in 2019, but actually Jesper,
Bo and Christian were playing together in a band
called King Carrot. But when our then drummer
Lars quit King Carrot, Esben joined the band and
then we decided to put King Carrot in the grave
and Social Declined was formed. Our musical
style was shifting from Hard core and Punk to
more Thrash Metal orientated songs. So, it made
sence to restart with another name. We do still
play a couple of King Carrot songs though.
Esben is also currently playing drums in Dårligt
Selskab and Meat Fist (Misfits coverband). Meat
Fist together with Jesper
We are:
Christian, Bas and Lead Vocal (44)
- also owner of Provo Lyd ( a recording
studio were we do our records)
Jesper, Guitar (48)
Esben, Drums (51)
Bo, Guitar (43)
Your music is a
style which came foreward many years ago, I
think you have traces of both thrash and some
hardcore, what about that?
(Bo) True, we are very influenced by early
Thrash Metal and Hard-Core Punk music. It’s the
stuff we grew up with musically and that really
shines through on “Beyond the Gates”. We did not
set out to invent the wheel with this record. It
is more a about making a record that reflects
the music that we love and what comes natural to
us in the writing process. “Beyond the Gates” is
probably more Thrash than Hardcore while our
debut “Hells Gate” where more a mix of Thrash,
Hardcore and Punk. But we don’t think a lot
about genres when we write the music.
The name Social Decline where did it came from?
What do you mean with it…You weren´t afraid that
someone else have named a band like this?
(Bo) I don’t think we ever sat down a defined
what the actual meaning of that name is. But as
I remember it we researched if there were other
bands called that, and we did not find any.
(Bo) But I guess the name refers to the decline
of social rights and welfare in the modern
world. Countries like Denmark and Sweden has a
lot of good things and is a good place to live,
but people seem to forget how all these social
rights were achieved and they take them for
granted. It was not something that was granted
to us. It was achieved through struggle and
solidarity, and when we forget that… we get
Social Decline … or it could be an image of the
bandmembers declining abilities to be civil and
socialize (that’s Danish irony
😊)
Is it important to
release physical things? Or can you feel that
you have done a record if you only release it
digitally? Is this your first
record? If it´s not how can I get the old ones?
(Bo) “Beyond The Gates” is our second album. We
released our debut “Hells Gate” in 2019. You can
buy both albums on vinyl from our bandcamp sit:
(https://social-decline.bandcamp.com/).
We released some singles as pure digital
releases, but albums we prefer to have as a
physical product also, but of course It only
makes sense if there are still people listening
to that format.
You have never been to
Sweden and played or been here as tourists? If
you not have when do you come?
Social Decline has sadly not done any shows in
Sweden yet. But it’s a matter of time as we want
to come (bookers?
😊)
… Esben has just played with his other band (Dårligt
Selskab) in Gotheborg, and made some good
connettions, so sometime soon…
Which countries have
had the pleasure to be hearing the band live?
(Bo) Denmark and Germany so far… We had a small
tour in the Basque Country planned I 2020 but
then covid came and that got cancelled. But
Sweden and Norway are some of the places we
would like to go in the near future.
When you do songs, how do you do, are you
jamming together or do someone comes with a
lyric and some with the music or how do you do
your songs?
(Bo) On Beyond the Gates it was pretty much
someone bringing the song to our rehearsal.
Sometimes a finished song with lyrics, other
times maybe just the parts that we then would
arrange and put together as a group, and maybe
somebody else would write the lyrics. We did not
do a lot off jamming writing songs. But that’s
partly because most of the songs were written
during the Covid lockdowns.
You have done a
tribute song to FCK , you sing in Danish, is
this the only one you sing in danish? How come
you did a tributesong to a football team?
(Bo) Three of us is supporters of FCK and
seasoncard holders (Christian, Esben and Bo) so
it was natural to do a tribute to our team.
Please tell me a
little about the following lyrics….and who wrote
it and why?
Victory of
Plutocracy. (Chr) It’s about the fact,
that no matter how great values you belive (like
democracy etc), in the end it’s money that rules
the world.
I Am The State.
(Chr) Is how easy we can be seduced by
populism, and the fragile side of democracy.
Weight Of A Broken
Dream – (Bo) I wrote the first draft of
it, and Christian added and changed parts of it.
It’s a bit different than most of our texts as
is not issues we are discontent with or
politics, but about the dark thoughts, the
desperation and depression you can experience
when a lifedream or something you worked hard
for collapses.
How is it to live in
Denmark nowadays, racists, politics, covid, etc?
(Bo) For most people life in Denmark is quite
cozy and pleasant. But less so for minorities,
refugees, unemployed, people who suffer from
mental disorders. I don’t think we treat the
weakest members of society with dignity. We are
a very wealthy society and still a lot of people
don’t get the help they need.
Are you calling yourself a thrash, hardcore,
metalcore band or what do you call your style??
What is your thoughts about punk when you
started and if you compare with punk today? I
know you don´t play punk but what´s your
feelings about punk?
(Bo)
I think it’s a bit hard to label your own music.
But Thrashy, hardcore or punky Thrash could be
it… maybe Crossover would be the right label? In
the end there is a lot of cross-references
between Thrash, hardcore and punk.
(Bo)
We love punk. All of us started out playing
punk, and we still play punkvenues and play
shows with punk bands. Obviously punk is a lot
of things and different styles of music, but I
think the essence of Punk is the DIY attitude
and that’s something we fully embrace as band
and still practice, doing most things ourselves
or with the help of friends.
Do you have any favorite football team (I
support Arsenal(England) and a Swedish team
called GAIS myself)? I mean are you all
FCK-fans?
(Bo) FCK … we wrote a song for them… but Esben
is also a Arsenal Supporter
Beer is expensive
in Sweden. I have a very big interest in beer
and brew myself? Your favourite beerstyle ? You
don´t have an own Social Decline-beer? Or maybe
you are straightedge?
(Bo) We love beer. I’ll drink a lot of styles,
but in the end, you never go wrong with a good
pilsner.
(Bo) Jesper actually was involved in some beer
brewing and made a prototype of a “Social
Decline” beer. I think it was a Bock style…
never massproduced for the public though
Is there any good
bands from Denmark worth to mention? And how is
the oi/punk/hardcore scene living on in Denmark
right now?
(Bo) There is a many good danish bands at
moment, both within Metal and Punk, and there
are many we could mention. Demolizer and Killing
are playing fast old school Thrash Metal and are
really good. Indre Krig is a really good Punk
band, and our good friends Rival Leaders play
some really gritty melodic Oi
What is your strength
when you play live?
(Bo). Energy. Sweaty, full throttle musical
aggression – few words spoken
😊
Which type of people
comes to your concerts? Which type of people do
you miss?
(Bo) Lately it has actually been quite varied,
with both young people and older guys our own
age. Which is great because a lot of the younger
audience usually is a bit more energetic which
reflects on our stage performance.
Do you buy much records, or is it only Spotify
and those type of things to listen to music? Any
good record store?
(Bo) In Copenhagen I would recommend Mephisto
(for Metal music), Extremely Rotten Shop (for
Death Metal) and Sexbeat records. But
personally, I don’t buy a lot of records.
Are you selling any
merch on your gigs, do people buy it? What sells
best?
(Bo) We do sell merch. Mostly Vinyl and
T-Shirts. We are planning to do patches and
maybe cassette tapes, but our black T-shirt with
the re logo, is the “number one” seller.
Which is your own
favoritesong among your own songs? And which
song is the people choice?
(Bo) Hard to say. It’s like choosing which of
your children you like the best. But we start
the new record with “Trenches of Salvation”
because we all agreed that it had a lot going
for it in terms of riffs and arrangement.
What´s the biggest difference when you plays
live nowadays if you compare when you first
started to play in a band? Or is this your first
band maybe?
(Bo) We know what
we are doing, we have better gear and are
probably a lot calmer compared with 20 years
ago.
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most
peculiar you ever had, with this band or any
other band you have been to?
(Bo) Well, we want to get reviews because it
means that people are noticing our music, and of
course it’s nice to have good reviews, but we
will take all the reviews we get, good or bad.
(Bo) In a review of our last record, “Hells
Gate”, a reviewer gave us 5 out of 10 stars and
argued that we were not as skillful musicians as
Slayer or Testament… with was a bit funny way to
judge us. But hey, half as good as Slayer is
still something.
If you could choose
five bands from the past and the history and
nowadays and both dead and living bands to have
a concert together with your band. Which five
have you been chosen?
(Bo) In regards of still touring bands it would
be cool to do a combined show with Agnostic
Front and Sodom. Then Social Decline would be
the musical bridge between the two.
Sepultura in the original lineup, (with
Igor and Max), could also be cool. A warmup gig
for Judas Priest. Because Rob Halford and the
guys are the kings of metal, and we all love
them. Then a show with the Doors just to hang
out with Jim Morrison backstage.
Is music a good way to
get out frustration and become a nicer person
outside the music?
(Bo) Probably, but I think we would be nice
persons even without playing music. Its more
about creating music we like than getting out
personal aggressions.
Do you have any fans
which have done something mad, tattoos with
Social Decline or anything else?
(Bo) Sadly no. At least not something we are
aware of…
Any good Swedish
bands you like?
(Bo)Lots, where to start and stop. Some years
ago, we played with some great crust guys called
Crutches
(Bo) Swedish Metal is legendary. Bands like
Entombed, Edge of Sanity, Dismember, At the
Gates … you could go on. And all the punk stuff
like Satanic Surfers, 59 times the pain, No fun
at All was something I listened a lot to growing
up.
Is it boring with
interviews? Is it much interviews? What do you
prefer telephoneinterviews, face to face or as
this one via e-mail?
(Bo) We don’t do that many, so it’s fun to do
Futureplans for the
band?
(Bo) play lots of shows, and make some new music
Wisdomword?
“I love the smell of beer in the morning”…
Christian Loosely quoted from a tourbus on the
road to Flensburg
Something more to
add?
No 😊