Returned from the dirt after three decades spent lingering in rare minds Stockholm, Sweden-based death metal quintet INTERNAL DECAY revive, shake the soil loose and restate themselves with this latest EP release. ‘Fires of the Forgotten‘ offers a modest enough reaction to where they’d left off at the height of Swedish death metal’s underground overflow, offering a classic reaction to (or, outlier within) the original melodic death metal movement. Though a modern hand detracts from any anticipated ‘old school’ authenticity these pieces are well enough in line with their original voice, reason enough to rediscover their gem of a debut LP and muse over what’s to come.

The teenagers who’d eventually form Internal Decay first picked up their instruments back in the name of thrash metal circa 1987 before running through a host of band names ’til, much like Chronic Decay, arriving upon a still kinda thrash apropos name in 1991. They’d been fumbling through their guitar work at that point but you’ll find a harder-edged blueprint for what was to come within their first demo tape (‘Internal Decay‘, 1991) a shambling but melodic death metal style akin to that same ‘Lost Paradise‘-touched era of Gorement. I’ve always viewed this band’s history as akin to that of Decameron‘s where their ultimate output was perhaps viewed as also-ran, strangely cumulative, accessible yet naïve, or, arrived beyond the peak of a trend at the time… yet it persists as a dust-covered jewel within the larger crowning of the associated phenomenon. Their debut LP (‘A Forgotten Dream‘, 1993) released on Mercy guitarist/founder Andrija Veljaca‘s short lived label Eurorecords (see also: Captor‘s debut, thrashers Earthquake) and didn’t leave a dent despite offering work comparable with better known bands of the era.

Despite its strong material issues with the mix, fumbling of the album art, and Internal Decay‘s eagerness to sign to a label contributed to ‘A Forgotten Dream‘ being largely forgotten ’til post-millennial internet piracy and shit quality bootleg CDs helped to bring it back into consciousness… more recently Vic Records released a definitive reissue in late 2025. For those willing to dig and seek out unique, unsung bands left behind by quickly shifting sands there are some incredible things happening on that first album which pertain to what we find on this new EP. Songs like “The Anguish of Twilight” have this Nocturnus-esque edge while still leaning into the type of melody you’d find on the first Amorphis LP, for example. The title track “A Forgotten Dream” (see also: “Ex Oblivione”) certainly took influence from late 80’s Kreator (or Merciless for that matter) just as well. To understand what is going on within this new EP it is essential to absorb the nuance of band’s debut LP beyond the first impression and feel the summation of the early scene within it.

‘Fires of the Forgotten‘ doesn’t necessarily reflect the ambitious gothic melancholia the band’d been working on post-debut back in 1994 but instead revives some of the original weird soul and spirit of Internal Decay‘s debut (particularly Side A) with some modern melodic death metal ideas filling in the gaps. This applies primarily to the title track, “Fires of the Forgotten (Dance Upon Your Grief)“, and “A Demon’s Bow” after it per their guitar driven melodic focus and the use of keyboards to help build-out or extend their phrasing. Though said melodies are immediately familiar in their trade (esp. the title track) some of the right feeling is conveyed, a melodramatic search given high fantasy tonality in its mid-paced stride.

“A Demon’s Bow” is likely the sole cut to impress fans of the band’s earlier output per its darker initial creep and the scaling lines of the main riff, even incorporating some choral/backing vocals a la the unreleased “Et Cetera Ad Inifinitum” ’til a ‘Tales from the Thousand Lakes‘ style piano tippled riff sends the song into its own ‘epic’ elsewhere. The one piece here which confuses in the context of Internal Decay is the sluggish rock grooves of “Dying Wish” and its sing-along choruses/verses, while it isn’t driving in the wrong lane or whatever it doesn’t add the most interesting note to this three song ~17 minute return. Otherwise I’m not the biggest fan of the album art if only because it doesn’t sit well next to the ancient class of the band’s pen-to-paper logo.

‘Fires of the Forgotten‘ offers a promising enough return to a virtually unknown headspace without exactingly replicating the past. I think the challenge going forward will be choosing between recreating their teenaged notions ah via the height of (underground) Swedish death metal fervor or leaning into modern ideas in that same spirit. The result here is a splitting of the difference and, because I am a part of the fandom pining for the authenticity of the past, these pieces only sate to a certain point. A moderately high recommendation.

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