This Eternal Decay
Many years ago, I travelled to Rome and saw ruins and dark catacombs. For this interrogation, I am going back, albeit only virtually, to the underground, but also to my beloved Berlin. Riccardo from This Eternal Decay took the time to answer a few questions.
- This Eternal Decay is the new project from Riccardo Sabetti (Spiral69), Andrea Freda (Spiritual Front) and Alessio Schiavi (Avant-Garde).
For people who unfortunately don't know you yet, how would you describe your music?
We play darkwave with a pulse. Our music blends brooding post-punk atmospheres, cold electronic textures, and emotive vocals, balancing melancholy and energy. Think shadowy synth lines, driving beats, and melodies that linger, somewhere between the introspection of classic darkwave and the urgency of modern alternative electronic music.
On our socials we describe ourselves as a “Darkwave Mess”, and that’s accurate. We really are a bit of a beautiful chaos: across five albums we’ve explored everything from post-punk to EBM, passing through old-school goth, constantly shifting shape while keeping a dark, emotional core.
It’s music for late nights, neon lights, and people who find beauty in decay, but still need something that moves, both emotionally and physically.
How and where did you meet?
We met through the underground scene in Rome, where clubs, concerts, and mutual friends tend to blur into the same dark rooms.
It didn’t start as a “let’s form a band” moment, more like a natural collision of people with the same obsessions: dark music, electronics, post-punk energy, and the need to turn emotions into sound. From there, rehearsals replaced conversations, songs replaced ideas, and This Eternal Decay slowly took shape.
Like many things born in the underground, it wasn’t planned, it just had to happen.
You play concerts in the beautiful warm south, but also in the cold (equally beautiful) north. Does the weather influence you, and do you notice a different mentality among the audience?
Not really, not particularly… we’re used to playing everywhere. The last three years have been very intense in terms of live shows, and we’ve gone from extremely hot places to icy wastelands 🙂
The audience, in general, changes a lot from country to country. Italy tends to be more warm and expressive (both in the south and in the north) once you start being a bit known, unfortunately, before that, people need to understand whether they can trust you or not.
Where and with whom would you like to perform or collaborate, and why? And with whom and where would you never want to?
There are many interesting names in the scene, and luckily we’ve already collaborated with a lot of bands we really love! A track featuring Darkways will be coming out soon, for example, which we’re very excited about… The first names that come to mind right now that we’d like to collaborate with in the future are definitely Twin Tribes, Night in Athens, and ACTORS.
As for who we wouldn’t collaborate with, it’s very relative, it really depends on our artistic mood and the feeling we have with the other artist
What role does the tension between tradition and modernity play in your work? (especially when you come from Rome)
Being from Rome, a city where history and modern life constantly collide, this tension naturally seeps into our music. On one side, there’s the weight of tradition, the echo of past sounds, classical aesthetics, and a sense of structure that comes from centuries of culture. On the other, there’s the urge to experiment, to break boundaries, to plug into contemporary electronic textures and global underground trends.
This push-and-pull shapes everything we do. We want our music to feel timeless, rooted in the depth and melancholy of the past, but also alive, urgent, and modern, something that could exist both in a gothic cathedral and a neon-lit club. It’s not a conscious struggle, more like a living tension: the past whispers, the present shouts, and we try to make them sing together.
How did the collaboration with Aux Animaux come about? And what was it like? Can we expect a joint performance? (I would be delighted.)
As for a joint performance… we’d bedelighted too, and it’s something we’d love to make happen. It would be a rare chance to see both worlds collide live, intense, immersive, and darkly beautiful.
As a Berliner, I am of course extremely interested in your new single ‘U-Bahn’. How did it come about? What makes Berlin so interesting?(Is there a connection to David Bowie?)
“U-BAHN” was born from a true story, a past love that came to an end under the Berlin sky during an extremely harsh winter many years ago…
The perspective/division of the relationship is well reflected in the city’s past, which I can openly say is my favorite city… If I ever had to move one day, I think I would relocate to Berlin :)
And yes… Bowie is definitely part of the subconscious. His Berlin years represent a creative reinvention that resonates deeply with anyone trying to push boundaries while engaging with the city’s unique energy. “U-Bahn” is in many ways a love letter to that spirit, the thrill of being alive in the underground, in a city that never stops inspiring.
Not to mention, the aesthetic of the artwork is obviously inspired by “Heroes”.
What are your resolutions and plans for 2026?
In 2026, we’re focusing on recording the new album and on our live shows, which are growing more and more…
In fact, we’ll be releasing only singles throughout the year until the new album drops in January 2027.
We’ll definitely be playing fewer shows than in the past two years, but only to come back in 2027 with an extensive and intense tour.
To what extent are social media a blessing or a curse?
Social media is definitely a double-edged sword for us.
On one hand, it’s a blessing: it allows us to reach people all over the world, share music instantly, and connect with fans who might never have discovered us otherwise. It also makes collaborations and networking easier, and gives us a platform to present our vision fully, from music to visuals to mood.
On the other hand, it can be a curse: constant exposure, pressure to post, and the need to “perform” online can sometimes distract from the creative process. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, comparisons, or trends, which can be exhausting and even creatively limiting.
For us, the key is balance, using social media as a tool to amplify what we’re passionate about, but not letting it dictate our art or our energy. It’s a platform, not the purpose.
Since you come from the Eternal City, I have to ask if you want to confess a sin?
Thank you very much for taking the time despite your heavy workload!
- On 26 September 2026, This Eternal Decay will perform with Aux Animaux in Essen!