intervreanimator

 

RE-ANIMATOR

MIKE ABEL

Re-Animator from Hull, England was one of the key players in the first wave of UK thrash metal, together with bands like Sabbat, Onslaught, D.A.M., Lawnmower Deth, Anihilated, Virus, Cerebral Fix, Xentrix and a few others. The scene never took off like the German or the Bay area scene but there was a lot of talented thrash metal bands in England in the late eighties and early nineties. Re-Animator were also one of the more productive English thrash bands of the era with three full-length releases and one EP.

The band debuted in 1989 with the Deny Reality EP. The following years they released three full-lengths. First off was Condemned to Eternity in 1990, Laughing was released in 1991 and That Was Then... This is Now saw the light of day in 1992. During those years Re-Animated gigged and toured with bands like Dark Angel, Xentrix, Lawnmower Deth, Acid Reign, Mordred and Exodus. Re-Animator recently reunited (in 2013) after twenty-one years of silence and I have talked with Re-Animator's lead guitarist Mike Abel.

We can start with a small presentation of Re-Animator

Mike Abel lead guitar, Kev Ingleson vocals and lead guitar, John Wilson Bass, Mark Denis Drums.

You took your name from the horror movie Re-Animator right?

Yes me and Kev watched the movie when it came out and we thought it was brilliant. It was around the time of the Evil dead-movie as well, good times for horror.  We liked the movie so much that we took all the lyrics for the track Re-animator from the movie, every single line is from the film.

Is it true that UK Thrashers Acid Reign gave your demo to Music For Nations?

Yes, they took it down with them to the offices and Music For Nations loved it. The night we gave it to Acid Reign we were playing Bradford at a venue called the Frog and Toad and the first act on that night were Paradise Lost.

Re-Animator back in the days.

You debuted with the Deny Reality Ep in 1989. How was those days?

Fantastic we were happy with Colin Richardsons production but we wanted the guitars to have a heavier and dirtier sound but it’s a good clean heavy album. The music scene was fantastic, exciting as so many good bands were coming out.

Your first full-length with Condemned to Eternity was released 1990. What do you think of that album in retrospect?

The tracks are good thrashers the tracks sound heavy especially when turned up loud, but it is messy as we laid many guitar tracks down on top and it got a bit muddy.

Condemned to Eternity (1990)

After the release of Condemned to Eternity-abum you opened for bands like Dark Angel, Nuclear Assault, Exodus and Candlemass. Things were moving along quite fast?

Yes, we had a great time and got on well with all the bands as we were different musically from them. We had so much fun with all the bands. We was going to tour with Death on the leprosy tour but chuck pulled the tour over money and stuff which was a bummer as we were going to promote the album Condemned to Eternity and it could have took us to another level. We were quite unlucky, We nearly did the Faith No More-tour but we got pulled last minute and at the Marquee in London we was pulled once again as a supporting act to Metal Church so that Metallica could do a warm up gig for their Castle Donington show.

In 1991 you released your the Laughing-album. The artwork you chose for the album was a bit odd. What do you think about it today?

It was good. We still think it is different, you see we wanted to be different. We still do as some times we go across the grain so to speak, in fact Kev painted it and it was Marks idea too write on top of the pics. There is many hidden jokes on the sleeve and with tracks about Monty python and Laurel and Hardy it all fitted in :o)

Laughing (1991)

You recorded one more album That was then... This is now and you disbanded soon afterwards, why did you disband?

Kev decided he didn’t want to be in the band as his musical tastes were changing so we got a few friends in to fill Kevs roles. Lee Robinson on vocals and Graham Dixon on guitar we knew them as good mates and we completed the contractual agreements with the album. Again it was a different. A good and clean heavy sound once again. If you turn it up on some of the tracks it gets very heavy. It was around the time when grunge was taking off and all bands were either getting dropped or packing it in.

Me personally wanted to get heavier and heavier but in the end they were are all good songs. One way or another I wanted the band to get heavier and we ran the course of the time we had. I actually recorded the guitars but on the photos on the album it shows Adam Clark who was going to take my place as I had enough.

Re-Animator reformed in 2013 and made a comeback gig with Lawnmower Deth and Xentrix if I'm not mistaken, how was it to be back on stage again?

Yes we did it a favour for Lawnmower Deth as it was a great cause, Sophie Lancaster's charity.  It was an odd feeling but a great night you can see the video on youtube and that the audience is singing along with our songs and so many youngsters where there as well, first time we played in 24 years, funny feeling. haha

Any plans of recording another Re-Animator album Now that you're back together?

We are going to re-record some tracks from Deny Reality and Condemned to Eternity and get the sound we was after all them years ago. Also the Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk-track we did record at the same time as Condemned to Eternity was released.

You participated in a documentary called A History of a Time to Come. About the UK thrash metal scene. What can you tell me about that documentary? Has it been released yet?

No not yet we are looking forward to it coming out but I think it has hit a stumbling block

What bands are you influenced by?

Oooohh so many, We all like different stuff. Mike loved Death Angel, Flotsam and Jetsam, Megadeth, Candlemass and Breed 77. Mark liked the old stuff like Frank Zappa, Ufo and Black Sabbath. John was into the punk stuff and Iron maiden. Kev was into all different stuff from the Seattle scene but he also loves Armoured Saint, Anthrax and S.O.D..

Have you got any funny story to tell, if anything weird has happened while touring or so?

Tons! haha... In Amsterdam a strange fellow was looking into the mirrored windows on the tour bus. All he had on was a long coat and he kept flashing. Underneath he was totally naked apart from a big strap on. Me I fell flat on my face onstage in Italy. I got my feet caught up in the cables on the drum riser and went face down into the stage. God that hurt!

What's your plans for the near future?

Keep playing gigs and festivals. (Hint Hint promoters out there) We do it for the music now as we all have full time jobs and not fussed about the money.  But then again we were never in it for the money. Myself personally I was in it for the experience and it was unbelievable.

Re-Animator 2014

What's the highlight of your career?

Lots really. The first album Deny Reality, our first tour of Europe including Scandinavia. Working with and meeting some fantastic people the memories will last forever.

Any last words to our readers?

We loved Sweden when we toured with Exodus on their Fabulous Disaster-Tour. Thanks for all your support and if you want to know the proper history of Re-animator check out the Wiki-page as so many websites have the wrong info.

Thanks

By/Ruthless

(07-01-2015)