Interview with Tim Scott, Revenant

- Hello, Tim! Tell us, how did your metal journey start? How old where you? When did you realize that you wanted to play the bass guitar? 
- Yeah, well when I was around 11 or 12 years old is when I really started to create my musical identity I guess. Discovering, bands like ACDC and Motley Crue. It became an obssession really, I would take my allowance and buy metal magazines and new records every chance I had. 
My friends and I would watch MTV waiting for Ozzy or Crue to come on and decided to form a band. I chose bass, because like any other 12 year old kid reading about what Nikki Six would do with girls on the tour bus, I mean shit I wanted to get layed too. 
My music tastes turned from hardrock to metal with bands like Slayer and Exodus, all those great thrash bands coming out in the 80's. Of course you were a metalhead or poser back then. 

- In 1987 you participated in F.C.A band. What was that project about? You also managed to record one demo, "Blow It Out Your Hole!". Tell us a bit about that tape. 
- F.C.A. Haha, that was just a bunch of friends who went away to a cabin for a weekend and jammed. A punk band, really surprised that anyone has even heard of it. That developed into a thrash band Parasyte later on which I played and wrote for together with Dean Martinetti, who now enterprises Rogue Records in San Francisco and Dave Jengo (Revenant).

- When did you know about such thing as Death Metal? Do you remember how the transition from Thrash to Death metal was happening? 
- I remember loving bands like Possessed, Celtic Frost, Voivod and Death who were the bands that bridged the gap between thrash and something more progressive and dark. My first real encounter with Death Metal was when I left Parasyte and tried out for Revenant.

- How did you join Revenant? When did you meet John McEntee for the first time? 
- Right after I left Parasyte, it was Dave Jengo, who tipped me off on this band who was looking for a bassist. He knew John and Veg from a music store he worked at. I called John and went to there rehearsal space (Joe Fregenti's basement) and couldn't believe it! The twisted technical sounds that they were making got me hooked right away. 

- Your first work was "Distant Eyes" EP, released by Threash Records in 1989. By that time, the line-up was changed quite significantly from the original one, so what was the atmosphere within the band? What were your plans like? 
- After John left it was really just Henry and I left in the band. So we took the old songs and started re-tooling them plus writing new stuff and looking for members that would fit the vision. We knew Will from playing with the band he was in then, he had a totally different style progressive, jazz drummer who could play technical and brutal time signatures. Dave came on board from Parasyte and completed the Revenant line up. By then Revenant had already built a strong following in the underground scene and we were getting gigs like the very first Napalm Death show in the U.S., I think that was Dave and Will's first show with us. We went into the studio to record the new sound almost right away with new material we had written together. 

- As far as I know, you recorded 3 tracks, but released only 2. What happened with that song?  
- We recorded the 3 song demo and got an offer from Thrash to put out a 7". But I am pretty sure that 3 song cassette still circulates with tape traders. 

- Your debut full-length was released in 1991. When did you start working on it? What was your main song-writing coalition? What is your favourite track?
- Prophecies is both some older Revenant songs that we re-wrote and newer stuff we wrote with Dave and Will. Henry really was the sick genius behind Revenant and it's direction. But we all contributed to the writing. We would write the framework for a song and add and take away riffs and all ideas were tried no matter who had them. It was a real band, 4 guys writing music together. 
My favourite from that album , that's a tuff one to answer. I have a history with each of those songs. It's like choosing your favourite child over the others. Every time we wrote a new song that was my favourite. I always loved playing Spawn, especially live.

- Tell us about the recording process. Where did you record it? How long did it take you? Did you meet any particular difficulties?
- The album was recorded at a studio in Jersey City called Quantum  Studios. For me it was a really big deal, I was never oud being the first time recording an album for a record label, I think we all were. Chris from Mucky Pup was with us helping us out with production. I don't recall any particular difficulties. We didn't really get the sound we wanted out of it unfortunately, but I will always be proud of it.

- Markus Staiger was your executive producer. What was his impact on the record? Did he influence anyhow the final version of the album?
- Markus was the Nuclear Blast rep. He didn't have much if anything to do with the actual recording or mixing. He may have overseen the mastering and that terrible art work but he was basicly the guy there that okeyed the songs for print. 

- Tell us the story of the cover. It was given to you by Nuclear Blast, wasn't it? Did you plan to have another one? Also, the same picture was used by Robert Plant later as well.
- Yeah, haha, I've seen that Robert Plant cover. We didn't really have a choice with the cover. It's horrible, we would had something much more twisted and disturbing. It is what it is.
 
- How was the album accepted by metal community? Did you get any information regarding the perception of the album in both, USA and Europe? 
- I think the album is actually more appreciated now then it was when it came out. But it did well and we got to tour with Morbid Angel for the Alters of Madness tour and played some awesome shows on our headlining tour in Europe.

- How well did it go for you in Europe? Could you tell us about some tours or special concerts in Europe that you still keep memories of? Did you play in Paris?
- I think Paris was cancelled on us. The tour was incredible and the guys from Gorefest made it even more fun. We played 1 show with Napalm Death that was probably the highlight on that run. I remember playing in Poland and needing a shower, we found a little shack outside with cold water in the middle of November that we could wash in, best shower of my life! I could go on for hours we had an awesome time.

- In 2002, "Overman" EP was released. The material was recorded in 1995, so why did it take so long? Was it self-release? Those songs were mixed by Eric Rutan, how did you like to work with him?
- You know, I honestly can't recall which came first the chicken or the egg on that one. We recorded alot back then, we released the 'Exalted Being' 7" with Rage Records and those songs on the "Overman" EP pretty close together. I think had to do with the decision that we made to disburse the band, that demo just sat around for along time. I remember that Eric did work on the mix but we released it I guess for our own satisfaction. 

- In 2005, Xtreem Music released a compilation of your first demos, along with some rare stuff. How did it happen? Was it Dave Rotten who contacted you? What was the process of collecting those archive stuff like?
- As I recall, Dave contacted us with a campaign Xtreem was doing, releasing classic bands albums. I'm pretty sure he wanted to re-release Prophecies like many after him. But for some strange reason Nuclear Blast is holding on to those masters and letting them become buried in dust. There are rumours that they may have even lost the masters to the album, no one really knows. 

- So why did the band split-up? What was the reason for such a decision? Have you ever thought about any kind of reunion?
- I think it was a culmination of things, we played along time together, we were all in different stages in life, it just made sense then. We have agreed that a Revenant reunioun will never happen, sorry.

- Let's have a few questions regarding another band of yours, HatePlow. How was this band born? How did you find the original line-up?
- Ahh , after Revenant split, I became pretty restless and decided to move down to Florida. I knew Phil Fasciana from the scene and hooked up with him down there. He had HatePlow together with Rob Barret and they needed a bassist. I guess being at the right place at the right time. That was slot of fun.

- Tell us a bit about your first full-length "Everybody Dies". How complicated was for you to accomplish all the recordings, considering that fact that Larry Hawke passed away shortly after his drum tracks were recorded?
- Luckily we had sent Larry in to record his tracks in Florida, right before he was going to do some jail time for shooting at someone. The rest of went up to Illinois and recorded our tracks. Larry was a legend - Cheers Larry, you are missed.

- Why did you leave the band afterwards? What do you think about their last album, "The Only Law Is Survival"?
- "The Only Law " album was a step forward twords the grind genre that Phil wanted for Hateplow. It's decent, but I am still partial to the earlier stuff with a good but of groove and mish riffs in in it. We can just say I left the band because of personal differences and leave it there. 

- Tim, you are still involved into music industry. Tell us about your band Methane. What are your current plans?
- I have been playing Death Metal for so many years now, here in Sweden I recorded an EP with Margrave and an EP with Volturyon, I really just needed to get back to my thrash roots. We play a kind of Southern Groove metal, it's a lot of fun!
Methane released it's second EP single 'Spit on Your Grave' in July, 2016 we will be touring for that starting here in Europe doing shows with Cryonic Temple and some festivals. I hope to have the album out by the U.S. Tour this summer. 

- Just before we finish, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Do you have any other hobby or passion but music? What is your favourite film? What book could you recommend to our readers?
- Music takes up most of my free time, it's more than a hobby, but a passion.  I work, like everyone else, as a socail worker. Just saw the new Vacation movie thought it was great, waiting to see the new Star Wars but don't want to be disappointed like I was with the last 3 movies. ​​​​