Today, we’re diving deep into the world of Holland’s very own Reviver! Get ready for an exciting journey through their history, discover the stories behind their electrifying music, and hear all about their future plans. Buckle up, because this is going to be an epic ride with one of the most dynamic bands on the Dutch metal scene!

Reviver is a Dutch heavy metal band that has been active since 1997. Known for their heavy/power metal style, they blend intense guitar work with strong, unique vocals. After a hiatus, the band returned in 2017 with a revitalised lineup, releasing their critically acclaimed album “A Thousand Lives” in 2022. The current band members include Michel Zandbergen (vocals), Fred Mantel (guitar), Tom Heemskerk (guitar), Stefan Brederode (bass), and Leon Noë (drums). Reviver’s music draws inspiration from classic metal, blending modern elements to create a fresh yet familiar sound.

Interview

TheNwothm: Happy New Year, Reviver! How is 2025 starting for the band?

FRED: Hi there and thank you for getting in touch with us, to interview Reviver! 2025 started
excellent. Our new album “Carnival of Chaos” has been received very well. All is going
upward, we couldn’t wish better.

TheNwothm: Could you introduce the current members of Reviver and tell us a bit about
what each of you brings to the band?

FRED: Guitar player Tom Heemskerk and myself started Reviver in 1997. During the years, we have
had several changes in the line-up. Stefan Brederode on bass joined Reviver in 2004. Leon
Noë on drums and Michel Zandbergen on vocals are the latest additions to Reviver.
Usually, in the past, Tom and myself came up with the general compositions for Reviver.
But all band mates are free to bring in their own creative ideas. For future work, all band
mates will participate in the process.

MICHEL: Vocal abuse and I helped out with mastering the record.

TheNwothm: And how did you guys form all the way back in 97?

FRED: Before Reviver, Tom and myself were already playing together in a death metal band called
Last Restraint. When that band broke up, we decided to catch on with a new band, more in
the style of progressive heavy metal. During those years, grunge music was very popular.
However, we were no fans of that type of music. We wished for a comeback of the 80s
heavy metal. We took matters by our own hands and started Reviver.

TheNwothm: You’re based in Purmerend, North Holland. How has the Netherlands and its
music scene influenced your sound?

FRED: Since Last Restraint, many metal bands started in the Purmerend area. Also, their was a
guitar shop we visitted often. We learned a lot from Exises guitar player Michel Siethoff who
was working overthere. We hang out in the shop every Saturday I think. We talked a lot
about the music industry and how to work on yourself as a musician. In Purmerend, there
was a venue called De Kern. There were regular live shows overthere which gave local
bands the opportunity to get on stage. Also, Tom and myself ran a recording studio in
Purmerend. Many bands came over for their recordings. We maintained a lot of contacts
during that period of time. In general, the environment pushed us to get better in our
qualities as a musician.

TheNwothm: Your music often revolves around themes of darkness. What draws you to
these themes, and how do you bring them to life in your music?

MICHEL: The world can be a dark place, and by expressing darkness in your music, will help you
deal with it, because I rather see the positive and feel positive than having negativity
rattling around in my head.

FRED: The “Carnival of Chaos” album especially, is themed around darkness. The path through the
dark to see the light. We used the history of the Knights Templar to shape form to some
background stories we have. Almost all songs have a double meaning. It deals about the
Knights Templar and their crusades, at first sight. But if you listen carefully, their is
something hidden in the texts.

TheNwothm: Looking back, how do you think your sound has evolved from your early
demos, like the 1998 release, to your full-length albums like “A Thousand Lives?“

FRED: We think the 1998 release contains some nice songs. However, the vocals didn’t work for
Reviver. Although the vocalist Frans Simon, did his utterly best, it somehow didn’t work
out. Apart from that, we had a very great time. We did a lot of live shows and did everything
to bring Reviver to everyone’s attention. We got in contact with the dutch heavy metal fan
club Metal Maniacs which provided us a great gig as support from dutch famous band
Vengeance on the heavy metal maniacs festival.

TheNwothm: The 2 Track Promo (2000) was released just before your first EP, “Gates of Time”
(2001). What was your mindset during this period? How did your music grow between these
releases?

FRED: The 2 track promo was some kind of last effort, to get the vocals working for Reviver.
Unfortunately, it didn’t. We decided to look for another singer. First, we tried Pieter Bas
Borger from Black Knight. He performed on the “Gates of Time” EP, on project base. The
result sounded extremely well. We did a live show too, but it was a one time kind of thing.
Pieter Bas wished to continue working on project base solely, which was no option for
Reviver. We liked to be on stage. However, “Gates of Time” was a very great EP. It definitely
showed what we were aiming. The reception was very great.

TheNwothm: “Gates of Time” and “Osiris Eyes” (2003) showcased your progression. Were there
any major influences or events during these years that shaped your sound?

FRED: “Osiris Eyes” introduced new vocalist Patrick van Maurik who came over from Montany.
“Osiris Eyes” featured some of the best Reviver songs to date. Personally, I think the “Osiris
Eyes” EP sounds even better compared to the full length album which has been released in
2005. During those years, we gained a lot of experience due to the many recording work and live
shows we were performing. It’s obvious that the progression of Reviver took a leap during
those years.

TheNwothm: What do the members of Reviver enjoy doing outside of music? Any hobbies,
passions, or careers that inspire your creativity?

MICHEL: Well, I am a complete and utter music obsessive, from playing and writing to recording,
producing, mixing and mastering music, also restoring and collecting vintage hi fi,
collecting vinyl and cd’s and an insane amount of listening hours as an audiophile.
Long story short, No I don’t have any hobby’s outside of music lol.

FRED: Speaking for myself, I’m running a media production company and a house renovation
company. I’ve performed martial arts, played football and did wind surfing. Furthermore, I’m
interested in science fiction and ancient mysteries. And, I like to travel.

LEON: My hobby’s are, apart from Reviver, play a lot of guitar in my other band PPTA and sports!

TOM: My hobby’s are motor cycling, biking, hiking and weight lifting. And I combine this with
visitting concerts and drinking beer.

TheNwothm: In 2005, you released your first full-length album, Reviver. What were your
goals for this release, and how was it received by fans and critics?

FRED: After the release of “Osiris Eyes,” we got the record deal with Remedy Records. The first
Reviver album contained new work, and some earlier, re-recorded work from the “Gates of
Time” and “Osiris Eyes” EP’s. The album was received well, but not like the earlier EP’s.
Personally, I think the first full length Reviver album was a bit over-produced. However, the
reception was okay, we got some nice gigs like Metal Bash festival in Germany, and
Dokkum Open Air festival in Friesland, the Netherlands.

TheNwothm: After your initial run, the band went on hiatus in 2006 and returned in 2017.
How did the time away influence the music you’ve made since your comeback?

FRED: During that period of time, all band mates spread out and played in some other bands and
projects. Speaking for myself, I played in a Whitesnake tribute act, called Nightsnake. Also, I
received my film making diploma. Furthermore, I played in a band called Magnetude. All
those things let me grow as a musician. And, I’m able to take care of the Reviver music
video’s myself. During these days, video has been an important part to promote your music.
And it’s a great way to express creativity.

TheNwothm: After such a long break, what was the process like to create “A Thousand
Lives?” Did you feel pressure to match or exceed the expectations set by “Reviver’ (2005)?

FRED: In fact, the 2nd album was already written in 2006. However, the band broke up before
recording it. When we came back together, we wanted to release it as some kind of one time
thing for ourselves, family and friends. We made some changes to the songs and recorded
it. However, the result sounded surprisingly nice. We decided to do something more with it.
Remedy Records did a digital online release and we released a cd version ourselves. The
album was received quite well, so we thought about writing a 3rd full length album too.
However, not all band members liked to join the party. So, we had to look for another
vocalist and drummer.

TheNwothm: How did the songwriting and recording process for “A Thousand Lives” differ
from your previous albums?

FRED: The songwriting of A “Thousand Lives” was similar compared to the earlier releases,
especially because it was already written in 2006. We wrote it together in the recording
studio, which we were hanging out a lot during those days.

Reviver’s 3rd album “Carnival of Chaos” is the first Reviver album, entirely written after the 10
years hiatus. It really shows the new Reviver. New songs, a new line-up. The approach on
the album has been completely different. We decided to delve more into the extremes of
what we were up to. Some very fast songs, but also a piano ballad. By enlarging the musical
spectrum, we aim to generate more energy and intense feeling.

TheNwothm: Can you share the story behind the title and the tracks of your latest album
“Carnival of Chaos?” Does it reflect the current state of the band, the world, or something
else entirely?

FRED: It definitely reflects our feelings during the 10 years hiatus and the state of the band while
recording the albums. We as Reviver, had a stormy past. The process of each album has
been completely different from each other. This also makes it interesting. What kind of
process would we run into when recording the 4h, or the 5th? It’s all in the stars.

TheNwothm: What lessons from creating your previous albums are you applying to the new
material?

FRED: Most important lesson we have learned: never stop. It was quite a bummer we had 17 years
between the first and second Reviver album. But, of course, we had plenty of time to re-
think the situation and what approach would work best. Every Reviver album has had it’s
own unique production process. Every album reflects the period of time when it was
created. So far, “Carnival of Chaos” has been received as the best Reviver album so far. It
gives hope for the future. We feel proud and happy it’s finally there.

TheNwothm: What are your hopes and goals for Reviver in 2025 and beyond?

MICHEL: Write more and diverse songs and have every band member put their specific style and feel
into the songs, letting all the influences in, the creating of music is always the most fun for
me.

FRED: A long term wish we have, is that the albums will be releases on vinyl too. Of course, this all
the depends on how things develop. But so far, we have nothing to complain.

TheNwothm: Are there any upcoming shows, tours, or special releases fans should look
forward to?

FRED: Good question, haha. We aim for a vinyl release of “Carnival of Chaos,” most. If there comes
up a nice festival to schedule Reviver, we are definitely open to it. However, bandmates live
in different places in the Netherlands, with long distances from each other. So there’s a bit of
a practical kind of thing we need to sort out to prepare for live shows.

TheNwothm: Where can fans buy your music and merch?

FRED: Our cd’s and merchandising can be bought at our website reviverofficial.com. Of course,
it’s also available at the regular metal webshops worldwide, for example at No Dust Records
and Remedy Records. Furthermore, Reviver is distributed digital online at Spotify, Apple
Music and so on.

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

FRED: It has been a very long ride, from the early Reviver days to where we are now. Things have
developed in many ways we didn’t expect, or hadn’t foreseen. We are so surprised, and
amazed by the reception we have received on our latest albums. And we like to thank you, a
very big thank you, to all who have supported Reviver!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revivertheband

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revivertheband/

Website: https://www.reviverofficial.com/

Label: Remedy Records