REVELATION - ALKMAAR (NOORD-HOLLAND)1986 - 1991

BIOGRAPHY: It's the 7th of January 2004 when at 20.30 my doorbell rings. I open the door and before me stand Patrick Laan (ex Revelation) and Andre v/d Leygraaf (ex Wolverine). Their coming had everything to do with a Revelation interview, and Patrick thought it was a good idea to bring a box full with Revelation tapes! About 30 in total plus a few photo albums. During the night I looked excited to that box. Anyway, here's the story of Revelation.

It's 1986 when Jose Cordoba (guitar) and Frank Iliopoulis (drums) decided to start a band and soon Revelation is a fact. After some ads in magazines, Patrick Laan (guitar), Ed Seuren (bass) and Mark Schouten (vocals) complete the line up.
At that time the band plays metal in the vein of Dokken, Queensryche and Iron Maiden. Soon they started creating their own setlist, and only in a later stadium they did some cover songs too. They covered songs from Testament, Anthrax and Metallica. Pretty surprising, since those songs where faster then the stuff they wrote themselves. Patrick had the urge to record every concert and runs the archive within the band. At the end of ’86 the band plays live for the 1st time at the ‘De Boerderij’ in Schagen as support for Defender. This was the start for an triumphant tour through Holland. Playing in many clubs and at many festivals like Dynamo, Ooievaar in Uitgeest, De Mel in Velsen Noord, Donkey Shot in Heemskerk. Yours truly remembers a gig at the Ooievaar, held in the afternoon. A really memorable gig. Absolute highlight for the band was the Seapop festival in Petten, a talent scout festival. They win the prequel round and earn a place on the main stage of the festival itself. In the final round the band wins as well and gets studio time as prize. With this free studio time they recorded their demo ‘Towards the Galaxy’ in 1987 . In the meantime they are even the support-act for Candlemass.  
When the band wanted to release their 2nd demo, in ’89, the band gets a huge blow. When Patrick rides on his bicycle to the rehearsal room some asshole drives too fast with his car and crashes with Patrick who felt from his bike. Patrick had to go to the hospital for heavy treatment.  A week later bass player Ed is involved in a carcrash after a concert of a Testament concert. This enques the promotion of the 2nd demo ‘The Difference’. The other band members refuse to search/hire other band members and wait for the return of Patrick and Ed. Afterward these things made the band stronger than ever. Patrick points out that the band members were not only best friends, but the dedication to "Revelation" was also very important. It didn’t matter how cold it was, everyone had the discipline to rehearse every week.
At the end of 80s/early 90s things turn out much different. Suddenly the band plays for a few people at gigs and at this time being a bandmember costs money instead of earning some coins. The metalscene was slowly dissapearing while the popularity of Grunge was rising. That's the reason singer Marc Schouten quits the band and was replaced by Erwin Siereveld (ex Jackal). It worked out well with regard to personal relations, but Erwin as singer could not make people forget about Marc Schouten. Around this time also bass player Ed leaves the band and slowly but surely the band bleeds to death. At the end of 1991 the band plays their last show in Buk Buk in Heiloo.
In this last period the band even recorded a demo, but never released it as the band wasn't happy with the recordings. It marks the end of a great band from Alkmaar. Patrick Laan still has plans to make a CD with his live recordings. From the ashes of Revelation and Wolverine a new band emerged, Outcast. A coverband for all your parties and weddings.
Asking about a Revelation reunion Patrick responds that he doesn’t even know where the old members are. "But with Outcast we could do some Wolverine and Revelation songs some time" Patrick tells.
As a last message Patrick tells he still has good memories of his Revelation times. "It was a fantastic time and I hope to release the live material one day, thank you for your interest".

By: Martin Motörhead
Translation: Stefan van Zijl/Julian Klaassen

MEMBERS:

Marc Schouten - vocals
Erwin Siereveld - vocals  (Other bands: : Jackal)
Jose Cordoba - guitars
Patrick Laan - guitars
Ed Seuren - bass
Frank Lliopoulos - drums

DISCOGRAPHY:

1987 Towards the Galaxy (DEMO)
1989 The Difference (DEMO)

MEMORABILIA


Covers of the "Towards the Galaxy" & "The Difference" demo's







Collection of old Revelation pictures