Evile Bassist Michael Alexander Passes Away While On Tour
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Sadly, just a few days into their European tour with Amon Amarth, Evile bassist Mike Alexander was suddenly taken ill and rushed to hospital, but tragically passed away in Lulea, Sweden on October 5th from a suspected blood clot. Mike was just 32 years old.
Evile members Matt Drake, Ol Drake and Ben Carter have released the following statement:
"This is so hard to find the words to express fully how we feel. We can't believe or accept what's happened. One minute we're talking to our buddy, Mike, the next minute we can never speak to him again.
"There's so many things rushing through our heads that we want to say, do and feel. We half expect him to come round the corner and call us 'dickheads'. We can't get our heads around it.
"It upsets us so much that he was away from his family when this happened, although knowing Mike, we're at least glad he was on tour doing what he loves.
"We're lost for words. We all miss him so much already. He was such a headstrong, genuinely nice guy who loved music and his family. We've got so many brilliant memories with him.
"Our hearts go out to his daughter, family and friends at this tragic, difficult time.
"Mike is much loved and is sorely missed. Rest in peace, brother."
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Evile are a Thrash Metal outfit from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the UK.
Founded by old school friends Matt Drake and Ben Carter, and after playing with different guitarists and bass players for a year or so, Matt's brother Ol was asked to join as lead guitarist. After a short search for a bass player The 3 were contacted by Mike Alexander via an ad in a local guitar shop, and the band was formed. With every member contributing to every aspect of the band they have a uniqueness and strength which gives them a cutting edge, influenced by bands such as Sepultura, Exodus, Metallica, Annihilator and Slayer to name but a few, Evile have created something that the metal world is crying out for. Despite being un-signed at the time, Evile were hand-picked to headline the second stage of Bloodstock Open Air 06, and also to open the main stage of Manchester's own Damnation Festival.
In October of 2006 Evile signed to the legendary Earache Records, label home of such Metal legends as Morbid Angel, Napalm Death, Municipal Waste and Carcass.
Evile would go on to record their debut "Enter the Grave" in Copenhagen's Sweet Silence Studios with Flemming Rasmussen of Metallica fame at the helm.
Kerrang! dubbed Evile to be "Carrying the genre's whole 'revival' on their shoulders", with other positive reviews from press such as Metal Hammer, Terrorizer, Zero Tolerance and Classic Rock Magazine. Metal Hammer also included Evile in their second "Get in the Ring" competition, which saw 4 bands battle it out in a boxing ring. Evile would go on to win the competition aired on Rockworld.TV.
Aswell as supporting and touring with bands such as Machine Head, Sabbat and Sanctity, the band went on to be main support to Megadeth on their European "Tour of Duty" in Feb/Mar of 2008, being warmly greeted by the crowd. The band also went on to support legendary Thrashers Exodus on their 2008 European Tour in April which in the same month saw Evile's "Thrasher" included on Xbox360/PS3 videogame Rockband.
A 2008 tour with Satyricon was cut drastically short when Ol, due to health problems, collapsed breaking his jaw and cutting open his chin. His beard is said to have saved him.
Headlining the UK, and several European Festivals in 2009 would mark the end of touring for "Enter the Grave".
The second chapter in Evile's history comes by the name "Infected Nations", produced by Russ Russell (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir), original artwork by Michael Whelan (Sepultura, Obituary, Stephen King) and released via Earache Records worldwide. "Infected Nations" is Evile's modern take on Thrash Metal, and finds the band coming into a sound of their own.