Genre pioneers Repulsion need no introduction and along with Scott Carlson the name Matt Olivo is synonymous with being Grindcore legends. Say no more.........

I’d like to start at the reformation of the band. What lead to you guys exhuming the name Repulsion; who approach who, how did it come about?

I guess the ball started rolling again in 2001 or so…Matt Jacobsen of Relapse Records started some crazy talk about re-releasing our one and only album “Horrified” with extras on it. It was finally released in 2003. After that the booking requests started coming in. We headlined Milwaukee Metal Fest that year and played festivals in France and Spain soon after.

Scott has been busy as a sideman in Cathedral and various rock outfits. I’ve (Olivo) been living and working in Los Angeles since 1995. Dave Grave plays drums in the Detroit drink-rock outfit “Pub Life.” Aaron plays in the Flint-based punk band “The Freakies.”

Now you guys are back together are there any plans to write / record new material or is it your intent to keep Repulsion a pure nostalgia act?

Given the significance the band had with regards effectively creating the Grindcore genre. Were there any reservations when you guys thought about reprising Repulsion? And how does it sit with you when you are credited with defining the genre?

Repulsion are basically proud parents. We get props wherever we go and there’s no pressure whatsoever.

The original reformed Repulsion included Dave Hollingshead, but he soon departed your ranks. What were the reasons for his departure, and was it difficult to continue without him?

It wasn’t that Dave and Aaron departed it just became impractical to pull together to do shows. Scott and I live in California so we found some Cali-brohams to play with us. Matt Harvey on guitar and Col Jones on drums. They play(ed) with Exhumed, Cretin, Dekapitator, et. al..

I’d like to go back if I may. Relapse Records re-released your classic 1989 album “Horrified”, how did this come about? With the addition of bonus tracks and new layout, did you feel this was superior to the original?

The new cover wasn’t as cool (I thought) and we got lots of shit for Dave’s Hitler –stache. However, it still went on to become a proper Repulsion introduction to a new generation of Metal munchkins.

Along with Repulsion you guys have your fingers in a number of other pies, Death Breath, Cretin, Dekapitator, to name but three. How do you guys juggle all these commitments and how does Repulsion fit into the priority scale?

I’m curious to know, looking back at “Horrified” now nearly 20 years on from it’s original release. Is there anything you would change or wish you could have done differently?