Initially, Obituary wasn't meant to last after they disbanded in 1997, but drummer Donald Tardy is now revealing the person responsible for why the group got back together in 2003. Their second act has now lasted longer than their first run as a band.
In an interview with Chaoszine, the musician revealed how his onetime bandmate Andrew W.K. made a big move for their group following their 1997 disbandment.
Donald said he attended Ozzfest with the singer, and they were playing in Florida again. Despite the hiatus at the time, the drummer revealed he remained friends with his fellow musicians.
He revealed that they often meet each other to watch sports and party.
When Andrew played at Ozzfest, he only had a 30-minute set, but he made a big move by offering two-song slots to play "Obituary" tracks.
At the time, the group had been broken for six years, but after the music festival appearance, the passion for getting back together sparked.
"That literally sparked the flame back into how much my brother [John Tardy] and Trevor [Peres] realized how much [fun] it is to be touring," he said. (via Loudwire)
Donald added that fans can thank Andrew for being the reason why the band remains strong today.
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After disbanding in 1997, the band members took their time and went into different paths, but Donald continued his passion for music.
Andrew created his own band, and he invited his pal to play the drums.
Donald is grateful for the experience as he witnessed their careers take off from being a "concept" to "literally 1,000 miles an hour."
Throughout their journey, the two opened for Aerosmith, played at Ozzfest, "Saturday Night Live," "Conan O'Brien," and other late-night shows.
"I mean, it's funny. I went from Obituary and taking a hiatus to Andrew, from zero to a thousand miles an hour," he added.
Concluding his interview, Donald said when their band decided to "get away from the scene," he dove right into it and was doing some of the biggest shows in the industry.
The American death metal band was initially formed in 1984 until they decided to break up after releasing their fifth album, "Back from the Dead," as they had grown tired of touring.
Today, the band is reportedly working on new songs and an album arriving this year.
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