Hey, this is Selim and Richard from Powervice.

We (Richard, Ries and Willem) started about 2 years ago, with a different singer and a different guitar player, which didn't work out. Then we did nothing for a while; Ries (drums) toured in the USA with another band called Bars and me and Will (guitar) played in House Of Destructo. When we met Selim (guitar) and Stocky (vocals) last June we started playing again and from there it went really fast. Within 3 months we recorded our Demo and 2 months after that we did our first show.

The Powervice sound - as we can see from the three track Demo CD - owes a lot to the Metal music of the early 80's. Was this the main reason for the band to exist or did you decide to go this specific way after you jammed together for the first time?

We knew exactly how we wanted to sound like when we started; just like Heavy Metal was supposed to sound, I guess. No fancy production or triggered drum sounds; just a good loud guitar, 'fat' drums and a singer that can actually sing. That - for us - is Heavy Metal.

Yes, we are, but at this moment not too much can be said about it. There are a couple of bigger labels interested in working with us and we are currently checking out the options. Sorry, no name dropping!

We all pull our weight in that department, doing interviews and stuff like that. We also have a 'booker' and a manager that do a lot of work for us, so we can relax and write music.

Our main influences are bands like Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, early Manowar, UFO, early Maiden, Helstar and Riot. We hate Nu-metal bullshit and I don't even know what 'atmospheric' Metal is... But we do listen to a lot of different music. For instance, Richard loves shit like Mudhoney and The Wipers and Ries is a total Deep Purple and The Who fan. I (Selim) love Black Metal like Drudkh and Striborg. And Willem used to be a Surf Rocker (Laughs)! Stocky is a total thrasher; he digs stuff like Toxic and Exodus, to name a few. We all love different shit but we want to play Heavy Metal. I think we have a big advantage because of this. I think for most of those Nu-Metal or Goth Metal bands it starts with Pantera or Nightwish.

Well, basically it's all about the way the world is going down the drain, I guess. Our album will be mostly about The End that is coming soon.

We all do this together, actually. When a song is written, we all add our little ideas and thoughts to it and that is what makes it a Powervice song.

Richard and I don't work. So we are free to do what we feel like. The others all have jobs but don't want to stand in a factory until they are 65. So, if we get the chance to go for it, we will. Powervice is for all of us the most important thing in our lives. No jobs or girlfriends or whatever can come between us.

What do you expect from the Up The Hammers festival in Athens, Greece in May 2006? Are you familiar with the other bands of the festival's lineup?

Well, of course we know of Desperation from Belgium. They are actually good friends of our singer's girlfriend. But it's the first time we'll go to Greece with this band and we actually don't know what to expect. Of course we hope that our Greek fans, some of which we have already met at the Keep It True fest, will all be there to bang their heads!

We'll be doing a lot of shows this summer but probably won't go on a full tour until after the album comes out. The reason for this is that if you want to tour, you have to have something to promote.

Well, we'd like to thank you, Greg, the readers, the fans and everyone who we might see in Athens, for all the attention we have been given so early in our career. It makes me glad to see a lot of people are still interested in a musical style; that means so much to us.