R13: Hello there and thank you for your time. For the readers out there who do not know who Volbeat are, please could you sum up the band and what kind of music you play?
MP: Before I formed Volbeat I was in a metal band called Dominus. We released four albums through 'Die Hard' music and also a couple of videos. Volbeat released two demos, the first was called 'Volbeat' which was released in 2002, produced by Morten Nielson, and then the next released entitled 'Beat the meat' was released in 2003, produced by Jacob Hansen. We have now released our debut album 'The Strength, The Sound, The Songs' on Rebel Monster Records which is a sub label of Mascot Records.
It's hard for me to say what kind of music we play, but some I would describe it as some kind of Rock n'roll fused with Metal. We are told all the time by reviewers that we remind them of Life Of Agony which is funny since I write all the Volbeat songs and I don't have a single Life Of Agony album.
R13: You recent album entitled 'The Strength, The Sound, The Songs' has received much praise in the rock media, how do you feel about this?
MP: It's a great feeling because we have been working hard with this album and we did not know what to expect with such a musical style, so the great reviews and responses all over the world are really amazing and it gives us energy to work harder, you know? Also, we are the first Danish band ever to get 10 out of 10 in the legendary Rock Hard magazine! So this is certainly a good start for the band and we are looking forward to meeting our new fans out of Denmark and let the monster of Volbeat let loose on their ears.
R13: Which three bands are the biggest influence on the sound that is Volbeat?
MP: I really don't know because I have been listening to many different bands all of my life, and to only pick three is almost impossible. But Elvis, Metallica and Black Sabbath all have a big place in my heart.
R13: You are from the Netherlands, are there many other bands from there that you play your genre of music?
MP: We are from Denmark, not the Netherlands, but I think that we are the only band over here who have this style. But we do have many good bands here in Denmark such as Raunchy, Hatesphere, Invocator, Illdispossed, Mnemic, Mercenary, Urkraft and The Pickup.
R13: What do you think of the recent events where Sharon Osbourne sabotaged Iron Maiden's Ozzfest set?
MP: I heard that Sharon is a very smart and good business woman, but this is not smart for her and Ozzy, it is very sad to see people sink that deep because things just not going the way they want. She and her companions should be very, very ashamed of themselves for perfomring such childish acts in front of some of the world's best heavy metal bands and fans. It does not matter what Bruce has said in interviews. He should have had the right to say what he wants without getting salmonella, you know?
R13: Where did you come up with the name Volbeat?
MP: My third album with Dominus was called 'Vol.Beat', and was a more Rock n roll/metal album than the other Dominus albums which were more Death Metal than anything else. And when Dominus split up I thought Volbeat could be a cool name for my next band. Then when we did the demo 'Beat The Meat', some children told me that Volbeat was a Pokemon character. And it sure is ugly as hell, but I will not change my band name for this little motherfucker!
R13: A lot of people have compared you to bands such as Corrosion of Conformity and Monster Magnet, would you say these comparisons are accurate?
MP: I don't know, they are two great bands and perhaps those comparisons are quite accurate. But it is nice to hear people comparing us to other bands apart from Life Of Agony. Not that they aren't a great band because they are, but as I told you before I do not own a single Life Of Agony song and can't understand the comparison that much. But I have albums of both Corrosion Of Conformity and Monster Magnet, so at least there is something to relate to there.
R13: Have you ever played the UK before? If not, would you like to and what reaction do you think you would get?
MP: We want to play everywhere, but no we have not played in UK but sure hope to in the new year. We look forward to playing there and also look forward to the reaction we will receive. We played in Paris this year where the album only had been out a week but the reaction was stunning. The French people were already singing along although the album had only been out one week.
R13: What bands influenced you the most as a child?
MP: Well how old would you consider a child? When I was a child, it must have been funny, happy songs sang by my Mother! But, as a young dude I will say Elvis Presley (who I was so obsessed with I even tried to dye my hair like him!) and other Rock n'roll music from his time. I also liked King Diamond, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Metallica, Dio, Rainbow, Anthrax, Iron Maiden and Motorhead.
R13: What was the one album that changed your life?
MP: I think 'Live Evil' by Black Sabbath because it was so heavy and evil at the time, and has a great setlist with the best Sabbath singer, Ronnie James Dio. I remember visiting my uncle when I was young and I was going through his records, and one cover scared the crap out of me. It was Black Sabbath's first album with the lady on, you know? He told me if I liked the album I could have it, but he told me not to play it in the dark, backwards. But of cause it was the first thing I did, and then I sold my soul to Satan and to heavy metal music a couple of hours later!
R13: What are your three preferred genres or sub-genres of music?
MP:Rock and Roll from the 50's, Dirty Blues and Heavy Metal music.
R13: What band would you love to tour with most?
MP: Metallica or Motorhead would be fine with me!
R13: And finally, do you have any last words for the fans out there?
MP: Thank you very much for this interview and for the fans or just readers; check out the debut Volbeat album 'The Strength, The Sound, The Songs'. If you can't find it in your music store then visit our official site and send us an email and we will bring you the rebel monster. Cheers!