Marjolein:  "SYLVER MYST was founded in 2001 and now consists of Marjolein Hüsken on vocals, Martijn in ’t Veld on keyboards, Didier Roumen on lead guitar, Rob van Dijk on guitar and grunts, Marco Brugmans on bass and Marc Jaspers on drums."

Toine:  Who came up with the name SYLVER MYST and why did you actually choose this name?

Marjolein:  "Our former drummer, Eric Noten, once came up with the name SYLVER MYST. It is officially based on the name of some disco act called SYLVER, but I prefer to tell a different story. To me, our name represents the first time I entered the bands’ rehearsing room. That’s quite a small room and three people were smoking their lungs out. I coudn’t see anybody, just saw a lot of ‘silver mist’."

Toine:  The band started out as a group of friends. Many people left the band, did this also mean the end of some long lasting friendships?

Marjolein:  "There have indeed been a lot of changes in our line-up. Rob and Didier are the only ‘original’ members left. Changing the line-up is always a hard thing, but fortunately, it didn’t end any friendships."

Toine:  What happened to Annieke Viveen, who was a vocalist in the band, before you joined the line up?

Marjolein:  "I’m afraid I don’t know. I never met her."

Toine:  Can we see SYLVER MYST as the next in line of never-ending female-fronted gothic metal bands, like WITHIN TEMPTATION, AFTER FOREVER, EPICA, etc. etc.?

Marjolein:  "Well, if line-up is the only thing you take into consideration, than I should say ‘yes’. But do you really think the three bands you named are very similar? I really don’t and I don’t think our work resembles theirs. We all sound very different. Not just because my voice is more folk-like than the other singer’s voices, but also because we use very different guitar and keyboard equipment, choose different effects, put different accents to our sound in general and build up our compositions in a very different way. I agree, that it may seem all the same at first sight just because of the line-up, but if you look just a little further you will see that we are all very unique."

Toine:  Is it still possible for a band to be original, in a time where there is an overflow of bands? And in which aspect does SYLVER MYST differ from the rest of all these other bands?

Marjolein:  "We are not just unique, because we sound different from other groups. Of course our live performances contribute a lot, too. You should come and see what I mean, because our enthusiasm on stage is so contagious it cannot be put in words."

Toine:  How would you describe your music yourself?

Marjolein:  "Our music is powerful, catchy and extremely melodious. It is very diverse, but not too complicated. Above all, it does not comply with classical nor popular schemes, but mixes the best of both worlds."

Toine:  Who can we see as your musical influences and maybe we can also name some influences of each band member individually here?

Marjolein:  The fun thing about SYLVER MYST is that there is not a single band in the world we all really love. Here’s a list of bands each SYLVER MYST member is influenced by:

Marjolein:  DREAM THEATER, AFTER FOREVER, AYREON, Rachmaninov, Haydn and Mozart;

Martijn:  DREAM THEATER, SKYFIRE, GODGORY and SHADOW GALLERY

Didier:  METALLICA, GUNS’N’ROSES and PINK FLOYD

Rob:  KISS, FRANK BOEIJEN GROEP and NIGHTWISH;

Marco:  PLACEBO, QUEENSRYCHE, AFTER FOREVER and NIGHTWISH;

Marc:  THRESHOLD, PAIN OF SALVATION, AYREON and KATE BUSH."

Toine:  After two independent demos and a MCD, you signed a deal with Sirenette Music Industries in the USA (Sonic Cathedral) and released your first full-length "Emotions Revealed" in 2006. How did you get in touch with them in the first place and can you tell us how this cooperation works so far?

Marjolein:  "After the release of "Depths Of Illusions", our manager contacted a lot of labels across the globe. Thanks to the internet, it doesn’t really matter where they are situated. Blessed be e-mail and Skype! Moreover John, our label’s president, travels to Europe once or twice a year, so we can also meet in person. Works just fine. There’s only one downside to having a deal with a foreign label: they don’t have the contacts to get us on Dutch radio stations…."

Toine:  How did the press react on your debut album so far?

Marjolein:  "I haven’t seen many reviews yet, unfortunately. The Dutch reviews I have seen were either really positive or really negative. The foreign reviews were all very positive."

Toine:  Were there any negative reactions as well, and if yes how do you deal with negative criticism in general?

Marjolein:  "Yes, the last Dutch CD review I found on the internet was extremely negative, but it was written by the singer of a band, that we apparently are competing with. In general, I try to learn from negative criticism. Recently we did a thirty minute show and we decided not to speak at all to the audience, so we could play as much as possible. While we were playing that set, it didn’t feel really good to me, so we decided not to do it again that way. Later on, I found a review on the internet that was really negative about the fact, that we hadn’t said a word. That really confirmed my opinion. Sometimes reviewers simply lie. A few months ago a reviewer said the audience was running away from our show. In fact more people entered the room, while we were playing. In cases like that, we just laugh about it."

Toine:  I know that you are working on a follow-up album right now. Can you tell us anything about the new songs yet, and how will the sound differ from the sound you created on "Emotions Revealed"?

Marjolein:  "The new songs will be quite different. You can already listen to one on You Tube. It is called "Enemy Forever". The composition of songs on the new album will be better and stronger if you like and the sound will be more broad and bombastic."

Toine:  Who writes the lyrics for SYLVER MYST and what are they about?

Marjolein:  "Rob is our main lyricist. His lyrics are mostly about emotions he feels, when it comes to those who are dear to him. For that matter, our new CD might as well be called "More Emotions Revealed" or something like that."

Toine:  Pieter Jaspers was responsible for the artwork on your debut CD [www.jaspersdesign.com]. Is he a family member of your drummer Marc Jaspers? And will he also be doing the artwork for your next CD?

Marjolein:  "Yes, Marc and Pieter are brothers. We haven’t decided yet who will do the artwork of our next CD."

Toine:  What’s your fave SYLVER MYST song and why?

Marjolein:  "Oooh, that’s a hard one now. My favourite "Emotions Revealed" song is definitely "A Life’s Tale", because I wrote the lyrics and the music in this song is absolutely fantastic. It’s about the people I love a lot. But our new songs are fantastic, too. Especially "Entangled By Lies" is wonderful, because it has a nearly three minute instrumental part, which really builds up so beautifully. And than there’s the orgasmic guitar riff in "The Dark Side"… Oh, I really can’t choose!"

Toine:  The USA bonus track "The Bleeding Snowlands" is from your 2002 demo. The booklet says, that the lyrics were done by you and MJÖLLNIR. Which MJÖLLNIR is that, because there are several bands with that name?

Marjolein:  "Another interviewer told me already, that MJÖLLNIR is a band. I didn’t know that. This Mjöllnir is the artist name of someone we know."

Toine:  How important is the internet for a band like SYLVER MYST and where can people find you?

Marjolein:  "Ooooh, we couldn’t live without the internet. First of all, it’s a very good way to get in touch with our fans and to find new fans. It also helps to find new contacts for live gigs. And most important, without the internet we would not have been signed by Sirenette. You can find us here: http://trig.com/sylvermyst ; http://sylvermyst.hyves.nl ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieZTokMdf4o ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8U5a7ISeWw ."

Toine:  You have a fulltime job as a professional web editor, next to singing in a band. Do you also maintain the band’s website or do you try to outsource this job to other people?

Marjolein:  "I don’t work as a web editor anymore. I changed jobs a lot the past few years and now I finally returned to my roots. I’m a print editor again! I do contribute to our website, but Marc is our webmaster. He designs our website and keeps it up to date."

Toine:  Do you have other hobbies or interests besides playing in a band?

Marjolein:  "I just bought poi, so I took up joggling. Not that I’m any good at it, but I really like doing it. And I recently bought a video camera. I really love to film and edit. I also like to take a walk along the beach, go to the sauna and spend time with my friends and family (but that’s not really a hobby, is it?)."

Toine:  What can people expect from the live shows of SYLVER MYST?

Marjolein:  "Well, great music, a lot of energy and even more enthusiasm."

Toine:  Do you use any show elements during your live gigs?

Marjolein:  "We’re still searching for a light engineer. Sometimes I wear a mask or a cape on stage, and we occasionally use some fireworks. More will follow in the near future, but that has to remain a secret for a while. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore."

Toine:  Do you play any covers on stage, and if yes, which covers do you play?

Marjolein:  "Occasionally we do. Visit our concerts and find out for yourself!"

Toine:  With which bands did you share the stage already?

Marjolein:  "Too many to name ‘m all. Just to mention a few highlights: AFTER FOREVER, LEAVES’ EYES, ELIS, HEVEIN, ENTWINE, IMPERIA, AUTUMN, THORA, THE WOUNDED and THE DREAMSIDE."

Toine:  Are there any funny stories to tell our readers about things that happened on stage or during the touring?

Marjolein:  "We really like to watch the other bands we are playing with, so we don’t spend much time backstage. We only go there to change and do our make-up. Yes, our make-up, because the guys wear it too on stage. In the beginning they were very reluctant about it, but now they are getting used to it and allowing more and more."

Toine:  With which band would you like to go on tour, if you could pick any band of your choice?

Marjolein:  "I wouldn’t mind touring with some really big names like WITHIN TEMPTATION or DREAM THEATER, because I would love to experience the energy of thousands of people screaming and applauding."

Toine:  What was your most important gig so far?

Marjolein:  "In 2005, we performed on the Summer Darkness Festival in Utrecht. That was our first turning point, because it helped us enter a new level. One year later, the presentation of our MCD "Depths Of Illusions" was another important turning point."

Toine:  What was it like for the band to win the Stoepslag in Boekel in 2005?

Marjolein:  "That was a really nice surprise!"

Toine:  Did you already play outside the Benelux, and if yes, where was that?

Marjolein:  "Yes, we played in Aachen, Germany with THORA.".

Toine:  What are the future plans for SYLVER MYST?

Marjolein:  "We are working really hard on our next CD and we are trying to perform outside the Benelux more often."

Toine:  Do you think, that women in rock and metal still need the kind of recognition ‘zines like Metal Maidens give to them?

Marjolein:  "I’m not sure about this one. I don’t think female-fronted music is an outcast anymore, but it will always be a niche."

Toine:  Marjolein, you also play the flute, next to singing. Are there any more instruments that you play?

Marjolein:  "I also play the piccolo and a little bit of piano and didgeridoo."

Toine:  Was it important for you to induct your flute playing into the sound of SYLVER MYST?

Marjolein:  "Yes, it was. I love it, when arrangements are broadened by acoustic instruments and I wish we could do more of that. Also I love to play the flute, but I can hardly find the time to do so. Therefore it’s great that I can play it with SYLVER MYST sometimes."

Toine:  Do you still play in MYTHICA too, or does this band not exist anymore?

Marjolein:  "I joined SYLVER MYST, after I left MYTHICA. MYTHICA is still existing, but they are now called AURACLE."

Toine:  Are there any important gigs on the agenda for SYLVER MYST?

Marjolein:  "Yes, there are. In March, we will be performing in Belgium for the first time. I’m really looking forward to that!"

Toine:  I read, that one of your ‘wishes’ is to perform "Domine Deus" (Mozart) together with Simone Simons of EPICA. Any particular reason why you would like to do this?

Marjolein:  "The Domine Deus has a part, where the two sopranos consecutively sing the same high notes. It is really wonderful to hear the difference in timbre of the two singers. I really love Simone’s voice and I think our voices would be fantastic together, especially in this piece."

Toine:  Are there more goals in life that you would like to achieve, as Marjolein or with SYLVER MYST?

Marjolein:  "I would love to perform on Europe’s large summer festivals like Lowlands, Werchter and Roskilde. That’s my goal in life, both personally and for SYLVER MYST."

Toine:  Do you have any personal messages for our readers?

Marjolein:  "Buy our CD. If you just copy it, there won’t be a next one."

Toine:  Do you want to add anything to this interview? Maybe a last news flash or something you just remembered?

Marjolein:  "Unfortunately, I do have a last news flash. A few days ago, our manager decided to quit his activities for SYLVER MYST. He wants to spend more time with his family. We are very grateful for everything he did for us. It will be hard to find someone, who can fill that vacancy."

Toine:  The last words in this interview are for Marjolein and SYLVER MYST…..

Marjolein:  "See you at one of our shows!"

Website: http://www.metalmaidens.com