ERIC POWELL
Eric Powell is a producer, mixer, and composer with over 30 years in alternative, electronic, rock, metal, and industrial music. As the founder, songwriter, lead vocalist, programmer, and rhythm guitarist of 16volt, Powell has shaped the industrial landscape since the early 1990s. The debut album Wisdom — co-produced by David Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy) and Keith "Fluffy" Auerbach (Ministry) — earned worldwide acclaim and helped spawn the subgenre known as "coldwave," with Skin and LetDownCrush following at #2 and #1 on Rolling Stone's alternative charts, earning press in Guitar Player, Alternative Press, Kerrang!, and CMJ. His collaborators include Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails, Megadeth, Mötley Crüe), David Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy), Joseph Bishara (The Conjuring, Insidious), Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails), and Jeff "Critter" Newell (Ministry, Blink-182), while his sync catalog spans Repo! The Genetic Opera, Carrie 2: The Rage, MTV's Punk'd, HBO, CBS, ABC, Sony's Primal, and EA Sports' NHL 2005. As a remixer he has worked with KMFDM, Skold, Chemlab, and Angelspit across Metropolis, Cleopatra, and Artoffact Records. 16volt's most recent album More of Less (2025, Metropolis Records) has been hailed as one of the band's most definitive releases to date.
Producer, Programmer, Songwriter, Vocals, Guitar
JOHN “SERV-O” DeSalvo
Chicago-born John "Servo" DeSalvo planted roots in the industrial music world early on, with a formative run alongside seminal machine rockers Chemlab that opened the door to stints with KMFDM, BILE, Daniel Ash, and New York City’s Panzie among others. His résumé also includes time as touring drummer for Sister Machine Gun and work as a drummer/programmer for BILE with whom he has remained active since 1997. DeSalvo first joined 16volt's live lineup in the late 1990s during the SuperCoolNothing touring cycle, hitting the road for shows alongside Orgy, The Flys, and Candlebox. Known in the scene as "Serv-O," he has performed and/or recorded with an impressive roster that also includes Bauhaus offshoot Daniel Ash and Haloblack. He has been the band's drummer and programmer since 2000 and remains a cornerstone of the current lineup.
Drums, Programmer
Live GuitarRick FurR
Rick "Mindcage" Furr is one of the most active guitarists in the industrial music scene, with membership in Mindless Faith, Ego Likeness, and BILE, and tour support credits that include Chemlab, Velvet Acid Christ, Interface, and Flesh Field, among others. A fixture of the Washington, D.C. underground industrial scene, Furr has been a live member of Ego Likeness for over two decades, alongside his work with acts such as Miscellen and VAC. As 16volt's guitarist in the current lineup, Mindcage brings a deep well of industrial credibility and stage experience honed across years of touring with some of the genre's most respected names. His versatility across multiple active projects makes him one of the scene's most in-demand live players.
16VOLT Biography
With its roots originally planted firmly in the industrial rock genre, 16volt has remained a mainstay enjoying a worldwide underground fan base and successfully crossing over into multiple genres for years.
16volt’s founder, songwriter, lead vocalist, programmer, and rhythm guitarist, Eric Powell, signed his first record deal in 1991 at a very young age and subsequently released three albums: Wisdom (1993), Skin (1994), and LetDownCrush(1996). He worked with co-producers David Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy), Keith “Fluffy” Auerbach (Ministry), and Jeff “Critter” Newell (Ministry, Angels & Airwaves, Blink-182), along with special guests William Tucker (Ministry), Marc LaCorte (Schecter Guitars), and Bryan Black (Black Asteroid). These albums earned worldwide praise and garnered features in Guitar Player, Alternative Press, B-Side, Kerrang!, CMJ, Industrial Nation, and more. The band reached #1 on Rolling Stone’s alternative charts (LetDownCrush) and #2 (Skin), while consistently charting on college and national radio alongside extensive touring throughout North America.
16volt then teamed up with producer Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails, Megadeth, Sepultura, Mötley Crüe) for the highly regarded album SuperCoolNothing (1998, Mercury/PolyGram), featuring Joseph Bishara (Insidious, The Conjuring, Marilyn Manson, Danzig), Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails), Mike Peoples (Skrew), and Kraig Tyler (Crazy Town). Following PolyGram’s acquisition by Seagram shortly before release, the band became entangled in legal issues as Mercury lost funding and shifted the album to Island Records as a catalog item. In 2000, the band regained the rights and later signed an agreement with Sony Entertainment to feature the album in the PlayStation game Primal, including a European double release with the game and soundtrack. The band was also incorporated into the game as characters with bonus interview content.
In 2007, 16volt signed a multi-album deal with Metropolis Records and released FullBlackHabit (2007), American Porn Songs (2009), and Beating Dead Horses (2012) to a dedicated underground audience, featuring guests such as Paul Raven (Ministry, Killing Joke, Prong), Steve White (KMFDM), Bildeaux (Lance Herbstrong), and mix engineer Shaun Thingvold (Strapping Young Lad, Lamb of God).
16volt’s extensive touring history includes runs with KMFDM, Korn, Filter, Chemlab, Orgy, Prong, Stabbing Westward, Revolting Cocks, Fear Factory, Front Line Assembly, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Front 242, and more, along with multiple successful headlining tours.
In early 2016, 16volt entered a Portland, Oregon studio to begin work on a new album with producer Marc Jordan (Velvet Revolver, The Cult, Stitched Up Heart, The Mowglis, Hyro Da Hero, Bleached, Die Antwoord). The resulting album, The Negative Space, was released independently on September 14, 2016. Continuing their prolific output, the band returned to the studio in 2017 to create their 10th album, Dead On Arrivals, which was self-produced and released in October 2017.
16volt continued performing select festivals and shows through 2019, including Cold Waves Festival (Chicago, NYC, Los Angeles), Terminus Festival (Canada), MachineFest (Colorado), and more.
In the summer of 2021, 16volt announced their return to Metropolis Records and later released a combined version of The Negative Space and Dead On Arrivals titled NegativeOnArrivals on May 3, 2024.
In September of 2025, 16volt released the album More of Less to widespread critical acclaim as a powerful, uncompromising return to form—praised for its gritty authenticity, sharp production, and dynamic songwriting, and hailed as one of the band’s most definitive and compelling releases to date.
Additionally, 16volt has begun reissuing its first four albums—Wisdom, Skin, LetDownCrush, and SuperCoolNothing—on limited-edition vinyl through Metropolis Records.
16volt continues to perform select shows and festivals, including headlining the 2025 five-day Mechanismus Festival in Seattle, WA; headlining Dark Force Fest in May 2026; and upcoming performances celebrating the 30th anniversary of LetDownCrush at Cold Waves Festival in Chicago, NYC, and Austin alongside Stabbing Westward, Pig, and more.