今天采访到的是来自俄罗斯的一支单人Death Metal乐队Mystic Fear，2009年Mystic Fear乐队成立，当时Sergey Zakharov和鼓手Alexei S组建了乐队并且两张Demo作品“Filtration of a brain”和“Rehersal”，2011年乐队乐队的首张专辑“Faceless Memories”发行之后得到了更多人的关注和好评，随后Sergey Zakharov在Bogdan Ch和Ekaterina A的帮助下完成了Mystic Fear乐队的第一次演出，在第一张专辑发行之后乐队进入了“冬眠期”，直到2024年乐队才发布了两首单曲，2025年乐队发行了第二张正式专辑“Misdirection”，在新专辑发行之际杂志通过鼓手Alexei S的协助与乐队的唯一成员Sergey Zakharov取得联系进行了一次专访！
（V: 代表笔者 S: 代表Sergey Zakharov）
Today's interview is with Mystic Fear, a one-man Death Metal band from Russia. Mystic Fear formed in 2009 when Sergey Zakharov and drummer Alexei S formed the band and released two demos, “Filtration of a brain” and “Rehersal”, in 2011 the band's debut album “Faceless Memories” was released and gained more attention and critical acclaim. The band's debut album “Faceless Memories” was released in 2011 and gained more attention and critical acclaim. Sergey Zakharov, with the help of Bogdan Ch and Ekaterina A, played the first Mystic Fear gig. After the release of the first album the band went into a “hibernation” period, releasing two singles until 2024, and then the second official album in 2025, “Rehersal”. In 2025 the band released their second official album “Misdirection”, and on the occasion of its release the magazine contacted the only member of the band, Sergey Zakharov, through the help of drummer Alexei S. The interview took place on the occasion of the release of the new album!
(V: for the author S: for Sergey Zakharov)
采访对象：Sergey Zakharov（Mystic Fear乐队创始人）
采访时间：2025.02.14
V: 你好Sergey很高兴见到你，非常感谢你能接受我们的采访，我想这是你第一次接受中国杂志的采访，向所有的中国乐迷问好，Mystic Fear乐队成立于2009年，是一支历史悠久的老牌乐队，你当初是如何组建这支乐队的？
Hello Sergey nice to meet you and thank you very much for participating in this interview, I think this is the first time you have been interviewed by a Chinese magazine, hello to all the Chinese fans, Mystic Fear was formed in 2009 it's a long time old band, how did you form the band in the first place?
S: 你好很高兴见到你，我很高兴能接受这次采访，这是我的荣幸。我尊重并欣赏你们的人民和文化。是的你说得没错，这是我第一次接受中国杂志的采访，我希望以后还会有机会。在我看来，Mystic Fear走过了一条模糊而艰难的道路。我从小就开始做音乐也就是吉他，从Heavy Metal, Blues到Death Metal我都玩过，我喜欢这些音乐。我经常情绪低落，也正是在这个时候，我弹吉他的程度更深了。作曲让我回到了快乐的状态。我还有一个Zedar音乐项目，与Death Metal无关的抑郁音乐。我17岁时在这个项目中发行了第一张专辑。回到你的问题，2009年当时还是单人音乐人的我遇到了鼓手Alexei S。在几次即兴排练中，我们录制了前两张Demo专辑：“Filtration of a brain”和“Rehersal”。我们只是闹着玩并不认真。但这些作品中的一些旋律引起了我们极大的兴趣并在2011年的首张专辑“Faceless Memories”中得到了发展。2009年乐队完成了音乐会活动--Ekaterina A担任副主唱，Bogdan Ch担任贝斯手。在乐队中所有的音乐、编曲和歌词都由我创作，然后由副主唱翻译成英文。
Greetings, nice to meet you. I am glad that we had this interview, it is a great honor for me. I respect and appreciate your people and your culture. And yes, you're right, this is the first time I'm giving an interview to a Chinese magazine, and I hope it will be in the future. Mystic Fear had an ambiguous and difficult path, as I see it. I've been making music, namely guitar, since I was a kid, I've played from heavy metal, blues to death metal, I liked that music. He was very often depressed and it was at this moment that he played the guitar to a greater extent. And composing brought me back to a state of happiness. I also had a Zedar music project, depressive music unrelated to death metal. I released my first album when I was 17 years old in this project. To return to your question, in 2009, I, at that time a single musician, met drummer Alexei S. We just decided to wait for nothing to do. In a few improvisational rehearsals, we recorded the first two demo albums: Filtration of a brain and Rehersal. We were fooling around, it wasn't serious. But some of the riffs from these works interested us greatly and were used as developments in the debut album Faceless Memories 2011. In 2009, the band is being completed for concert activities - Ekaterina A. as the second vocals and Bogdan Ch. as a bass player. In the band, I wrote all the music, arrangements and lyrics, which are then translated into English by the second vocalist.
V: 乐队只有你一个人，这让创作歌曲变得更容易，因为你可以按照自己的方式创作歌曲，你能描述一下你的创作过程吗？
The band is just you, which makes it easier when creating songs because you can create songs the way you want to, can you describe your songwriting process?
S: 谢谢你的提问。是的乐队现在只有我一个人。碰巧的是在我参与的所有音乐团体和项目中，我都是自己写歌。这是因为我对最终的音乐效果充满信心。我对音乐的理解更多的是整体而非个体。因为你可以用吉他写出优美的旋律，但不同的编曲并不能让它听起来更完整。以前也就是15-20年前，我做了大量的即兴创作，最终形成了一些作品。现在我的创作过程完全改变了。首先我会从头到尾直观地想象我想表达的情节。之后完整的音乐会出现在我的脑海中，我将其转换到吉他和贝司上，然后用音符/制表符写下来。音乐本身是我自发产生的，是片段式的，然后我再对其进行加工。
Thanks for the question. Yes, the band is just me right now. It so happened that in all the musical groups and projects where I participated, I wrote music on my own. This happened because of great confidence in how everything should sound in the end. I see music more holistically than individually. Because you can write a beautiful riff on a guitar, but it's not a fact that it will sound complete with different arrangements. Previously, 15-20 years ago, I did a lot of improvisation to come up with some kind of composition. Now the writing process has completely changed. To begin with, I imagine what I want to say with the plot from beginning to end visually. After that, full-fledged music appears in my head, which I transfer to guitar, bass guitar, after which I write it down in notes / tabs. The music itself comes to me spontaneously, in fragments. Then I'm doing some work on it.
V: 你的作品在录音方面给人留下了非常深刻的印象，你是在哪个录音室录制的专辑？哪位制作人制作了你的专辑？新专辑的录制过程如何？
Your work is very, very impressive recording-wise, what studio did you record the album in? Which producer produced your album? How is the recording process of the new album going?
S: 录制这张专辑时，我没有多少钱，所以我决定在我的公寓里组织一切，不需要任何人的帮助。录制这张专辑花费了我很多年的时间，因为所有的乐器和人声都是我自己录制的。此外我花了很长时间寻找最终形成的声音，我花了很多时间才找到最终的低音吉他音色。我的朋友Evgeny在我的音效实验中帮了我大忙。我们从未见过面，但经常通信。
At the time of recording the album, I didn't have much money, so I decided to organize everything in my apartment and without anyone's help. It took a lot of time over the years to record the album, as I recorded all the instruments and vocals myself. Also, for a very long time I was looking for the sound that eventually turned out. It took a lot of time to find the ultimate bass guitar sound. My friend Evgeny helped me with my experiments on sound. We never saw each other, but we often corresponded.
V: 你的Logo设计非常简单，但这种设计形式是我个人最喜欢的设计形式之一，因为我很容易就能记住你的名字，这个Logo是谁为你设计的？你们的专辑封面设计也很精美，尤其是今年的新专辑封面真的很棒，是谁为你们设计的？你们2011年发行的第一张专辑的封面设计有什么含义吗？
Your logo design is very simple, but this form of design is one of my personal favorite form of design because I can easily remember your name, who designed this logo for you? Your album artwork is also beautifully designed, especially this year's new album artwork is really great, who designed this artwork for you? Does the artwork for your first album released in 2011 have any meaning?
S: 乐队的Logo是我的侄子Maxim设计的，他是一名设计师，现在住在西班牙，离我很远。我想过几个版本的封面，但这张大师被吊在电线上的封面是最主要的版本。封面的创意来自歌曲的主题，专辑中的歌曲是相互关联的它们有始有终。封面的精髓在于，人们创造偶像、神灵、大师，只是为了远离自己。人们远离自己远离脑中不断涌动的思想。大多数人都在逃避自己真正的欲望，逃避对自己的了解，逃避自己的能力。所有的欲望都是虚假的、强加的。在专辑封面上他们所相信的说谎的圣人被吊在电线上，而不是像他们所认为的那样被吊在空中。他脸上戴着面具，这表明他在说谎。这里有一个古老的时代，周围有一个村庄，人们无所事事，很容易被引诱到任何地方。我不认识任何艺术家，所以我用人工智能制作了封面。我当时从几百个选项中选择了最后一个，就选中了它。2011年“Faceless Memories”专辑的封面与2025年“Misdirection”的封面相互关联。2011年关于一个人对自己的谎言和逃避自己的谎言是一样的。人们独立地、漫不经心地将自己囚禁在黑暗中，囚禁在精神堡垒、精神监狱里。但是当生活中的一个征兆出现在他们面前时，这里描绘的是一只眼睛，他们也会视而不见。我的侄子Maxim也参与了 2011 年专辑封面的创作。
The logo for the band was designed by my nephew Maxim, who is a designer and now lives in Spain, far from me. I thought of several versions of the covers, but this one, where the guru is hanging on the wires, is the main one. The idea of the cover came to me from the very theme of the songs. The songs in the album are interconnected. They have a beginning and an end. The essence of the cover is that people create idols, gods, gurus, just to be away from themselves. People are far from themselves, far from their thoughts, which are constantly swarming in their heads. Most people run away from their true desires and knowledge of themselves, their capabilities. All desires are false and imposed. And on the album cover, their lying saint, in whom they believe, is hanging on wires, not in the air, as it seems to them. He has a mask on his face, which indicates a lie. There is an older time and a village around, where people have little to do and can be easily lured anywhere. I didn't know any artists, so I created the cover using artificial intelligence. I was choosing the final option from hundreds of options and chose it. And the cover for the Faceless Memories 2011 album is interconnected with the cover of Misdirection 2025. In 2011, about the same lie of a person to himself and escape from himself. People independently and thoughtlessly imprison themselves in darkness, in a mental fortress, a mental prison. But when a sign comes to them in life, here it is depicted in the form of an eye, they also ignore it. My nephew Maxim also worked on the cover of the 2011 album.
V: 你的音乐主题是什么？你为什么选择这样一个音乐主题，你想通过这样一个音乐主题表达什么，你还创作了歌词部分，这些歌词的灵感来源是什么？
What is the theme of your music about? Why did you choose such a musical theme, what did you want to express through such a musical theme, and you also composed the lyrics section, what inspired these lyrics?
S: 我在前面的回答中几乎回答了所有问题。歌词的灵感来自于你的亲身经历，当你注意到某件事情并花了数年时间去挖掘你自己并没有涉足的东西。你开始注意到你从别人身上得到了什么，当然你就想说出来，我就在歌词中告诉你。
I answered almost all the questions in the previous answer. And the inspiration for the lyrics comes from your own experience, when you notice something and spend years digging out of something that you didn't get into on your own. You start to notice what you get out of in people, of course you want to say that, and I tell you about it in the lyrics.
V: 你的所有作品都是自己发行的，没有找过唱片公司发行专辑，有没有考虑过找唱片公司发行你们的CD 本？到目前为止你有为新专辑联系过任何唱片公司吗？
You've self-released all your work and haven't looked for a label to release your albums, have you considered looking for a label to release your CD versions? Have you approached any labels for the new album so far?
S: 是的，你说得没错，我现在发行自己的作品。我考虑过我们国家的Coyote标签，因为我知道这个标签专门做残酷音乐。但当我把我的作品寄给他们时，他们拒绝了我，也没有解释原因。我对自己说，好吧，不，不是这样的。现在我自己出钱，稀里糊涂地发行了几盒录音磁带。我可能还会发行CD，但我会更多地考虑黑胶唱片的可能性。
Yes, you're right. I'm releasing my own works now. I considered the label Coyote in our country, because I knew that this label works specifically with brutal music. But when I sent them my composition, they refused me without explaining the reason. I said to myself, OK, no, that's not it. Now, on my own and for my own money, as a rarity, I have released several audio cassettes. I'll probably release CDs too, but I'll consider the possibility of vinyl records more.
V: 你在2011年发行第一张正式专辑后选择解散乐队，是什么原因让你选择解散乐队，又是什么原因让你在2024年重新组建乐队？
You chose to break up the band after the release of your first official album in 2011, what made you choose to break up the band and what made you re-form the band in 2024?
S: 乐队解散是我的错。我的平衡能力出了问题，无法进行正常的谈判。我的生活需要改变，我迷失了方向甚至没有意识到自己要去哪里。现在我很坚强，很完美，我明白了自己的方向和生活的意义。生活迫使我独自面对生活的所有部分。6年前我觉得自己真的缺少音乐，于是买了一把新吉他，后来又买了一把贝斯。那一刻我意识到自己有很多音乐可以诉说，这张专辑已经制作了四年多。
The band's dissolution was my fault. I had problems with my balance and inability to negotiate properly. And my life needed to be changed, I lost my way, not even realizing where I was going. At the moment, I am strong, whole, I understand where I am going and what I live for. Life forced me to deal with all the parts of life on my own. 6 years ago, I felt like I was really missing music, so I bought a new guitar, then a bass guitar. At that moment, I realized that I had a lot to tell with music. The album has been working on for over four years.
V: 首先祝贺你今年发行了最新专辑"Misdirection"，这是一张很有技术含量的作品，复杂的编曲，快速连续的Riff，虽然你用的是鼓软件，但在编曲方面非常出色，看来你对自己的技术很有信心，低沉、粘稠的演唱也给了我很大的信心。我很佩服你，你对自己的作品有什么想法吗？新专辑与旧专辑相比有什么变化吗？
First of all, congratulations on the release of your latest album "Misdirection" this year, it's a very technical work, complex arrangements, rapid succession of riffs, although you use drum software, but in terms of arrangement is very good, it seems that you are very confident in their own skills, low, viscous singing also gives me a lot of confidence. I'm impressed, do you have any thoughts on your work? Has the new album changed from the old one?
S: 非常感谢你对我音乐的反馈，你的品味很高。在音乐上前一张专辑与新专辑截然不同。我称前一张专辑为带有忧郁元素的Old school death metal。吉他部分不像现在这么残酷。现在它是一支Brutal Technical Death Metal乐队。是的人声听起来像是两个不同的人在两张不同的专辑中演唱。
Thank you so much for your feedback on my music, you have great taste. Musically, the previous album is radically different from the new one. I would call the previous one Old school death metal with elements of melancholy. The guitar parts weren't as brutal as they are now. Now it's a brutal technical death metal band. Yes, and the vocals sound like two different people on two different albums.
V: 你参加过演出吗？哪些演出给你留下了深刻印象，你能描述一下当时的气氛吗？2025年还有那些音乐节邀请你参加？
Have you ever been in a show? What gigs have impressed you and can you describe the atmosphere and what other gigs are you planning for 2025?
S: 我们在我出生的国家演出过不止一次，但我搬到了俄罗斯，我在这里没有任何音乐会，我也不想举办音乐会，我不可能为音乐会投入那么多时间，我的生活几乎没有空闲时间。即使有我也会尽量和家人在一起。要知道在我的生活中家庭对我来说非常重要。
We performed more than once in my country, where I was born. But I moved to Russia. I don't have any concerts here. And I wouldn't want to give concerts. I just won't be able to devote that much time to concerts. I have almost no free time in my life. And if it does, I try to spend it with my family. You know, family is very important to me in my life.
V: Mystic Fear是一支经典的老牌乐队，我会一直支持和关注你们，我也希望通过这次采访能有更多的中国歌迷关注和支持你们的乐队，最后你有什么想对中国歌迷说的吗？
Mystic Fear is a classic old band, I will always support and follow you, I also hope that through this interview more Chinese fans will pay attention to support your band, in the end do you have anything you want to say to your Chinese fans?
S: 我很高兴回答了你们的问题，也希望以后能多接受你们的采访。在不久的将来我计划发行一张由四首歌曲组成的EP。其中两首将来自第一张专辑，是以新的声音重新制作的。一首新歌和一首翻唱自Cannibal Corpse - Devoured by vermin的歌曲。如果中国歌迷关注我的音乐，我会非常高兴。我想告诉你们，亲爱的朋友们，我希望你们每个人都能在生活中寻找快乐并意识到快乐的来源，沿着这条路走下去，非常感谢您接受我们的采访。
I am very glad that I answered your questions and I hope that I will give you an interview more than once. In the near future, I plan to release an EP consisting of four tracks. Two of them will be from the first album, remakes with a new sound. One new song and one cover of Cannibal Corpse - Devoured by vermin. If Chinese fans pay attention to my music, I will be very happy. I want to tell you, dear friends, I want each of you to seek joy in life and realize where this joy comes from and follow this path. Thank you so much for the interview.
Mystic Fear乐队主要作品：
Mystic Fear - Faceless Memories（2011）
Mystic Fear - Misdirection（2025）
Mystic Fear乐队官方Spotify网站：https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SjdnA9SBB7LGsS6r7xx1W
Mystic Fear乐队官方YouTube网站：https://www.youtube.com/@mystic_fear
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