消失的亚特兰蒂斯文化 - 葡萄牙Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal乐队Temple Of The Fallen专访

今天采访到的是来自葡萄牙的Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal乐队Temple Of The Fallen，组建于2015年的Temple Of The Fallen乐队由Melkor一个人组建，组建不久之后乐队便发行了第一张正式专辑“Visions of the Sempiternal Empire”，一张浓重氛围，旋律优美的作品迅速让Temple Of The Fallen乐队成为葡萄牙一支炙手可热的乐队，在这张专辑发行之后乐队便再也没有发行过任何作品，直到2023年Melkor决定重新录制发行这张专辑并且重新为“Visions of the Sempiternal Empire”专辑设计全新的艺术品，在前不久杂志与乐队的创始人Melkor取得联系进行了一次专访！

（V: 代表笔者 M: 代表Melkor）

Today's interview is with Temple Of The Fallen, a Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal band from Portugal, formed in 2015 by Melkor alone, shortly after the band released their first official album “Visions of the Sempiternal Empire”, an atmospheric and melodic piece of work that quickly put Temple Of The Fallen on the map as one of Portugal's most sought-after bands, and the band didn't release another album until 2023, when Melkor released “Visions of the Sempiternal Empire”. After the release of this album, the band never released any more material, until 2023 when Melkor decided to re-record the album and redesign the artwork for “Visions of the Sempiternal Empire”, and recently the magazine got in touch with the founder of the band, Melkor, for an interview!

(V: for the author M: for Melkor)

采访对象：Melkor（Temple Of The Fallen乐队创始人）

采访时间：2025.04.16

V: 你好Melkor今天采访的是你在2015年组建的Temple Of The Fallen乐队。这支乐队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 Mr. Melkor, today's interview is with Temple Of The Fallen band, which you formed in 2015. This band is a long established band with a long history. How did you form this band in the first place?

M: 大家好，谢谢你们邀请我。Temple Of The Fallen乐队的诞生源于一种需要，一种赋予音乐生命的需要，而这些想法并不完全符合我当时所在乐队的框架。我的所有这些旋律、氛围和抒情理念都太个人化、太不拘一格或者太具有实验性，无法在其他地方使用。因此我没有让它们消失，而是创建了这个项目，将它们转化成完全属于我的东西。我的想法是将我所喜爱的各种金属风格融合在一起，从Black Metal到Domm、Death甚至还有Heavy Metal并将它们塑造成具有凝聚力但又不受流派限制的作品。这是一种自由，无论是创作上还是情感上的自由。随着时间的推移，它已不仅仅是一个副业，而是我作为艺术家的一部分。

Hello, and thank you for having me. Temple Of The Fallen was born out of a need, a need to give life to musical ideas that didn’t quite fit within the framework of the bands I was playing in at the time. I had all these riffs, atmospheres, and lyrical visions that were too personal, too eclectic, or simply too experimental to be used elsewhere. So, instead of letting them fade away, I created this project to channel them into something that was entirely mine. The idea was to blend various styles of metal that I love, from black to doom, death, and even touches of traditional heavy metal, and shape them into something cohesive but not confined by genre. It was about freedom, both creatively and emotionally. Over time, it became much more than a side-project; it became a part of who I am as an artist.

V: 乐队中一直只有你一个人，这为你按照自己的想法创作提供了极大的便利。能介绍一下创作过程吗？

You have always been the only one in the band, which makes it very convenient for you to create works according to your own ideas. Can you introduce the creative process?

M: 老实说“Visions Of The Sempiternal Empire”的创作过程相当混乱，但却是最好的方式。没有规则，没有固定的结构。大多数时候我会先在吉他上即兴弹奏一段旋律。如果感觉对了，我就会立即进入鼓的编程，以了解节奏感以及节奏部分如何支持这个想法。其他时候我脑子里已经有了特定的鼓点模式。我很清楚某个部分想要什么样的节奏或平衡，所以我会先编排好鼓点，然后再围绕鼓点编排吉他。甚至有一天晚上，我在脑子里想出了一个旋律。我不想把它丢掉，但因为第二天早上还要上班，打开电脑已经太晚了。于是我拿起一张纸，手写起了歌词，这就是我的创作过程......即兴、不可预知，但又深具个人色彩。专辑的鼓、吉他和贝斯都写好后，我开始想象键盘的层次，以补充专辑的气氛。这是最困难的部分之一，因为我希望每个音符和纹理都恰到好处，而不是为了营造氛围而加入。然后是最具挑战性的阶段：歌词和人声。一开始我不知道该写些什么。这时，我的朋友Simão Santos，又名 Beyonder加入了进来。他写了所有的歌词，甚至还教了我一些发音和唱法，帮助我正确地演唱并将歌词融入音乐中。遗憾的是，这些歌词已被时间遗忘。也许有一天它们会重新出现......谁知道呢？

The creative process for Visions Of The Sempiternal Empire was, to be honest, quite chaotic, but in the best way possible. There were no rules, no fixed structure. Most of the time, I would just start by improvising a riff on the guitar. If it felt right, I’d immediately jump into programming the drums to get a sense of the groove and how the rhythm section would support the idea. Other times, I already had a specific drum pattern in my head. I knew exactly the kind of pulse or balance I wanted for a certain part, so I would lay down the drums first and then build the guitars around that. There was even one night where I came up with a riff in my head. I didn’t want to lose it, but it was already too late to power on the computer since I had work the next morning. So I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote the tab by hand. That’s the kind of process I had… spontaneous, unpredictable, but deeply personal. Once the album was fully written, drums, guitars, and bass, I started imagining keyboard layers to complement the atmosphere. That was one of the hardest parts, because I wanted every note and texture to feel just right, not just thrown in for the sake of ambience.

Then came the most challenging stage: the lyrics and vocals. I had no idea what to write at first. That’s when my friend Simão Santos (also known as Beyonder) stepped in. He wrote all the lyrics and even gave me some lessons on diction and vocal phrasing to help me deliver the vocals properly and fit the words into the music. Unfortunately, those lyrics have been lost to time. Maybe one day they’ll resurface… who knows?

V: 这张专辑"Visions of the Sempernal Empire"是你在2015年发行的。据说这是你的第一张正式专辑，对你来说很有纪念意义。你在2023年重新录制了这张专辑的新版本，这也是在你自己的工作中录制的。能介绍一下这张专辑的重新录制过程吗？

This album "Visions of the Sempernal Empire" was released by you in 2015. It is said to be your first official album, which is very commemorative for you. You re recorded a new version of this album in 2023, which was also recorded in your own work. Can you introduce the re recording process of this album?

M: 是的，"Visions of the Sempernal Empire"是我的第一张正式个人专辑，因此它在我心中有着非常特殊的地位。然而2015年的原版总让我有一种挫败感。当时我没有技术知识或合适的工具来捕捉我心中真正的声音，尤其是在吉他和贝斯方面。执行本身也不尽如人意。因此多年后的2023年，我决定对它进行应有的处理。我从头开始重新录制了所有的节奏吉他、Solo和贝司，这一次我的思路更加清晰，音色和表现力也更加出色。我还更新了鼓声和键盘音色，使其与改进后的质量相匹配，不过我选择保留原唱，因为他们有一种原始、真诚的能量，我不想失去这种能量。之后我对专辑进行了全面的混音和重制，最终达到了我在2013年首次录制专辑时一直设想的音质深度和冲击力。这既是一次技术之旅，也是一次情感之旅，就像为一段古老的记忆讨回公道。

Yes, Visions of the Sempiternal Empire was my first official solo album, so it holds a very special place in my heart. However, the original 2015 version always left me with a sense of frustration. At the time, I didn’t have the technical knowledge or the right tools to capture the sound I truly had in mind, especially when it came to the guitars and bass. The execution itself wasn’t where I wanted it to be either. So, years later, in 2023, I decided to give it the treatment it deserved. I re-recorded all the rhythm guitars, solos, and bass from scratch, this time with a much clearer vision and a better sense of tone and performance. I also updated the drum sounds and keyboard layers to match the improved quality, though I chose to leave the original vocals untouched, they had a raw, honest energy that I didn’t want to lose.

After that, I completely remixed and remastered the album, finally achieving the sonic depth and impact I had always envisioned back in 2013 when I first recorded it. It was both a technical and emotional journey, like giving proper justice to an old memory.

V: 这支乐队的Logo设计非常简单，但却在简单中透露着复杂。谁为你们设计了这个Logo？旧版专辑封面很有特色，但新版封面更美。谁为你们设计的旧版封面？新专辑的版本是你自己设计的吗？

The logo design of this band is very simple, but it reveals complexity in simplicity. Who designed this logo for you? The old version of the album artwork is very distinctive, but the new version of the artwork is even more beautiful. Who designed the old version of the artwork for you? Did you design the version of the new album yourself?

M: Logo实际上是我自己用Photoshop制作的。我使用了简单的字体并有意保持简约。我想要的是简洁，但又有足够的特色来反映出Temple Of The Fallen的精髓。有时候，少即是多，在这种情况下，我认为它很有效。至于原画和Logo，也是我自己创作的。虽然很DIY，但当时我很自豪。不过在2023年重新发行时，我非常希望视觉效果能与改进后的音质相匹配，这就需要我的朋友Christian P. Weller的帮助。他在Photoshop和平面设计方面有着令人难以置信的造诣，他为这张专辑赋予了全新的视觉形象。他的美工设计增加了专辑的深度和氛围。Christian在音乐上也为专辑做出了贡献，他在其中一首曲目中担任键盘手。Christian还在其中一首曲目中创作并演奏了键盘部分。我只是更新了重新发行时的键盘音效，但作曲和演奏都是他的作品，他的触碰为作品增添了许多氛围和情感。

The logo was actually something I created myself in Photoshop. I used a simple font and kept it minimalistic on purpose. I wanted something clean, but with enough character to reflect the essence of Temple Of The Fallen. Sometimes less is more, and in this case, I think it worked. As for the original artwork, I also created that myself back then, along with the logo. It was very DIY, but I was proud of it at the time. However, for the re-release in 2023, I really wanted the visual aspect to match the improved sound quality, and that’s where my friend Christian P. Weller came in. He’s incredibly skilled with Photoshop and graphic design, and he gave the album a whole new visual identity. His artwork added a lot more depth and atmosphere. Christian also contributed musically to the album, he played keyboards on one of the tracks. Christian also composed and performed the keyboard section on one of the tracks. I just updated the keyboard sounds for the re-release, but the composition and performance were his, and his touch added a lot of atmosphere and emotion to that piece.

V: 这支乐队的音乐主题是什么，为什么选择这个主题，想通过这个主题表达什么？歌词部分也是你创作的吗？这些歌词是你自己创作的，还是别人帮你创作的？他的灵感来自哪里？

What is the music theme of this band about, why did you choose this music theme, and what do you want to express through this music theme? Did you also create the lyrics section? Did you create these lyrics yourself or did someone else help you create them? What does his inspiration come from?

M: Temple Of The Fallen的音乐主题深深植根于神话和神秘的故事中，特别是受到失落的亚特兰蒂斯传说的启发。但它超越了对该神话的字面复述。它从形而上学和象征意义的角度探讨了亚特兰蒂斯的毁灭：古老的智慧被傲慢所掩埋，文明在追求神性的过程中走向毁灭，被遗忘的帝国的回声仍萦绕在宇宙的结构中。歌词不是我自己写的，而是由我的好友兼合作者Simão Santos，又名 Beyonder精心创作的，他为每首歌都注入了生动的意象和哲理。他的灵感来自于古典神话、洛夫克拉夫特式恐怖和失落宏伟的忧郁的融合。他将简单的概念升华为对死亡、野心和兴衰永恒循环的诗意反思。每首歌都像是被遗忘的编年史中的一章。"Visions of The Sempiternal Empire"奠定了歌曲的基调，让人瞥见一个如今淹没在寂静中的永恒帝国。"The Blade and its Splendor"触及了力量与美的双重性。"The Headless Giant"让人联想到被遗忘的罪孽所带来的可怕后果，而 "Ride Into Infinity"则几乎是一位勇士超越时间界限的最后征程。"Plateau of Cosmic Glory"和"The Dawn of Black Rain"等曲目将宇宙维度带入叙事中，暗示亚特兰蒂斯的衰落不仅仅是地球上的事情，而是更大的宇宙循环的一部分。“A Chalice of Sulphur”进入了更黑暗、更炼金术的领域，而“Return of the Templars”则以一种精神回响结束了整张专辑，仿佛那个失落帝国的残余仍徘徊在秘密教团和古老血脉之中。遗憾的是最初的歌词已经随着时间的流逝而失传，但音乐中的主题和氛围却依然存在。也许有一天他们会被重新发现......在那之前，音乐承载着他们的精神。

The music theme of Temple Of The Fallen is deeply rooted in mythological and esoteric storytelling, particularly inspired by the lost legend of Atlantis. But it goes beyond a literal retelling of that myth. It explores the metaphysical and symbolic aspects of that downfall: ancient wisdom buried by arrogance, civilizations that reached for divinity and crumbled into ruin, and echoes of forgotten empires that still haunt the fabric of the cosmos. I didn’t write the lyrics myself, they were masterfully written by my good friend and collaborator Simão Santos (a.k.a. Beyonder), who infused each track with vivid imagery and philosophical undertones. His inspiration came from a fusion of classical mythology, Lovecraftian horror, and the melancholia of lost grandeur. He took simple concepts and elevated them into poetic reflections on mortality, ambition, and the eternal cycle of rise and decay. Each song is like a chapter in a forgotten chronicle. "Visions of The Sempiternal Empire" sets the tone, a glimpse into an everlasting empire now drowned in silence. "The Blade and its Splendor" touches on the duality of power and beauty. "The Headless Giant" evokes monstrous consequences of forgotten sins, while "Ride Into Infinity" is almost like a warrior's final march beyond the boundaries of time. Tracks like "Plateau of Cosmic Glory" and "The Dawn of Black Rain" bring a cosmic dimension to the narrative, suggesting that the fall of Atlantis wasn't just earthly, but part of a greater universal cycle. "A Chalice of Sulphur" dives into darker, more alchemical territory, and "Return of the Templars" ends the album with a spiritual echo, as if remnants of that lost empire still linger in secret orders and ancient bloodlines. Sadly, the original lyrics have been lost with time, but the themes and atmosphere remain very present in the music. Maybe one day they’ll be found again… until then, the music carries their spirit.

V: 这张专辑的新版和旧版都是在你们自己的厂牌下发行的吗？我认为新版本应该只发行数字格式。旧版专辑发行过CD吗？

Are both the new and old versions of this album released under your own label? I think the new version should only be released in digital format. Has the old album been released on CD?

M: 是的，"Visions of the Sempiternal Empire"的原版和重录版都是在我自己的独立厂牌 Supergoat Wreck-Whordes / Studios13下发行的。这是我创建的一个纯数字厂牌，目的是完全控制我发行的音乐，尤其是像Temple Of The Fallen这样的个人实验项目。这两张专辑都没有发行CD版本，至少目前还没有。当时我还没有足够的资源或粉丝来证明发行实体版的合理性。也许将来如果有足够的兴趣，我会考虑为收藏者和乐迷限量发行。在此之前这张专辑都是数字版的，从某种程度上说，这非常适合音乐中空灵和迷失世界的主题。

Yes, both the original and the re-recorded versions of Visions of the Sempiternal Empire were released under my own independent label, Supergoat Wreck-Whordes / Studios13. It’s a digital-only label I created to have full control over the music I release, especially for personal and experimental projects like Temple Of The Fallen. Neither version of the album was released on CD, at least not yet. At the time, I didn’t have the resources or the following to justify a physical edition. Maybe in the future, if there’s enough interest, I’ll consider doing a limited run for collectors and fans of the project. Until then, the album lives in the digital realm, which, in a way, suits the ethereal and lost-world theme of the music quite well.

V: 专辑"Visions of the Sempirnal Empire"从一开始就展示了自己的才华，浓郁的氛围和优美的旋律非常吸引人。此外每首歌都能感受到你的精心创作。你对自己的作品有什么看法？

The album 'Visions of the Sempirnal Empire' showcased its talent from the beginning, with a strong atmosphere and beautiful melodies that are very attractive. Moreover, each song can feel that you have carefully created it. What is your opinion on your own work?

M: 谢谢，这对我意义重大。"Visions of the Sempiternal Empire"是一张非常特别的专辑，因为它是我的第一张个人作品，随之而来的是巨大的学习曲线。我认为它是对我当时音乐和情感状态的原始而真实的反映。它不是一张完美的专辑，远非如此，但它有心，有野心。回首往事，我可以说即使有瑕疵，我也为它感到骄傲。每首歌都是在混沌和用心中创作出来的。我没有遵循任何规则或模板，我只是让音乐引导我。有些曲目来自于纯粹的灵感，有些则来自于夜晚的挫折和实验。但最终，每首曲子都捕捉到了我想要呈现的神秘世界的一个片段这也是多年后我觉得有必要重新录制的原因，不是为了抹去过去，而是用我获得的工具和经验来纪念过去。重新录制的版本是我赋予这张专辑应有声音的方式。它的愿景依然不变，只是更加清晰。

所以是的，我将它视为一个重要的里程碑，不仅因为它开启了一切，还因为它至今仍能引起我的共鸣。

Thank you, that means a lot to me. Visions of the Sempiternal Empire is a very special album because it was my first solo work, and with it came a huge learning curve. I see it as a raw and genuine reflection of where I was musically and emotionally at the time. It wasn't a perfect album, far from it, but it had heart, and it had ambition. Looking back, I can say that I’m proud of it, even with its flaws. Each song was crafted with a mix of chaos and intention. I didn’t follow any rules or templates, I just let the music guide me. Some tracks came from moments of pure inspiration, others from nights of frustration and experimentation. But in the end, each one captured a fragment of that mysterious world I wanted to bring to life. That’s also why I felt the need to re-record it years later, not to erase the past, but to honour it with the tools and experience I had gained. The re-recorded version is my way of giving the album the sound it always deserved. It’s still the same vision, just seen with more clarity.

So yes, I see it as an important milestone, not only because it started everything, but because it still resonates with me today.

V: Temple of the Fallen乐队在2025年有什么新作品吗？

Does Temple of the Fallen band have any new work to do in 2025?

M: 没有，Temple Of The Fallen在2025年没有新的发行计划。这种专辑需要大量的工作，不仅是创作上的，在技术方面也需要大量的时间和精力。目前我正全神贯注于其他同样要求很高的项目并投入大量时间来完善我的录音、混音和母带制作技术。我想在回到这个特殊的声音世界之前，将自己的制作质量推向一个更高的水平。Temple Of The Fallen不是一支我想匆忙上马的乐队。乐队的氛围、概念和整体构想需要一定的心态和准备。当我觉得时机成熟，能够创作出名副其实的作品时，我绝对会重新回到它的怀抱。在那之前它仍将是一个沉睡的帝国......等待着从深渊中再次崛起。

No, there are no new releases planned for Temple Of The Fallen in 2025. This kind of album demands an enormous amount of work, not just creatively, but also a lot of time and energy on the technical side. At the moment, I'm fully focused on other projects that are also very demanding, and I’m investing a lot of time into refining my recording, mixing, and mastering techniques. I want to push myself to a higher level of production quality before returning to this particular sound world. Temple Of The Fallen is not a band I want to rush. The atmosphere, the concepts, and the overall vision require a certain state of mind and readiness. When I feel that the time is right, and that I can create something worthy of the name, I will absolutely return to it. Until then, it will remain as a sleeping empire... waiting to rise again from the depths.

V: Temple of the Fallen是一支优秀的老牌乐队，我会一直支持和关注你们的乐队。我也希望能尽快听到他们的新作品，希望通过这次采访吸引更多的中国乐迷关注和支持你们的乐队。最后你有什么话要对中国歌迷说吗？

Temple of the Fallen is an excellent old band, and I will always support and follow your band. I also hope to hear about their new works as soon as possible, and I hope to attract more Chinese fans to follow and support your band through this interview. Do you have anything to say to your Chinese fans in the end?

M: 非常感谢你们的赞誉和支持--这对我来说真的意味着整个世界。对所有中国的听众来说：尽管我们在地理上相距甚远，但音乐将我们联系在一起，超越了国界、语言和文化。我很荣幸地知道，我在家里的小录音室里创作的东西已经传到了世界各地的耳朵里和心里。如果Temple Of The Fallen的氛围、旋律或故事能与您产生任何共鸣，那么我觉得我完成这个项目的目的就达到了。我希望这篇访谈能帮助你更多地了解音乐背后的灵魂，也希望它能激励其他人投入到这场声音之旅。感谢你们支持这个金属音乐中不起眼的小角落。在时机成熟时，我还会带着更多的作品回来，在那之前，请继续燃烧你的火焰，永远不要停止在黑暗中寻找美。

谢谢你们 - 谢谢大家！

Thank you so much for your kind words and support - it truly means the world to me. To all the listeners in China: even though we are far apart geographically, music connects us beyond borders, language or culture. It’s an honour to know that something I created in my small home studio has reached ears and hearts across the world. If Temple Of The Fallen speaks to you in any way, through its atmosphere, melodies, or its stories, then I feel that my purpose with this project has been fulfilled. I hope this interview helps you discover more about the soul behind the music, and that it inspires others to dive into this sonic journey. Thank you for embracing this obscure little corner of metal. I’ll return with more when the time is right, and until then, keep the flame burning and never stop seeking the beauty in darkness.

谢谢你们 – Thank you all!

VTemple of the Fallen乐队主要作品：

Temple of the Fallen - Visions of the Sempiternal Empire（2015）

Temple of the Fallen乐队官方Bandcamp网站：https://studios13.bandcamp.com/album/visions-of-the-sempiternal-empire-re-recorded-remastered

Temple of the Fallen乐队官方Facebook网站：https://www.facebook.com/TempleOfTheFallen