虚度光阴 - 葡萄牙Doom / Death Metal乐队Wasteland Requiem专访

今天采访到的是来自葡萄牙的Doom / Death Metal乐队Wasteland Requiem，由杂志的老朋友Melkor一个人组建，2017年Melkor有了这支乐队的初步想法并且在3 - 7月之间录制了所有歌曲的乐器部分，但是由于Melkor参与了很多其他的乐队，所以这支乐队一直被搁置，直到2024年Melkor才开始重新录制Wasteland Requiem这张“Ruins of Time”演唱部分并且在自己的厂牌Supergoat Wreck-Whordes / Studios13，凄凉，悲哀的氛围，缓慢并且凶猛的Riff，构成了这张专辑的框架，一些缓慢，快速的段落来回切换，让这张专辑更加耐听，歌声也是非常的低沉，凶狠，在这张EP专辑发行之际杂志也与乐队的创始人Melkor取得联系进行了一次专访！

（V: 代表笔者 M: 代表Melkor）

The band I interviewed today is the Doom/Death Metal band Wasteland Requiem from Portugal, formed by Melkor, an old friend of the magazine. In 2017, Melkor had the initial idea for this band and recorded the instrumental parts of all their songs between March and July. However, due to Melkor's participation in many other bands, this band was put on hold until 2024 when Melkor began to re record Wasteland Requiem's "Ruins of Time" The singing part and on their own label Supergoat Wreck Whordes/Studios 13, the desolate and sad atmosphere, slow and fierce Riff, form the framework of this album. Some slow and fast paragraphs switch back and forth, making the album more enduring. The vocals are also very low and fierce. At the time of the release of this EP album, the magazine also contacted the band's founder Melkor for an exclusive interview!

(V: represents author M: represents Melkor)

采访对象：Melkor（Wasteland Requiem乐队创始人）

采访时间：2025.04.14

V: 你好Melkor先生我又见面了。这次采访的对象是你组建的乐队Wasteland Requiem。这支乐队是在哪一年成立的?

Hello Mr. Melkor, I am meeting again. This interview is with the band Wasteland Requiem that you formed. In which year was this band formed?

M: 你好，很高兴再次与你交谈。Wasteland Requiem最初构思于2017年。所有乐器都是我在那年3月14日至7月4日期间在Studios13录制的。然而由于我参与了许多其他音乐方向，这个项目沉寂了好几年。直到2024年9月，我才清晰地重新审视了录音并最终追踪了17号和18号之间的人声。因此虽然2017年奠定了基础，但Wasteland Requiem的真正声音直到2024年才出现。

Hello, it’s always a pleasure to speak with you again. Wasteland Requiem was initially conceived in 2017. All the instrumentals were recorded by me at Studios13 between March 14 and July 4 of that year. However, the project remained dormant for several years, as I was involved in many other musical directions. It wasn’t until much later, in September 2024, that I revisited the recordings with a clear vision and finally tracked the vocals between the 17th and 18th. So, while the foundation was laid in 2017, the true voice of Wasteland Requiem only emerged in 2024.

V: 这个乐队还是你自己组建的，所以你可以根据自己的想法创作歌曲。你能介绍一下这张专辑的创作过程吗？

This band is still formed by yourself, so you can create songs according to your own ideas. Can you introduce the creative process of this album?

M: 是的，Wasteland Requiem完全是我自己的项目，这给了我完全的自由，可以按照我的想象塑造声音和概念。然而我很幸运有两个令人难以置信的合作者：歌词由Catherine Theodore写，她的诗意深度真的让主题栩栩如生，所有的鼓都是由Jeroen录制的，Jeroen是我的老朋友，也是一位杰出的鼓手，他总是了解每首歌的需求。创作过程始于2017年，当时我录制了吉他即兴重复段和基本鼓的想法。从那里我为每条轨道奠定了基础。只有在这些元素到位后，我才开始将低音线、吉他独奏、旋律线和微妙的键盘纹理分层以增强氛围。每一步都是有意识和情感驱动的。我不想让任何事情听起来匆忙或机械。这张专辑的主题很重，所以音乐需要与这种情感重量相匹配。有时几周后，我会重新审视一段即兴重复并对其进行重塑，以更好地反映抒情方向。2024年当我回到这个项目录制人声时，我已经清楚地了解了我想传达的信息，这有助于给最后的表演一种紧迫感和真实感。从2017年的第一个音符到完成的专辑，这是一段漫长的旅程，但这种差距给了歌曲喘息的时间，我相信耐心反映在音乐中。

Yes, Wasteland Requiem is entirely my own project, which gives me total freedom to shape the sound and concept exactly as I envision it. However, I was fortunate to have two incredible collaborators: the lyrics were written by Catherine Theodore, whose poetic depth really brought the themes to life, and all drums were recorded by Jeroen, a longtime friend and an outstanding drummer who always understands what each song needs. The creative process began back in 2017, when I recorded the guitar riffs and basic drum ideas. From there, I built the foundation of each track. Only after those elements were in place did I begin layering the bass lines, guitar solos, melodic lines and subtle keyboard textures to enhance the atmosphere. Each step was intentional and emotionally driven. I didn’t want anything to sound rushed or mechanical. The themes of the album are quite heavy, so the music needed to match that emotional weight. Sometimes I would revisit a riff weeks later and reshape it to better reflect the lyrical direction. By the time I returned to the project in 2024 to record vocals, I had a clear picture of the message I wanted to deliver, and that helped give the final performance a sense of urgency and truth. It was a long journey between the first notes in 2017 and the completed album, but that gap gave the songs time to breathe, and I believe that patience is reflected in the music.

V: 这张专辑的录音效果很好，仍然是在自己的录音室录制的。这张专辑的制作过程进展顺利吗？

The recording effect of this album is excellent, and it is still recorded in your own studio. Is the production process of this album progressing smoothly?

M: 非常感谢。是的一切都是在我自己的Studios13录制、混合和掌握的。老实说整个制作过程非常顺利。早在2017年，我就已经录制了所有的乐器，所以当我在2024年重新审视这个项目时，只需要完成人声，完成混音和主音。给我最多工作的部分绝对是声乐。当时我仍然不完全适应这种低沉、咆哮的声音风格。我天生的声音总是更倾向于黑色金属——更高、更尖锐的音调，所以过去每当我尝试死亡金属咆哮时，听起来都不太好。我缺乏适当的控制，最终用力过猛。但我一直在努力，实验和学习如何正确地放置声音，一旦我克服了这个障碍，一切都变得明朗起来。2024年9月录制完人声后，混音阶段进展得很快，母带制作也很自然。没有必要想太多，这一切都是为了保持原始情感的完整，让歌曲自己说话。

Thank you! Yes, everything was recorded, mixed and mastered at my own Studios13. Honestly, the production process went very smoothly overall. I had already recorded all instrumentals back in 2017, so when I revisited the project in 2024, it was just a matter of finishing the vocals and finalising the mix and master. The part that gave me the most work was definitely the vocals. At the time, I still wasn’t fully comfortable with this kind of deep, growled vocal style. My natural voice has always leaned more toward black metal-higher, sharper tones, so whenever I tried death metal growls in the past, it didn’t sound good. I lacked proper control and ended up forcing the voice too much. But I kept working on it, experimenting and learning how to place the voice correctly, and once I overcame that barrier, everything clicked. After recording the vocals in September 2024, the mixing phase went quite quickly, and the mastering followed naturally. There was no need to overthink anything, it was all about keeping the raw emotion intact and letting the songs speak for themselves.

V: 这个乐队的Logo设计很简单，但就我个人而言我真的很喜欢这种设计形式，因为我很容易记住你的名字。这个Logo是你自己设计的吗？这张专辑的艺术设计也很漂亮。这件艺术品是你自己设计的吗？

The logo design of this band is very simple, but personally I really like this design form because I can easily remember your name. Did you design this logo yourself? The artwork design of this album is also very beautiful. Did you design this artwork yourself?

M: 是的，我自己设计了Logo和艺术品。我想让一切变得简单明了。音乐没有太多的技术性或复杂性，所以我觉得也不需要视觉效果。这个Logo设计得干净易读，一目了然。我知道许多金属Logo往往错综复杂，我也很喜欢，但对于Wasteland Requiem，我想要一些能反映主题清晰直接的东西。这件艺术品和这本小册子都遵循着同样的极简主义哲学。与其让它充满视觉元素，我更喜欢创造一些有呼吸的东西，让听众有空间吸收专辑的氛围和信息。这一切都是为了支持音乐的情感基调，而不是压倒它。

Yes, I designed both the logo and the artwork myself. I wanted to keep everything very simple and straightforward. The music isn’t overly technical or complex, so I felt there was no need for the visuals to be either. The logo was made to be clean and easy to read, something that could be remembered at a glance. I know many metal logos tend to be intricate and chaotic, which I also enjoy, but for Wasteland Requiem I wanted something that reflected the clarity and directness of the themes. The artwork and the booklet follow that same minimalist philosophy. Rather than overloading it with visual elements, I preferred to create something that breathes, that gives space for the listener to absorb the atmosphere and message of the album. It’s all about supporting the emotional tone of the music, not overwhelming it.

V: 这张专辑仍然是以你自己的品牌发行的数字版本。你有没有考虑过将来发行CD版本？

This album is still a digital version released under your own label. Have you considered releasing a CD version in the future?

M: 是的，我确实考虑过。我所有的项目，包括Wasteland Requiem，目前都是以我自己的品牌Supergoat Wreck Whordes/Studios13以数字方式发布的。这是分享音乐最实用、最有效的方式，尤其是因为我自己处理一切——从作曲到录音、混音、母带制作、推广和发行。也就是说，谈判以实物形式重新发行专辑的大门始终是敞开的。如果一个标签显示出兴趣或者有足够多的人要求它，我肯定会制作CD甚至磁带版本。有趣的是，数字版受到了好评。甚至有人购买它，这总是一个巨大的惊喜和动力。奇怪的是，尽管我对Doom金属作为一种风格并不感到最自在，但它始终能带来支持。每次我发布一个Doom项目，都会有人在发布当天购买，其他人会在接下来的几天内跟进。这让我觉得，也许我的观众比我想象的更悲观。

Yes, I’ve definitely considered it. All my projects, including Wasteland Requiem, are currently released digitally under my own label, Supergoat Wreck-Whordes / Studios13. It’s the most practical and efficient way to share the music, especially since I handle everything myself—from composition to recording, mixing, mastering, promotion, and release. That said, the door is always open for negotiations to reissue the album in physical format. If a label shows interest or if enough people request it, I’m definitely up for making a CD or even a tape version. Interestingly, the digital version has been well received. There are even some people who buy it, which is always a great surprise and a motivation. And oddly enough, even though I don’t feel most at ease with doom metal as a style, it’s the one that consistently brings in support. Every time I release a doom project, someone buys it on the release day, and others follow in the next few days. It makes me think that maybe my audience is more doom-oriented than I expected.

V: 毁灭、天启、死亡、混沌、宿命论、自然是你的音乐主题。你为什么选择这个音乐主题？你想通过这个音乐主题表达什么？你还创建了歌词部分。是什么启发了这些歌词？

Destruction, Apocalypse, Death, Chaos, Fatalism, Nature are your music themes. Why did you choose this music theme? What do you want to express through this music theme? You also created the lyrics section. What inspired these lyrics?

M: 这些主题，毁灭、启示、混乱、宿命论，深深植根于我对世界和人类生存的看法。我一直对更黑暗、更沉思的主题有着强烈的吸引力。大自然通常被视为宁静的东西，但它也拥有巨大的、漠不关心的力量。这种双重性让我着迷。对于Wasteland Requiem，我自己创作了歌词，但总是得到Catherine Theodore的宝贵意见。她细致的笔触帮助我完善了自己的想法并找到了合适的词语来表达我想要的氛围。她不只是复习；她把一切都提升了。歌词灵感来自葡萄牙一个非常黑暗的时期。发生了毁灭性的野火，人们失去了家园、土地，有些人甚至失去了生命。整个村庄都化为灰烬。这是悲剧和压倒性的，那些画面一直伴随着我。面对大自然的愤怒，那种无助，火灾后的沉默，焦土... 这一切都成为了专辑的情感核心。通过这首音乐，我并不试图提供解决方案。我只是表达了目睹这些时刻的重量，也许还能与那些有着同样失落感或必然性的人联系起来。

Those themes, destruction, apocalypse, chaos, fatalism, are deeply rooted in how I perceive the world and human existence. I’ve always felt a strong pull towards darker and more contemplative subjects. Nature is often seen as something serene, but it also holds immense, indifferent power. That duality fascinates me. For Wasteland Requiem, I created the lyrics myself, but always with the invaluable input of Catherine Theodore. Her meticulous touch helped me refine my ideas and find the right words to express the atmosphere I wanted. She doesn’t just revise; she elevates everything. The lyrical inspiration came during a very dark time in Portugal. There were devastating wildfires—people lost their homes, their land, some even their lives. Entire villages were turned to ash. It was tragic and overwhelming, and those images stayed with me. That helplessness in the face of nature’s fury, the silence after the fire, the scorched earth... it all became the emotional core of the album. Through this music, I don’t try to offer solutions. I just express the weight of witnessing these moments, and perhaps connect with others who carry that same sense of loss or inevitability.

V: 首先祝贺你的专辑"Ruins of Time"于2024年发行。缓慢、泥泞和凶猛的Riff，再加上沉重的气氛，使这支乐队能够很好地结合Death Metal和Doom Metal风格。你觉得自己的工作怎么样？

First of all, congratulations on the release of your album "Ruins of Time" in 2024. The slow, muddy, and ferocious Riff, coupled with a heavy atmosphere, has allowed this band to combine death metal and Doom Metal styles very well. What do you think of your own work?

M: 非常感谢你！"Ruins of Time"对我来说是一张非常特别的专辑。我通常不会停下来从骄傲或自我的角度思考自己的作品，但有了这张专辑... 我确实觉得它准确地捕捉到了我想表达的东西。它是原始的、沉重的、压抑的，但也以自己的方式深思熟虑和深深的情感。我认为这张专辑是Death Metal和Doom的自然融合。我没有试图模仿任何乐队或追逐特定的声音。我只是跟随我脑海中的氛围，那些缓慢而泥泞的即兴重复自然地出现了，仿佛地球本身在它们的重压下正在崩塌。我不想要华丽的独奏或复杂的结构。我想要体重，我想要毁灭，我想要时间崩溃，我想我已经接近那种感觉了。我也认为制作的简单性有很大帮助。我并没有试图给任何人留下深刻印象。我只是说实话。有时这种诚实最能引起共鸣。所以我对结果很满意。

Thank you very much! Ruins of Time is a very special album for me. I don’t usually stop to think about my own work in terms of pride or ego, but with this one... I do feel that it captures exactly what I wanted to express. It’s raw, heavy, oppressive—but also thoughtful and deeply emotional in its own way. I see this album as a natural fusion between death metal and doom. I didn’t try to copy any band or chase a specific sound. I just followed the atmosphere I had in mind, those slow, muddy riffs came naturally, as if the earth itself was crumbling under their weight. I didn’t want flashy solos or complicated structures. I wanted weight, I wanted ruin, I wanted time collapsing, and I think I got close to that feeling. I also think the simplicity in the production helped a lot. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I was just being honest. And sometimes, that honesty resonates the most. So yes, I’m happy with the result.

V: 这个乐队2025年有什么新作品吗？

Is there any new work for this band in 2025?

M: 是的，这张专辑"Ruins of Time"今年绝对值得拥有一个兄弟姐妹。不是马上但这肯定在我的计划中。我还不完全确定它会是什么，但我知道当我决定继续推进它时，这将是因为我会在脑海中清楚地描绘出所有的想法和概念。一旦那一刻到来，我将像往常一样开始在我的洞穴里工作，创作和塑造音乐，直到一切就绪。现在这只是一个正在形成的想法，但新的东西肯定会很快出现。

Yes, this album Ruins of Time definitely deserves to have a sibling this year. Not right away, but it’s definitely in my plans. I’m not exactly sure what it will be yet, but I know that when I decide to move forward with it, it will be because I’ll have the ideas and all the concepts clearly mapped out in my mind. Once that moment arrives, I’ll begin working in my cave, as I always do, creating and shaping the music until everything falls into place. Right now, it’s just an idea in the making, but something new will definitely come soon.

V: 虽然Wasteland Requiem是一支非常年轻的乐队，但他们是一支很有前途的乐队。我将永远支持和追随你的乐队，我也希望通过这次采访获得更多的支持和关注。最后你对中国歌迷有什么要说的吗？

Although Wasteland Requiem is a very young band, they are a very promising one. I will always support and follow your band, and I also hope to gain more support and attention through this interview. Do you have anything to say to Chinese fans in the end?

M: 我真的很感谢大家的支持，很荣幸有来自世界各地的粉丝，包括中国。对于我的中国粉丝，感谢你们的热情和奉献。你的支持意味着一切，尤其是当我们作为一个乐队继续成长和发展的时候。我希望你能在我们的音乐中找到与你产生共鸣的东西，无论是主题、氛围，还是我们试图传达的原始情感。我们将继续突破界限，创造与我们对话的音乐，希望它也能继续与你对话。如果你参观我的Banndcamp，你会看到我为这首音乐付出的努力。我并没有要求大量的帮助，但如果你能通过购买我的专辑来支持我，这将大大有助于我继续创作。这些购买的钱帮助我支付了吉他和低音弦的费用，以及我在继续录音时总是需要的其他基本设备的费用。每一点点都帮助我以更少的障碍继续这段旅程。再次感谢您的大力支持！

I truly appreciate the support, and it's an honor to have fans from all over the world, including China. To my Chinese fans, thank you for your passion and dedication. Your support means everything, especially as we continue to grow and evolve as a band. I hope you find something in our music that resonates with you, whether it's the themes, the atmosphere, or the raw emotion we try to convey. We will continue to push boundaries and create the music that speaks to us, and hopefully, it will continue to speak to you as well. If you visit my Bandcamp, you’ll see the effort I put into this music. I'm not asking for large amounts of help, but if you can support by purchasing my albums, it would go a long way in allowing me to keep creating. The money from these purchases helps me cover the costs of guitar and bass strings, and other essential equipment that I always find myself in need of as I continue recording. Every little bit helps me continue this journey with fewer obstacles. Thank you once again for your amazing support!

Wasteland Requiem乐队主要作品：

Wasteland Requiem - Ruins of Time（2024）

Wasteland Requiem乐队官方Bandcamp网站：https://studios13.bandcamp.com/album/ruins-of-time