外星生物入侵 - 印度Technical Death Metal乐队Nihilus专访

Volcano Magazine
15 hours ago
11 min read

说到印度的金属乐队不知道大家是否有过了解？杂志在此之前采访几支来自印度的乐队，其实印度是最近几年异军突起的国家之一，出现了大量优质的乐队，比如Warmarshal，Vomit Suit，Trapdoor Terror，Syphilectomy，Purulent Attack，Prime Rage，Perforated Limb，Nauseate，Jigsaw Blues，Jallad，Infestation，In Human，Gutslit，Gruesome Malady，Genocide Disorder，Estrotomy，Clot，Cervicectomy，Cerebromeningitis，Cerebral Recalibration，Celestial Gorge等Grindcore，Slam / Brutal Death Metal，Death Metal风格的乐队，还有一些印度的乐队签约了国际知名的厂牌，那么今天咱们就来了解一下来自这个国家的一支乐队Nihilus，组建于2010年的Nihilus乐队，也是印度一支非常有资历的老牌乐队了，但是这支乐队发行作品的速度非常缓慢，从2010年组建到2016年乐队才发行了他们第一张EP专辑“Without Gray Matter”，这张专辑发行之后便吸引了大量印度本土歌迷的关注，以精湛的技术和厚重的音色占据了印度Technical Death Metal风格的一席之地，这张EP专辑发行之后乐队在无任何消息，直到2023 - 2024年更换了新的成员之后乐队才在今年发行了最新的单曲“Absurd Patterns”，这也是新成员参加乐队之后首支最新单曲，新成员的加入也为乐队带来了全新的面貌，尤其是新的女歌手Pearl的演唱绝对是我听过最后有魄力的女歌手之一，在印度女性乐手的确也是非常少见，在新单曲发行之际杂志也与乐队取得联系进行了一次专访！

（V: 代表笔者 N: 代表Nihilus乐队）

Speaking of Indian metal bands, are you familiar with them? This magazine previously interviewed several bands from India. India has been one of the countries that has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, producing a large number of high-quality bands, such as Warmarshal, Vomit Suit, Trapdoor Terror, Syphilectomy, Pulent Attack, Prime Rage, Perforated Limb, Nauseate, Jigsaw Blues, Jallad, Infestation, In Human, Gutslit, Gruesome Malady, Genocide Disorder, Estrotomy, Clot, Cervicectomy, Cerebromeningitis, Cerebral Recalibration, Celestial Gorge, etc., in genres like Grindcore, Slam/Brutal Death Metal, and Death. Metal bands, including some Indian bands signed to internationally renowned labels, include Nihilus, a band from India formed in 2010. Nihilus is a veteran Indian band with a long and distinguished history, but their release schedule has been incredibly slow. From their formation in 2010 until 2016, they released their first EP, "Without Gray Matter," which immediately attracted a large following among Indian fans. Their technical prowess and powerful sound secured them a place in the Indian Technical Death Metal scene. After that EP, the band remained silent until 2023-2024 when they changed members and released their latest single, "Absurd Patterns," this year. This is the first single since the new member joined the band, bringing a fresh new look. The addition of female vocalist Pearl is one of the most powerful female singers I've ever heard, a rarity among Indian female musicians. To coincide with the release of the new single, a magazine contacted the band for an interview.

(V: represents the author; N: represents the band Nihilus)

采访对象：Nihilus乐队

采访时间：2026.09.07

V: 你好兄弟，很高兴见到你，非常感谢你能接受这次采访。我想这应该是你们乐队第一次接受中国杂志的采访吧。首先，我想向所有中国乐迷问好。Nihilus成立于2010年，是一支历史悠久的乐队。你们当初是如何组建这支乐队的呢？

Hello brother, it's nice to meet you and I'm very grateful that you could participate in this interview. I think this is the first time your band has been interviewed by a Chinese magazine. First of all, I would like to say hello to all the Chinese fans. Nihilus was formed in 2010 and is a band with a long history. How did you form this band in the first place?

N: 你好！很高兴见到你。谢谢你们的邀请！Nihilus乐队的成立源于鼓手Siddharth Manoharan与吉他手Manu的相遇。当时，他们正想组建一支既重型又技术精湛的乐队，并寻找志同道合、渴望突破音乐极限的音乐家。最终，他们找到了主唱Navneet和贝斯手Jason，组成了Nihilus乐队的最初阵容。

Hello! It's great to meet you as well. Thank you for having us! Nihilus was formed when Siddharth Manoharan (The drummer) met Manu (The guitarist) while looking to form a heavy, yet technical band and was looking for like minded musicians who wanted to push the limits. Eventually they got in Navneet on vocals and Jason on bass, forming the first line up of Nihilus.

V: 你们乐队在2023-2024年间更换了两名成员。原成员为何离队？新成员又是如何加入的？他们的加入给乐队带来了哪些新的变化？

Your band changed two members in 2023-2024. Why did the original members leave the band? How did the new members join the band, and what new changes did their additions bring to the band?

N: Navneet和Jason因为个人原因离开了Nihilus乐队。在此期间，我们邀请了Abhinav Varma 担任贝斯手，Arunav Bhattacharjee担任主唱。他们都是技艺精湛的音乐家，为乐队的现场演出做出了巨大贡献。最终，Karthik Hariharan和Pearl Salhotra正式加入乐队，担任贝斯手和主唱。他们精湛的技艺和敬业精神是我们最终确定乐队阵容并开始录制专辑的关键因素。

Navneet and Jason moved on from Nihilus because of personal commitments. We got on Abhinav Varma on bass and Arunav Bhattacharjee on vocals in the interim, both very qualified musicians who contributed greatly to live performances of the band. Eventually as full time members we got onboard Karthik Hariharan on bass and Pearl Salhotra on vocals.

The Impeccable musicianship and dedication they brought with them was the factor needed to seal the lineup and get started on the album recordings.

V: 你们乐队的专辑发行速度非常慢。你们成立于2010年，但首张EP直到2016年才发行，而今年才推出新作品。是什么原因导致你们的创作过程如此缓慢？能否描述一下你们的创作过程？

Your band releases albums very slowly. You were formed in 2010, but your first EP was released in 2016, and you only released new material this year. What causes your creative process to be so slow? Could you describe your creative process?

N: 技术死亡金属的创作难度很高。如果你听过2016年的EP，会发现里面的歌曲还处于demo阶段，而专辑则收录了最终的、更加成熟的版本以及一些新作。每首歌都要经过无数次的修改，虽然创作者们认为永远不可能达到100%的完美，但最终我们会把它完善到可以与世人分享的程度。

The technical death metal genre is a demanding one, if you check out the EP from 2016, the songs are in the demo phase, but the album features the final, more mature versions of the songs along with the new works. Every song goes through many, many iterations and while it can never be 100% perfect according to the writers, it will reach a point where we are ready to show it to the world.

V: 你们的录音质量非常好。请问你们是在哪个录音棚录制的？谁是制作人？录音过程如何？

Your recording quality is quite good. Which studio did you record the album in? Who produced it? How did the recording process go?

N: 谢谢！鼓是在Drummachari录音棚录制的，这家录音棚由才华横溢的Yadhunandan Nagaraj先生经营。其他乐器和人声则是在Studio 6 Productions录音棚录制的，这家录音棚由Siddhart Kamath先生经营。Siddhart Kamath先生同时也是制作工程师，他凭借精湛的技艺将我们的整个构想变成了现实。为了这张专辑，我们进行了无数次的集体和个人排练，所以整个录音过程非常顺利快捷。

Thank you! We recorded drums at Drummachari studios run by the talented Mr Yadhunandan Nagaraj. The rest of the instruments and the vocals were recorded at Studio 6 productions run by Mr Siddhart Kamath. Siddhart Kamath is the production engineer as well he brought our whole vision to reality with his skill. We had prepared for the album by rehearsing countless times together and individually so the overall recording process was quite smooth and fast.

V: 外星人入侵、战争、政治这些都是你们音乐的主题。你们为什么选择这些主题？你们想通过这些主题表达什么？

Alien invasion, war, politics these are the themes of your music. Why did you choose these themes? What do you want to express through these themes?

N: 我们的主题其实一语双关，它讲述的是一个政治故事，但又以风暴入侵的故事为隐喻。塑造我们人生的都是极其私人的经历，我们都希望讲述自己的故事，既不冒犯任何人，又能引起社会各界的共鸣。

Our theme is actually a double entendre, it's a political story told narrated as a metaphor via the storm invasion story. It is incredibly personal experiences that mold us into who we are and we all want to tell our stories without offending any particular person while it can resonate with everyone in society.

V: 你们的标志设计非常独特。是谁设计的？你们2016年发布的封面设计也很有意思。是谁设计的？它有什么含义？说实话，我非常喜欢你们今年新专辑的封面设计。是谁设计的？

Your logo design is very unique. Who designed it for you? The artwork you released in 2016 was very interesting. Who designed it? What is its meaning? To be honest, I really like the artwork for your new album this year. Who designed it?

N: 我们的标志和EP封面都是由才华横溢的Madhukar Prasad先生（Lucid Headquarters）设计的。EP封面是一位老人在设计年轻时的自己，象征着年轻一代被灌输不道德、不公平的意识形态，并在社会中传播有毒文化。我们的专辑"Borealis"的封面是由KidSquidy art的Aaron Pinto先生设计的。他也是我们来自孟买的乐队Gutslit的才华横溢的鼓手。

Our logo as well as the EP artwork was designed by the talented Mr Madhukar Prasad of Lucid Headquarters. The EP artwork has an old man designing a younger version of himself which represents the Indoctrination of the younger generation into Unethical unfair ideology propagating Toxic Culture in society. Our album artwork for Borealis is done by Mr Aaron Pinto of KidSquidy art. He's also the very talented drummer for our fellow band Gutslit from Mumbai.

V: 你们2016年的专辑是独立发行的CD。为什么没有选择与唱片公司合作？那张专辑发行了多少张？你们的新专辑也会独立发行吗？还是会选择与唱片公司合作？

Your 2016 album was a self-released CD. Why didn't you choose to collaborate with a label? How many CDs were released for that album? Will you also self-release the new album, or will you choose to collaborate with a label?

N: 金属乐是一个小众音乐类型，受众不多，印度几乎所有的金属乐手都会选择独立发行自己的音乐。事实上，我们的首张完整专辑也将独立发行。

Metal music is a niche genre which doesn't get much takers and pretty much all the metal musicians in India will usually self release their music to make it. Our debut full length album is also going to be self released in fact.

V: 首先，祝贺你们乐队今年发行了新专辑。说实话，这是我第一次听到来自你们国家技术如此精湛的乐队。编曲复杂，但旋律非常抓耳，节奏快速而连贯。鼓手的演奏也变化多端。你们换了一位新的主唱，她是一位女性。说实话，这也是我第一次听到来自你们国家的女歌手。她的歌声让我非常惊喜；她浑厚有力的嗓音足以媲美许多男歌手。你们对自己的作品有什么看法？新专辑和之前的专辑有什么不同？

First of all, congratulations on your band's new album release this year. To be honest, this is the first time I've heard a technically skilled band from your country. The arrangements are complex, but the melodies are very catchy, with continuous, fast riffs. The drummer's playing is also very varied. You've changed to a new lead singer, who is a woman. To be honest, this is also the first time I've heard a female singer from your country. Her singing surprised me a lot; her powerful voice is comparable to many male singers. What are your thoughts on your work? How does the new album differ from the old one?

N: 非常感谢！我们的EP是我们向世界展示自己的第一张作品。现在回想起来，它还有些粗糙，而我们的专辑则是所有歌曲的精炼版本。专辑中的每一首歌都讲述了一个完整的故事。我们甚至有一首纯音乐作品，我们会先正着演奏，然后再倒着演奏，每个音符都一模一样。那首歌是我们创作时间最长的，我们为此感到格外自豪。

Thank you very much! Our EP was our very first introduction to the world. In hindsight it is a bit rough around the edges, our album is a fully refined version of all our songs.

It has a full story running through the songs end to end. We even have an instrumental song that we play forward and then immediately backwards note for note. That song took us the longest time to compose and we are proud of it particularly.

V: 你们乐队参加过哪些现场演出？哪些演出给你们留下了深刻的印象？你们在2026年发行了一张新专辑。今年你们会参加新的现场演出吗？

What live performances has your band participated in? Which live performances left a deep impression on your band? You released a new album in 2026. Will you participate in any new live performances this year?

N: 我们一直都在演出。其中一场是在海德拉巴，最后一首歌的时候，整个场地的人都挤在一起跳舞，工作人员都动弹不得。我们永远不会忘记那一刻。我们计划在2026年10月专辑发行后不久就进行国内巡演，如果你们愿意的话，我们也在考虑东南亚巡演和中国巡演。哈哈。

We have been performing this entire time. One of our shows was at Hyderabad and for the last song the whole venue was moshing together and none of the staff could even move. We will never forget that moment. We plan to do our country tour soon after the album release happening in October 2026, we are also considering a south east asian tour and China as well if you will have us. Ha ha.

V: 我听过一些你们国家的乐队，你们国家确实有很多优秀的乐队。不过，我想通过你了解一下印度的金属乐圈和氛围。你有什么乐队推荐吗？印度有金属音乐节吗？

I've listened to some bands from your country, and there are actually many good and excellent bands in your country. However, I'd like to learn about the metal scene and atmosphere in India through you. Are there any bands you would recommend? Are there any metal music festivals in India?

N: 印度的金属乐队成员是我见过最真诚、最坦率的人。我们都有正职工作，也知道靠金属乐无法谋生，但我们对音乐的热爱如此之深，无论如何都会坚持下去。班加罗尔露天音乐节是印度最大的金属音乐节，我们强烈建议你至少去体验一次。我们有很多优秀的音乐人，比如 Obliterating Vortex、Eccentric Pendulum、Gutslit、Demonic Resurrection、Godless、Man Eating Orchid、Catatonia 等等，这些都是印度金属乐文化中优秀音乐人的例子。虽然无法一一列举，但他们的音乐都值得一听。

Metal bands in India are the most authentic, genuine people you will interact with. We all have day jobs, we know we cannot make a living with our genre but we simply love the music so much that we will keep it alive no matter what. Bangalore open air is the biggest metal festival in India and we would recommend you try it atleast once. We have several brothers and sisters in the scene who are great musicians. Obliterating Vortex, Eccentric Pendulum, Gutslit, Demonic Resurrection, Godless, Man Eating Orchid, Catatonia etc are a few examples of excellent music that is part of the Indian Metal culture. It is impossible to name them all but they're all worth listening to.

V: 你们是一支非常优秀的乐队，我会继续关注和支持你们。我也希望通过这次采访，能让更多中国歌迷关注并支持你们。采访即将结束。最后，你们有什么想对中国歌迷说的吗？

You are an excellent band, and I will continue to follow and support you. I also hope that through this interview, more Chinese fans will pay attention to and support your band. The interview is about to end. In closing, is there anything you would like to say to your Chinese fans?

N: 谢谢，我们非常感谢您抽出时间联系我们。请多多支持我们的音乐，购买我们的唱片。

Thank you, we appreciate your taking your time to reach out to us. Do visit us and support our music, buy