征程 - 哥伦比亚Melodic/Progressive Death Metal乐队Nero乐队专访

今天采访到的是来自哥伦比亚的Melodic/Progressive Death Metal乐队Nero，组建于2021年的Nero乐队是一支很年轻的乐队，但是乐队的每一位成员都是哥伦比亚经验丰富的音乐家，参与了很多哥伦比亚重要的乐队，乐队在精心打磨了五年之久的作品“Iter Umbrae”在今年发行了，以优美的旋律和精湛的技术迅速成为了目前哥伦比亚最引人关注的新乐队之一，在新专辑发行之际杂志与乐队取得联系进行了一次专访！

（V: 代表笔者 N: 代表Nero乐队）

Today, we are interviewing Nero, a Melodic/Progressive Death Metal band from Colombia. Although formed as recently as 2021, the band consists of seasoned Colombian musicians who have played in various prominent local acts. Their debut release, *Iter Umbrae*—the product of five years of meticulous crafting—was released this year; thanks to its beautiful melodies and superb technical execution, the band has rapidly emerged as one of the most compelling new acts in Colombia. To mark the album's release, we reached out to the band for an exclusive interview.

(V: Interviewer | N: Nero)

采访对象：Nero（Nero乐队）

采访时间：2026.09.19

V: 你好！很高兴见到你，非常感谢你接受本次采访。我想这是你们乐队首次接受中国杂志的采访，对吗？首先向所有中国乐迷问好。Nero成立于2021年，但似乎你们其实早在2019年就已组建？乐队最初是如何组建起来的？

Hello! It’s a pleasure to meet you, and thank you so much for taking part in this interview. I believe this is your band's first interview with a Chinese magazine, isn't it? To start things off, please say hello to all your Chinese fans. Nero was established in 2021, yet it seems you actually formed back in 2019? How did the band originally come together?

N: 非常感谢；能与大家分享这一切，我们深感荣幸。确实，这是我们的首次专访——无论是在中国还是全球范围内——因此，我们要向所有关注我们作品的朋友，以及这片土地上的整个摇滚与金属乐界致以诚挚的问候。话说回来，NERO最初是由两名吉他手组成的；由于资源匮乏且缺乏其他乐手，其中一人决定转行打鼓。我们开始构思一种粗犷却充满灵魂的概念——既体现对多种音乐流派的亲和力，又保持声音的整体性。事实上，乐队名称“NERO”源自希腊语中“水”的意思；我们希望将水所蕴含的特质——它的原始、力量和能量——作为我们音乐的基础，同时兼具水的流动性和适应性。从音乐角度而言，我们的风格可以是静谧的溪流，也可以是击碎岩石的瀑布。随着这一理念的不断发展，一切逐渐步入正轨，我们也在这一路上结识了一些优秀的音乐人。

Thank you so much; it’s an honor to share this with you. Indeed, this is our first interview—both from China and in general—so a big hello to everyone who has connected with our work, and to the entire rock and metal scene on this part of the world. Well, NERO began with two guitarists; due to a lack of resources and other musicians, one of us decided to switch to drums. We started shaping a raw yet soulful concept—one that reflects a musical affinity for various genres while maintaining a cohesive sound. In fact, the band name "NERO" comes from the Greek word for water; we wanted to embody the qualities water conveys—its rawness, power, and energy—as the foundation of our music, along with its fluidity and adaptability. Musically speaking, we can be anything from a calm stream to a waterfall that shatters stone. As we developed the idea, things fell into place, and we met some excellent musicians along the way.

V: 你们乐队共有五名成员：Andres Lopez, Leonardo Trujillo, Andy Lasso, Ruben Dario和Isabel Andujar。这是最初的阵容吗？还是乐队成员有过变动？

Your band consists of five members: Andres Lopez, Leonardo Trujillo, Andy Lasso, Ruben Dario, and Isabel Andujar. Is this the original lineup, or have there been any changes to the band members?

N: 迄今为止，这段旅程中有许多了不起的人与我们同行；每个人都留下了自己的印记——无论作为个人还是作为音乐人。然而，我们深信——就像任何一段关系一样——其中存在着相互学习的过程，而以我们目前的阵容，我们拥有令人惊叹的协同效应。贝斯手最初是来自Tuluá的“King’s Valley”乐队——一支玩Doom Progressive meta风格的乐队——的Julian Zuñiga；随后，我们迎来了来自Quimbaya、曾效力于“Inside”乐队的主唱Jorge Palacios；同样来自Buga、曾效力于“Sociedad Caníbal”乐队的杰出吉他手Jhon Valencia；以及来自Armenia、在Black Metal乐队“Baphometh”担任贝斯手的Alejandro Zapata。

We have had wonderful people with us on this journey so far; each one has left their mark—both as individuals and as musicians. However, we are convinced that—much like in any relationship—there is mutual learning, and with our current lineup, we have incredible synergy. In bass initially we count with Julian Zuñiga from “King’s Valley” a band from Tuluá of Doom progressive metal, then we started with Jorge Palacios from Quimbaya, ex “Inside” in vocals , Jhon Valencia also from Buga excellent guitarist from “sociedad caníbal” and Alejandro Zapata from Armenia which is bassist in the black metal band “Baphometh”

V: 你们乐队今年发行了首张正式专辑。乐队成立至今已有多年——为什么这张首专迟迟未能发行？

Your band released its first official album this year. It has been many years since the band was formed—what is the reason it took so long to release this debut album?

N: 这期间可谓一波三折——资金问题、阵容变动，以及部分歌曲（尤其是早期作品）的重新编排。例如，我们最初的主唱是男性，转为女声后，意味着需要对大部分作品进行重新制作。从创作角度来看，添加歌词需要对某些歌曲进行调整，以更好地契合核心概念、增强特定段落的张力，或优化编曲以突出某些元素。此外，我国在这个音乐流派方面缺乏深厚的文化积淀，这也是一个巨大的挑战；很难找到懂得如何正确录制、混音和母带处理金属音乐的录音室或工程师。

It’s been quite a rollercoaster—financial issues, lineup changes, and the restructuring of certain songs (especially the older ones). For instance, we initially had a male vocalist, so the switch to a female voice meant reworking a large portion of the material. From a compositional standpoint, adding lyrics required updating some songs to better align with the core concept, boost the intensity of specific passages, or refine arrangements to highlight certain elements. Then there’s the major challenge of our country’s lack of a strong culture in this genre; it is difficult to find studios or engineers who know how to properly record, mix, and master metal music.

V: 能否向我们介绍一下这张专辑背后的创作过程？

Could you tell us about the creative process behind this album?

N: 基本上，我们会从一个吉他创意出发，试图赋予它鲜明的个性——无论是激进的、忧郁的、躁动的，还是其他风格。然后，我们会设计一套和声结构——由节奏组和贝斯主导——来强化这个主旨。基于此，我们开始融入歌词，刻意避开常规的重拍，转而玩转切分节奏。我们还倾向于打乱歌曲结构——例如，前奏/主歌/副歌/编曲/副歌/主歌——以保持其非传统性。接下来，我们会根据想要传达的情绪或信息来构建节奏基础，最后加入旋律编排来打磨整首作品。我们将这一方法贯穿于整张专辑的创作中。专辑的构思围绕人类心理展开——探讨其复杂性如何在绝对邪恶与使我们成为具有人性、社会性的生物的特质之间转换。我们还穿插了关于那些引起我们关注、但又与上述主题相关的事件或主题的歌词；如果要从哲学角度来解读，可以说整张专辑围绕着卡尔·荣格的“阴影”概念及其所代表的含义展开。

Basically, we start with a guitar idea and try to give it a distinct identity whether it’s aggressive, melancholic, restless, or something else. Then, we devise a harmonic structure driven by the rhythm section and bass that reinforces the main idea. With that in mind, we begin incorporating lyrics that avoid standard downbeats, playing around with syncopation instead. We also tend to mix up the song structure for instance, intro / verse / chorus / arrangement / chorus / verse to keep it unconventional. Next, we work on the rhythmic foundation based on the mood or message we want to convey, and finally, we add melodic arrangements to polish the entire piece. All this we applied to the entire album, the conception of the album is about the human psyche how its complexity can shift between absolute evil and the qualities that make us human and social beings. We also intersperse this with lyrics about events or themes that have caught our attention but relate back to what was just mentioned; if we were to get philosophical, we could say the entire album revolves around the concept of Carl Jung’s "Shadow" and what it represents.

V: 这张专辑的音质非常出色。你们是在哪家录音棚录制的？制作人是谁？在录制过程中遇到过什么困难吗？或者有什么有趣的故事可以分享吗？

The sound quality of this album is outstanding. Which studio did you record at, and who produced it? Did you encounter any challenges or have any interesting stories to share from the recording process?

N: 正如我们所提到的，在我国，这个过程相当复杂，但我们有幸与Soundblast录音室的老板、Internal Suffering乐队的吉他手Mauricio Gallon合作，他表现得非常出色。这确实是一项不小的挑战，录音工作持续了近四个月。我认为鼓的录制是最复杂的部分，因为从一开始我们就希望使用真实的、原声的现场演奏鼓声；我们不希望使用任何采样或缺乏灵魂的声音。这是一次很棒的经历，我们也从中收获颇丰。

As we mentioned, the process was complex in our country, but we were able to work with Mauricio Gallon—the owner of Soundblast studio and guitarist for Internal Suffering—who did an excellent job. It was quite a challenge, involving recording sessions spread out over nearly four months. I think the drums were the most complex part, since we wanted real, acoustic, performed drums from the very beginning; we didn't want any samples or soulless sounds. It was a great experience, and we learned a lot, too.

V: 目前，你们正在以数字形式独立发行这张专辑；有没有考虑过与唱片公司合作发行实体版？是否曾就合作事宜与任何唱片公司接洽过？

Currently, you are self-releasing this album digitally; have you considered partnering with a label to release a physical version? Have you been in contact with any labels regarding a collaboration?

N: 我们一直在通过数字渠道推广这张专辑，但在尝试触达全球乐迷和新听众的过程中，经历了许多摸索和尝试；考虑到这一切都是我们自己亲力亲为，确实付出了不少努力。目前我们正在与“Green Revolutions”唱片公司商谈，计划于2026年底发行实体版——限量300张，希望这些唱片能传到真正欣赏它们的人手中。遗憾的是，推广工作只能由我们自行负责，因为协议仅涵盖压片环节，不包括市场营销。

We have been promoting the album digitally, though it has involved a lot of trial and error as we try to reach fans and new listeners around the world; it has been hard work, given that we are the ones putting in the effort ourselves. We are currently in talks with the "Green Revolutions" label to release a physical version in late 2026—a limited run of 300 copies that we hope will find their way into the right hands. Unfortunately, we have to handle the promotion ourselves, as the agreement covers only the pressing, not marketing.

V: 你们音乐的主题是什么？为什么选择这个主题，又希望通过它传达什么？你们还为音乐创作了歌词——这些歌词是谁写的，创作灵感来自哪里？

What is the theme of your music? Why did you choose this theme, and what do you wish to convey through it? You also wrote lyrics for the music—who wrote them, and what was the inspiration behind them?

N: 这张专辑的核心主题是人类心理，它通过卡尔·荣格提出的“阴影”概念这一视角进行分析和探讨——这一理念认为，我们必须理解并接纳自己的潜意识，否则将永远无法获得完整。有些歌曲与特定事件相关，例如Jonestown——这首歌讲述了吉姆·琼斯策划的大规模集体自杀这一悲剧故事，以及一个人如何能操控如此多人的思想；还有The Fallen，这首歌旨在向历史上在人类无休止的战争中牺牲的人们致以敬意和尊重；这些冲突最终只让少数人获益，却让阵亡者未能得到应有的认可。歌词由我们的吉他手Ruben Dario创作，并在主唱Isabel的协助下完成结构设计；不过作为乐队，我们每个人都会贡献想法和建议，经过反复斟酌，直到所有人都满意为止。

Well, the album's central theme is the human psyche, analyzed and examined through the lens of the "Shadow" concept proposed by Carl Jung—the idea that we must understand and embrace our subconscious, or else remain forever incomplete. Some songs are linked to specific events, such as "Jonestown"—which covers the tragic story of the mass suicide orchestrated by Jim Jones and how one person can manipulate so many minds—or "The Fallen," which seeks to offer some recognition and respect to those who perished in humanity's endless wars throughout history; conflicts that ultimately benefit only a few, yet left the fallen without the recognition they deserved. The lyrics are written by our guitarist, Ruben Dario, and structured with the help of our vocalist, Isabel; however, as a band, we all contribute ideas and suggestions, weighing them up until everyone is satisfied.

V: 你们的标志和封面设计非常精美；是谁为你们设计的？

Your logo and artwork designs are exquisite; who designed them for you?

N: 这个符号的设计灵感源自彭罗斯三角形——那个看似无法在现实中实现的几何图形。完成初步草图后，我们联系了平面设计师Santiago Escobar；他同时也是一位音乐人，在为金属乐队设计方面经验丰富，他为我们创作了这个标志，采用了简洁现代的字体和体现智性探索的细腻细节。虽然我们通常使用金色，但也钟爱黑色和深蓝色。对于这张首张专辑的封面设计，我们联系了意大利画家Mauro De Donatis；我们在他的作品集中发现了这张封面图，觉得它与专辑的主题完美契合。

The idea behind the symbol was to resemble a Penrose triangle—that figure which seems impossible to bring into physical reality. Once the initial sketch was done, we contacted graphic designer Santiago Escobar; he is also a musician with extensive experience designing for metal bands, and he created the logo for us using a clean, modern typeface and subtle details that reflect an intellectual quest. While we usually use gold, we also love black and deep blue. For the artwork of this debut album, we contacted Italian painter Mauro De Donatis; we discovered the cover image in his portfolio and felt it fit the album's theme perfectly.

V: 首先，恭喜你们乐队今年发行了首张专辑。这张专辑展现了精湛的演奏技巧和精心雕琢的编曲，清晰地反映出你们为这个项目倾注的巨大心血和努力。旋律优美且令人过耳难忘，各乐器之间的配合也天衣无缝。你们的作品融合了Doom Metal和Progressive Metal等流派的元素，显示出广泛的音乐影响；你们如何看待自己的作品？

First of all, congratulations on the release of your band's debut album this year. It showcases superb technical skill and meticulously crafted arrangements, clearly reflecting the great care and effort you poured into the project. The melodies are beautiful and truly memorable, and the interplay between the instruments is seamless. Your work incorporates elements of genres like Doom Metal and Progressive Metal, suggesting a wide range of musical influences; what are your thoughts on your own work?

N: 这是一段奇妙却又令人倍感温暖的经历——聆听演示带和原创作品，感受那些最初仅由一把原声吉他谱写的创意，随后收到最终母带，回望这段漫长的旅程。这种感觉令人难以言表——几乎可以比作养育子女并看着他们成长——看到作品迄今为止所获得的反响，我们感到无比自豪；说真的，这确实是一次令人深感满足且收获颇丰的经历。

It has been a strange yet deeply heartwarming experience—listening to the demos and original material, hearing ideas that began with just an acoustic guitar, and then receiving the final masters and looking back at the long journey traveled. It is an overwhelming feeling—one could almost compare it to having children and watching them grow—and we are filled with pride at the reception the work has received so far; truly, it has been a deeply gratifying and enriching experience.

V: 专辑发行后，乐队还计划了哪些新活动？我相信你们会全力以赴进行宣传——具体打算如何开展呢？比如，会有现场演出吗？

What new activities does the band have lined up following the album's release? I’m sure you’ll be putting your full effort into promoting it—how do you plan to go about that? For instance, will there be live performances?

N: 是的，我们在市场推广方面正努力工作，并积极联系相关人士。此外，随着Leo最近加入担任贝斯手，我们正在加紧排练以确保整体默契；我们即将在家乡举办一场演出，届时将与几支优秀的乐队——包括传奇乐队“Masacre”——共同发布我们的实体专辑，我们对此非常期待。

Yes, we’re working hard on the marketing side and reaching out to contacts. Also, with Leo recently joining on bass, we’re rehearsing a lot to get everything tight; we have a show coming up in our hometown to launch our physical album alongside some excellent bands—including the legends "Masacre"—and we’re really excited.

V: 你们是一支非常出色的乐队，我今后也会继续支持并关注你们。我也希望这次专访能鼓励更多中国乐迷关注并支持你们的乐队。在采访即将结束之际，你们想对中国的乐迷说些什么吗？

You are an outstanding band, and I will continue to support and follow you. I also hope that this interview will encourage more Chinese fans to take an interest in and support your band. As we wrap up, is there anything you would like to say to your Chinese fans?

N: 非常感谢——我们衷心希望你们喜欢我们的音乐，也希望有朝一日能有机会在这片充满神秘色彩、拥有众多美好人们的土地上演出。衷心感谢你们的支持，以及给予我们分享音乐的机会。保持重金属精神。

Thank you so much—we sincerely hope you enjoy our music, and we hope to have the chance someday to play in this land so full of mysticism and beautiful people. A thousand thanks to you for the support and the opportunity to share our music. Stay Heavy.

Nero乐队主要作品：

Nero - Iter Umbrae（2026）

Nero乐队官方Bandcamp网站：https://nero14.bandcamp.com/album/iter-umbrae

Nero乐队官方Facebook网站：https://www.facebook.com/people/Nero-Oficial/100089741635173/

Nero乐队官方Instagram网站：https://www.instagram.com/nerobandpro/

Nero乐队官方YouTube网站：https://www.youtube.com/@Neroband