悠远之诗 - 法国Blacken Death Metal乐队Necrowretch专访

Volcano Magazine
2 hours ago
16 min read

今天采访到的是来自法国的Blacken Death Metal劲旅Necrowretch。喜欢Death / Black Metal的金属乐迷应该对这个名字并不陌生，就在2025年1月，Necrowretch进行了他们的首次中国大陆巡演。杂志与Necrowretch取得了联系并和乐队主创——主唱&吉他手Vlad进行了一次专访。Vlad向我们分享了首次中国巡演的感受，乐队最新专辑"Swords of Dajjal"的创作过程以及他对Necrowretch的音乐中常常涉及到的神秘学文化的独到见解。

（V: 代表笔者 N: 代表Vlad）

Today we interview France's formidable Blacken Death Metal force, Necrowretch. Fans of Death/Black Metal should be familiar with this name, as Necrowretch embarked on their first mainland China tour in January 2025. Volcano magazine made contact with Necrowretch and conducted an exclusive interview with the band's frontman and guitarist, Vlad. Vlad shared his impressions of the inaugural China tour, the creative process behind the band's latest album Swords of Dajjal, and his unique perspective on the occult themes frequently explored in Necrowretch's music.

(V: represents the author N: represents Vlad)

采访对象：Vlad（Necrowretch乐队吉他 / 歌手）

采访时间：2025.11.08

V: 你好！非常感谢Necrowretch接受这次采访！先和中国的Metalheads们打个招呼吧。

Infernal greetings! Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! First, say hello to all the metalheads in China!

N: 来自法国的问候！感谢你们的邀请！

Greetings from France ! Thanks for your invitation!

V: 首先也是大家最想知道的，今年一月份你们来到中国大陆进行了一共4站的巡演，第一次中国巡演的体验如何？这期间你们有哪些印象深刻的演出时刻吗？

First and foremost, what everyone is most curious about: you embarked on a four-city tour across mainland China this past January. How was your experience with this first-ever mainland China tour? Were there any particularly memorable moments from the performances during this time?

N: 我们原本计划在2020年来访，但疫情导致行程延误。随后我们等待新专辑发行后才推进演出安排，最终得以在2025年首次登陆中国演出。所有场次都非常成功；相较于欧洲观众，中国乐迷的平均年龄更年轻，为整个演出注入了蓬勃的活力与热情。首站上海的演出（万代南梦宫上海文化中心）场面火爆，近300名观众到场，堪称巡演的完美开幕！我们借此机会游览了上海、杭州、北京和深圳等城市，所见所闻令人惊叹。这绝对是一次难忘的巡演！

We were actually supposed to come in 2020, but the pandemic delayed things. Then we waited for the new album to be released before proceeding with the booking, and we were finally able to play in China for the first time in 2025. All the shows were great; the audience was much younger than in Europe, which brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the whole experience. The first show in Shanghai (Bandai Namco Venue) was really crowded, with almost 300 people in attendance, which was the perfect way to start the tour! We had the chance to travel around the country a bit (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing and Shenzhen) and do some sightseeing, and we were amazed by everything we saw. It was definitely a memorable tour!

V: 你们的演出给观众们留下了深刻的印象，可以介绍一下这次中国巡演你们所用的设备吗？你们是如何做到在现场演出中还原出专辑中那些独特的音色的？

Your performance left a deep impression on the audience. Could you tell us about the equipment you used for this China tour? How did you manage to recreate those unique album sounds during your live performances?

N: 我们使用前置放大效果器，这样就能在任何场地呈现我们的声音，无需携带笨重的设备（这些设备本就无法托运）。打造这种音效需要大量前期配置工作，但一旦完成，只需即插即用。人声部分我们使用自有麦克风，其余由我们的调音师负责调试。

We use a preamp pedal so we can have our sound everywhere without having to carry big equipment (which would be impossible to take on a flight anyway). It takes a lot of configuration to create such a sound, but once it's done, you just have to plug and play. For the vocals, we use our own microphones and our sound technician takes care of the rest.

V: 我们暂时把时钟往回拨一些，Necrowretch开始于2008年，乐队是如何诞生的？乐队为什么选择了Necrowretch这个名字？

Now let's rewind the clock a bit. Necrowretch began in 2008—how did the band come together? And why did you choose the name Necrowretch?

N: 青少年时期，我常听Death、Morbid Angel、Entombed和Bathory等经典乐队。因此自然而然地，我开始弹吉他尝试创作类似风格的作品。我想要一个比“邪恶”更邪恶的名字，于是选择了“wretch”（不幸之人），它代表着世上最悲惨不幸之人。再加入“necro”（死亡）一词，便构成了某种折磨生者的不死生物。

As a teenager, I used to listen to classic bands such as Death, Morbid Angel, Entombed and Bathory. It was only natural, then, that I started playing the guitar in an attempt to create something similar. I wanted a name that was even more evil than 'evil', so I chose 'wretch', as it represents the most miserable and unfortunate person on earth. I added 'necro' to turn it into some kind of undead creature that torments the living.

V: 你们的录音室专辑以及现场都展现出了每一位乐手极高的演奏水平，我想知道你们有接受过系统性的音乐教育吗？在吉他演奏方面，对你影响最大的乐队或者吉他手都有哪些？

Your studio albums and live performances showcase the exceptional skill of every musician in the band. I'm curious—have you received formal music training? In terms of guitar playing, which bands or guitarists have had the most significant influence on you?

N: 虽然我从未参加过任何课程，但我自学了如何演奏乐器。首张Demo非常粗糙，收录的都是简单却朗朗上口的歌曲。对我创作产生影响的吉他手包括Chuck Schuldiner、Morgan Steinmeyer、Michael Amott、Quorton和Euronymous。我用鼓机制作了第一张家庭Demo，试图招募本地乐手加入乐队。多年来阵容更迭约15次，虽然合作过众多音乐人，但我是初代阵容中唯一的幸存者。

Although I never took any courses, I taught myself to play the instrument. The first demo was very raw, with simple yet catchy songs. Guitarists who have influenced my songwriting include Chuck Schuldiner, Morgan Steinmeyer, Michael Amott, Quorton and Euronymous. I created my first home demo using a drum machine in an attempt to find some local musicians to join the band. Over the years, the line-up has changed around 15 times. I’ve played with various musicians, but I’m the only survivor from the first line-up.

V: 在2024年二月，你们发行了新专辑"Swords of Dajjal"，这是你们的第五张全长专辑，而且这张专辑的质量保持着你们一如既往的高水准，我想知道你的创作过程是怎样的？

In February 2024, you released your new album Swords of Dajjal, your fifth full-length album. This album maintains your consistently high standard of quality. Can you share a bit about this composition process of yours for this album?

N: 这张专辑的创作始于2020年3月，当时法国正经历疫情大流行和首次封锁。从创作到发行，这段历程几乎跨越了四年时光！虽然耗时漫长，但我们并不急于求成——当时一切活动都暂停了，现场演出也寥寥无几，因此我们得以全身心投入其中。首先，我们组建了全新阵容并开始共同创作歌曲。首支完成的作品是"Swords of Dajjal"，自此我们决定将其定为专辑主打曲，并以此为核心构建整张专辑。随后我们购置了新设备，尤其着力于提升吉他音色力度，相较前作浑浊的混响效果，这次追求清晰有力的“直击耳膜”之感，同时保留音乐的邪恶氛围。为实现各乐器间的完美平衡耗费了大量时间。历经两年，在无数的demo与无数次排练之后，我们于2022年末进驻巴黎Sainte Marthe录音室，耗时五周完成专辑制作。2022年末我们拿到母带并完成母带处理，2023年则投入MV制作、专辑封面设计及宣传物料筹备，只为以火力全开模式开启2024年的专辑发行！

The writing of this album started in March 2020 during the pandemic and first lockdown we had in France. So it’s almost a four years journey from the writing to the release! It was a pretty long time, but we were not in a rush, everything was paused and there wasn’t so much live activity, therefore we had plenty of time to focus on it. First of all, we formed a new line up and started to work together on the songwriting. The first song we crafted was Swords of Dajjal, and from this point we decided to make it the title song and to build the album around it. Later, we decided to acquire new gear, especially to change the guitar’s sound into something more powerful, where our previous albums were into a muddy, reverb sound, this time we went for something clear, powerful and “in your face”, without losing the evil ambiance of our music. This took a lot of time to find the good balance for every instrument.

After two years, countless demos and rehearsals we entered Studio Sainte Marthe (Paris) in late 2022 and spent five weeks to produce the album. We finished 2022 with the mastering in our hands and spent 2023 rehearsing, producing some music videos, the artwork and other promo elements in order to be ready to start 2024 with the album release with full force!

V: 现场演出哪一首"Swords of Dajjal"专辑中的曲子对于你们来说最为困难？或者有没有因为现场演奏实在难以复现，所以你们会对现场演出版本进行调整的曲子？

Which song from the Swords of Dajjal album has been the most challenging for you to perform live? Or are there any tracks that you've had to adjust for live performances because they were simply impossible to play on stage?

N: 录制前我们反复排练了这些歌曲，如今已能轻松驾驭。所有曲目的节奏都经过预先设定，确保录音版本与现场演出的快慢节奏保持一致。

We practised the songs so much before the recording that we can play them easily today. The tempos were set in advance to avoid any songs sounding too fast or slow on the recording compared to how they sound live.

V: "Swords of Dajjal"这张专辑的吉他音色十分独特，我尤其喜欢"Ksar Al-Kufar"，还有"The Fifth Door"极具东方韵味的吉他音色和旋律。在录制和制作的过程中，你是怎样给不同的歌曲挑选吉他音色的？

The guitar tones on the album Swords of Dajjal are exceptionally distinctive. I particularly love the guitar on “Ksar Al-Kufar,” and the deeply oriental-inspired guitar tones and melodies on “The Fifth Door.” During the recording and production process, how did you select the guitar tones for each different song?

N: 录音设备配置如下：

吉他：LTD Black metal / 拾音器：Fishman Fluence

Aria Explorer / 拾音器：Fishman Fluence

琴弦：Ernie Ball cobalt 11-49 及 10-46

放大器：Mesaboogie triple rectifier + Marshall JCM 800

箱头：Orange

It was recorded with the following rack :

Guitars : LTD Black metal / mics : Fishman Fluence

Aria Explorer / mics : Fishman Fluence

Strings : Ernie Ball cobalt 11-49 and 10-46

Amps : Mesaboogie triple rectifier + Marshall JCM 800

Cabs : Orange

V: 随着这张专辑中加入的新鼓手Nicolas Ferrero的加入，Necrowretch扩展至四人阵容。这张专辑的鼓声有着极强的存在感，精妙的编排清晰地如暴雨般跳跃在聆听者耳中。在制作上，你们是如何实现这一点的？

With the addition of new drummer Nicolas Ferrero on this album, Necrowretch expanded to a four-piece lineup. The drumming on this album possesses an overwhelming presence, its intricate arrangements leaping into the listener's ears with the clarity of a downpour. Production-wise, how did you achieve this?

N: 简而言之：Nicolas多年前就曾参与过我们的现场演出，因此当我们筹备新阵容时，他自然是最佳人选！鼓点是极端金属乐队的核心要素，优秀鼓手是优质音乐的必要条件。与Nicolas合作后，我们摒弃了“140或180拍”这类固定节奏，转而花时间精准捕捉乐手间达到共振状态的理想速度与律动。为此我们放缓了许多乐段节奏，同时加快其他部分，使歌曲呈现如现场演出般自然的动态张力。录音室混音时，我们刻意将鼓声置于最前端，在通鼓上添加大量混响并运用声场定位技术，让听众仿佛置身鼓手席——这种混音手法在当今乐坛实属罕见。我们还在部分段落加入康加鼓增强低频冲击力，其回响穿梭于乐曲间，为整首作品注入了独特的东方韵味。

Long story short: Nicolas already played some live sessions with us many years ago, therefore when we worked on a new lineup, it was clear he was the one to do it! Drums are the most important element for extreme metal bands. A good drummer is mandatory for good music. With Nicolas, we stopped to play on fixed tempos like “140 or 180” but we took time to really find the exact speed and groove where everyone is in osmose. Therefore we slowed down many riffs and fastened some others in order to really add a natural dynamic to the songs like you can feel in a live performance. In the studio, we decided to mix the drums really in the front, and to add a LOT of reverb on the toms and add some panorama to put the listener into the drum seat, which is also not a very common mix, especially in modern days. We also added Conga percussion to add more drum bass to some parts, you can hear it here and around and it adds another oriental vibe to the whole thing.

V: 虽然你们可能被问过很多次了，但我还是想提一下专辑的封面艺术。"Swords of Dajjal"的封面简直完美地契合了这张专辑的气质，并且这是一张极具视觉冲击力的封面。在与艺术家合作时，你们是怎样向专辑封面艺术家描述你们所想要的专辑封面的？

Although you've probably been asked this many times, I still want to mention the album cover art. The cover for Swords of Dajjal perfectly captures the essence of this album, and it's a visually striking piece. When collaborating with the artist, how did you describe to the album cover artist what you envisioned for the album cover?

N: 关于封面设计，我们继续与法国艺术家Stefan Thanneur合作，他此前已负责过我们专辑"The Ones From Hell"的封面创作。我们直到专辑完成混音和母带处理后才联系他，因为我们认为让他先聆听音乐再构思视觉呈现至关重要。收到成品时，画面完全契合我们的期待——手持利剑的恶魔先知，其红金纹饰风格介于"沙丘"与"暗黑破坏神II"之间。双方最重视的是封面在任何场景都具备视觉冲击力：无论是线上平台还是实体唱片店，这幅神秘画作都令人过目难忘，从而激发人们对音乐的兴趣与好奇。

For the artwork, we worked with Stefan Thanneur, a French artist who was already in charge of our previous album “The Ones From Hell”. We only reached him when the album was fully mixed and mastered, as it was important for us that he can listen to the music and craft his vision of the music. When we received the artwork, it was exactly what we were aiming for a demonic prophet with his sword with some red/gold pattern somewhere between Dune and Diablo II. Most of all it was important for both parties that the artwork stands out, may it be online or a record shop, you can’t miss this mysterious artwork, therefore it will bring interest and curiosity about the music.

V: Necrowretch的歌词常常涉及撒旦和恶魔崇拜，您本人也对这方面的文化进行过非常深入的研究。我想知道您是从什么时候起开始对这些文化感兴趣的？

Necrowretch's lyrics frequently touch upon Satan and Devil worship, and you yourself have conducted very in-depth research into this culture. I'm curious to know when you first became interested in these cultures?

N: 创作一张关于中东恶魔崇拜主题专辑的念头始终萦绕在我脑海，但始终未能找到合适时机，也未曾有乐手愿追随我探索这个方向。然而疫情之后，乐队阵容发生变化，时机终于成熟。当时我正频繁使用十二弦吉他创作，而"暗黑破坏神II"重制版恰好成为重新探索中东主题的契机。主要灵感源自伊斯兰苏菲派的神话传说。我花费大量时间将其重新构思为黑金属风格。另有数首作品关联罗马帝国覆灭史。该题材浩瀚如海，足以填满整张专辑。因此我们决定不仅以“Dajjal”为核心，更将诸多引人入胜的神话传说融入创作。部分歌曲基于伊斯兰末世论，另一些则更贴近北非古代柏柏尔或努米底亚——即“罗马帝国之前”的历史脉络。

The idea of creating an album about Middle Eastern devil worship had always been at the back of my mind, but there was never a good time or musicians willing to follow me in this direction. After the pandemic, however, the line-up changed and the time was right to pursue this idea. I had also been playing a lot with a 12-string guitar at that time, and the Diablo II remaster was the perfect opportunity to explore the Middle Eastern theme once again. My main inspiration came from Islamic Sufi myths and legends. I spent some time reimagining them in a black metal style. There are also some other songs connected to the fall of the Roman Empire. The topic is so vast that it could fill an entire album. Therefore we decided that not only Dajjal itself but many other myths/tales were interesting enough to make songs around it. Some songs are based on Islamic eschatology, while others are more connected to ancient Berber or Numidian, let’s say “pre roman empire” history of North Africa.

V: 我曾经尝试过阅读一些关于Zoroastrianism等在你们的歌词中出现过的文化资料，这些文化对我来说实在晦涩难懂，而在Necrowretch的歌词中，你总能用易懂的语言描述出这些文化并为歌曲营造一个鲜明的主题。我想知道你是如何从海量的典故中，选出你想表达的内容并将他们转换成朗朗上口的歌词的？

I've tried reading some cultural materials about Zoroastrianism and other subjects that appear in your lyrics, but these cultures are really obscure and hard for me to grasp. In Necrowretch's lyrics, though, you always manage to describe these cultures in accessible language and create a vivid theme for the songs. Could you tell us how you select what you want to express from such a vast sea of references and transform them into catchy lyrics?

N: 正因晦涩难解才成为绝佳的创作素材。若主题广为人知且文献详实，便难以形成独特诠释；而当我们对此一无所知时，反而能激发艺术想象力。比如在"Dii Mauri"这首歌里，我们仅知罗马帝国因视其为野蛮而拒绝将摩尔诸神纳入神系。某位无名帝国书记官曾在石柱上刻下“Ingirozoglezim”——这就是全部史料！其余内容在两千年中尽数湮灭。还有比这更适合黑金属的主题吗？

That's exactly why it's a good base for creating lyrics, because it's obscure and hard to explain. If a topic is well-known and well-documented, it's difficult to create your own interpretation, but if we don't know anything about it, it's an invitation to create your own artistic vision. For example, in the song 'Dii Mauri', we only knew that the Roman Empire did NOT allow these Maurish gods into their pantheon because they were considered too barbaric. An unknown imperial scribe wrote 'Ingirozoglezim' in a column, and that's all we know! The rest was lost or forgotten over the last 2,000 years. What better topic for a black metal song?

V: 如果要给因为Necrowretch而对神秘学产生兴趣的乐迷们推荐一些相关物或者影视作品，你会推荐哪些作品？

If you were to recommend some related books or films/documentaries to fans who developed an interest in the occult because of Necrowretch, what would you recommend?

N: 推荐书籍："海拉"，"阿拉穆特"，"克苏鲁的呼唤"，"十二凯撒"，"一千零一夜"。

推荐电影："地狱神探"，"活死人之晨"，"幻影"，"七宗罪"。

For books : Le Horla, Alamut, Call of Cthulhu, The Twelve Caesars, One Thousand and One Nights.For

movies : Hellraiser, Dawn of the dead, Phantasm, Seven.

V: 现在，越来越多的金属乐队会将对撒旦或恶魔的崇拜展示在他们的演出中，比如瑞典的Watain等乐队，我想知道您怎么看这种将公开的撒旦崇拜不加掩饰地搬到舞台上的演出形式？

Nowadays, an increasing number of metal bands incorporate worship of Satan or demons into their performances, such as Swedish bands like Watain. What’s your perspective on this form of performance where overt Satanic worship is brought unabashedly onto the stage?

N: 我们对Watain这类乐队怀有极大敬意，他们通过自身的文化与精神根源来表达艺术。他们的根源植根于北欧的仪式传统。我们二者的背景不同，我们来自法国。法国向来拥有强大的黑金属场景，尽管其地下属性比斯堪的纳维亚地区更浓厚。这里特有的氛围塑造了我们的创作方式——更具内省性与诗意。对我们而言，Black Metal是传递艺术理念的媒介。撒旦或黑暗等主题并非教条，而是开放的艺术符号——每个听众都能赋予其独特解读。作为法国艺术家，我们珍视艺术中的开放性，为神秘感、情感共鸣与个人诠释留白。这正是我们通过音乐竭力传递的精神内核。

We have a great deal of respect for bands like Watain, who express their art through their cultural and spiritual roots. In their case, these are rooted in a northern, ritualistic tradition.

Our background is different, coming from France. France has always had a strong black metal scene, even if it remains more underground than in Scandinavia. There is a particular atmosphere here that shapes the way we create — it is more introspective and poetic. For us, black metal is a means of expressing our artistic vision. We don’t view themes such as Satan or darkness as dogma, but rather as open artistic symbols — concepts that each listener can interpret in their own way. As French artists, we value openness in art, leaving space for mystery, emotion and personal interpretation. It's this spirit that we strive to convey in our music.

V: 2025年你们参加了许多阵容精彩的金属音乐节。有哪些现场演出令你印象深刻？2026年，乐队有哪些演出计划可以预告给我们吗？

In 2025, you attended numerous metal festivals with stellar lineups. Which live performances left a lasting impression on you? What tour plans can you share with us for 2026?

N: 坦白说，最难忘的是中国的演出，还有我们赴立陶宛参加的盛大的Kilkim Zaibu音乐节（完整现场可于YouTube观看）。2026年我们仅会精选少量演出进行，因为需要时间投入新作品的创作。

Frankly, it was the shows in China and also our trip to Lithuania to the great Kilkim Zaibu festival (full live can be found in youtube). For 2026 we will only play a few selected shows because we need time to work on new material.

V: 非常感谢你回答我们的问题！希望有机会还能在中国看到Necrowretch的演出，祝你们接下来一切顺利！

Thank you so much for answering our questions! We hope to see Necrowretch perform in China again someday soon. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!

N: 但愿未来我们还能再来，或许是为了下一张专辑再来，谁知道呢？败者哀哉！

Hopefully we can come again in the future, maybe for the next album who knows ? Vae Victis!