今天采访的是来自法国的Atmospheric Death Metal乐队Apocryphal，1992年成立的Apocryphal最初取名为Post at Funeral并且发行了一张Demo，不过这张Demo乐队并没有发行，1994年乐队更换了现在的名字Apocryphal，1995年乐队以Apocryphal的名义发行了一张Demo作品，在Demo发行不久之后乐队的第二把吉他Sylvain加入乐队，这个阵容一直保持到现在，1999年乐队发行了第一张正式专辑“Black Dreams of Silence”，这张专辑在法国的ArtCrim Records发行，这个厂牌也是乐队鼓手Stéphane Maurice自己创办的厂牌，这张专辑最大的特点就是加入了键盘，正是乐队使用了键盘这种乐器提升了音乐整体氛围，第一张专辑发行之后乐队进入“休眠期”直到今年乐队才发行了两首单曲和第二张正式专辑“Facing the End”，新专辑发行之后大家会发现乐队改变了自己的风格，也提升录制效果，为所有歌迷呈现出一张既陌生又熟悉的作品，在新专辑发行之际杂志与Apocryphal乐队的鼓手Stéphane Maurice取得联系进行了一次采访！
（V: 代表笔者 S: 代表Stéphane Maurice）
Today's interview is with French Atmospheric Death Metal band Apocryphal. Formed in 1992, Apocryphal started out as Post at Funeral and released one demo, which was never released, and in 1994 the band changed their name to their current one. In 1994 the band changed their name to Apocryphal, and in 1995 the band released a demo under the name Apocryphal, shortly after the release of the demo the band was joined by Sylvain on second guitar, a lineup that continues to this day, and in 1999 the band released their first official album “Black Dreams of Silence” was released on ArtCrim Records in France, a label founded by drummer Stéphane Maurice, and was characterized by the addition of keyboards, which were used by the band to enhance the overall atmosphere of the music. After the release of their first album, the band went into “hibernation” until this year, when they released two singles and their second official album, “Facing the End. To present the band with a new and familiar sound, Apocryphal's drummer, Stéphane Maurice, was contacted by the magazine for an interview on the occasion of the release of the new album!
(V: for the author S: for Stéphane Maurice)
采访对象：Stéphane Maurice（Apocryphal乐队鼓手）
采访时间：2024.12.26
V: 你好stenjophane Maurice很高兴认识你，非常感谢你参加这次采访，我想这是你的乐队第一次接受中国杂志的采访，首先向所有的中国歌迷问好，Apocryphal成立于1994年是一支有着悠久历史的老牌乐队，是谁组建的乐队？
Hello Stéphane Maurice nice to meet you and thank you very much for participating in this interview, I think this is the first time that your band has been interviewed by a Chinese magazine, first of all say hello to all the fans in China, Apocryphal was formed in 1994 is a band with a long history of veteran bands, who initiated the formation of the band?
S: 首先，我代表APOCRYPHAL感谢你的这次采访并借此机会向整个中国金属界致敬。这是我们第一次得到这样的机会，很荣幸向大家介绍这支乐队。我真心希望中国的重金属乐迷们能喜欢“Facing the En”和我们联系吧，让我们知道你的想法！
First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of APOCRYPHAL for this interview, and I’d like to take this opportunity to greet the entire metal community in China. This is the first time we’ve been given such an opportunity, and it’s a tremendous honor to introduce the band. I truly hope Chinese metalheads will enjoy Facing the End. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us and let us know what you think!
V: 虽然你的乐队是在1994年成立的，但你们实际上是在1992年成立的，最初你的名字是Post at Funeral，但你在1994年改名为Apocryphal，这就是为什么它说你是在1994年成立的，你为什么要改名？你在Post at Funeral时代发布过什么作品吗？
Although your band was formed in 1994, you were actually formed back in 1992, initially you were called Post at Funeral, but you changed your name to Apocryphal in 1994, that's why it says you were formed in 1994, why did you change your name? Did you release any material during the Post at Funeral era?
S: 实际上,确实发过。那时我们以“Post at Funerals”的名字发行了我们的第一首歌。这基本上是我们的第一个Demo，只有三到四首歌录在磁带上。我们从未发行过它，我想我们都没有那盘磁带了。当时我们只有三个人：Didier当吉他手（我哥哥）Sébastien当贝斯和主唱，我当鼓手，那是一个转折点。正是在那一刻我们决定是时候开始行动了，写更好的歌并打算录制一张Demo发行了它。这感觉像是一个新的开始，我们想要一个新的名字和阵容，给我们更多的可能性，特别是现场演出。经过一番思考我建议把名字命名为APOCRYPHAL，其他人也同意了，从那时起阵容就扩大了。
Actually, yes. Back then, we had our first tracks under the name "Post at Funerals." It was essentially our very first demo, which only had three or four songs recorded on cassette. We never distributed it, and I think none of us even has a copy of that cassette anymore. There were just three of us at the time: Didier on guitar (my brother) Sébastien on bass and vocals, and me on drums. That was the turning point. It was at that precise moment we decided it was time to get things rolling, write better songs, and aim to record a demo with the ambition of distributing it. It felt like a new beginning, and we wanted a new name and a lineup that would give us more possibilities, especially for live performances. After some brainstorming, I suggested the name APOCRYPHAL, which the others approved, and the lineup expanded from there.
V: 自1994年以来你们的阵容一直保持不变，这在乐队中很少见，我认为这在你们写歌的时候很有用，因为你们彼此了解，你们想创作什么样的音乐，你能告诉我们一些你写歌的过程吗？我相信你的写作经验会帮助很多年轻的音乐家。
Your lineup has remained the same since 1994, which is a rare thing among bands, you know each other very well and I think it comes in handy when you're writing songs because you know each other and what kind of music you want to create, can you tell us a little bit about your songwriting process? Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process? I'm sure your writing experience will help a lot of young musicians.
S: 阵容发生了一些变化，但是三位创始成员仍然在这里，第二个吉他手Sylvain在第一张Demo作品“From Depths”后加入了，我认为创作过程是相当普遍的。Didier提出了最初的想法和即兴片段，然后我们在排练时对它们进行调整并在我们进行时构建它们。我们演奏了很多次，它们还在不断进化，最后一步是录音。特别是对于“Facing the End”，音轨在录制过程中发生了很大的变化。当我们在录音室的时候，我们用一种完全不同的方式听我们的歌。
The lineup has undergone some changes, but yes, the three founding members are still here, and Sylvain, the second guitarist, joined right after the first demo From Depths. The creative process is fairly classic, I think. Didier comes up with the initial ideas and riffs, and then we work on them during rehearsals—adapting, adjusting, and structuring them as we go. We play them many times, and they continue to evolve. The final step is recording. For Facing the End in particular, the tracks changed quite a bit during the recording process. When we're in the studio, we listen to our songs in a completely different way.
V: 你们今年发行了第二张专辑，这张专辑非常棒，你们在哪个录音室录制这张专辑，哪位制作人为你们制作的这张专辑？
You guys released your second official album this year and it's a great recording, what studio did you record the album in and which producer produced the album for you?
S: 我们已经有自己的工作室好几年了，我们的吉他手Sylvain在音频工程方面也非常熟练。所以一切都是在法国的录音棚录制的。至于母带它是由Nino Helfrich在德国的Skull Tone Studios出色地制作的，他为这种制作添加了必要的最后一笔，他是一个非常细心和有才华的人。
We’ve had our own studio for quite a few years now, and Sylvain, our guitarist, is also very skilled in audio engineering. So, everything was recorded in France at our studio. As for the mastering, it was handled brilliantly by Nino Helfrich from Skull Tone Studios in Germany. He added the essential final touch needed for this kind of production. He’s a very attentive and talented individual.
V: 你们乐队的专辑发行比较缓慢，从1999年的第一张专辑到今年才发行了第二张正式专辑，是什么原因让你们这么长时间没有发行新的专辑？
The flight of your band's albums has been slow, you haven't released anything since your first album in 1999, and it wasn't until this year that your band released your second official album, what's the reason why you haven't released anything new for so long?
S: 事实上"Black Dreams..."本应在发布专辑后两年内推出的新专辑，但生活另有安排。作为年轻人我们正处于人生的关键时刻，乐队不再是每个人的首要任务——它更像是一种爱好。尽管我们一直在排练，但势头减弱了。我们从来没有真正停下来，但我们留下了相当多的曲目，我们从未录制。有趣的是近年来，随着APOCRYPHAL风格的演变和最新作品的质量，我们真的想用它做一些有意义的事情并分享它。我们的歌手离开乐队后，我们需要有人来完成这一切。我们一开始没有抱太大希望就联系了SOILWORK的Björn，然后你知道剩下的……
Actually, Black Dreams... was supposed to have a successor within two years of its release. But life had other plans. We were at a pivotal point in our lives as young adults, and the band was no longer everyone’s priority—it became more of a hobby. Even though we kept rehearsing, the momentum slowed down. We never really stopped, but we left behind quite a few tracks that we never recorded. Interestingly, in recent years, with the evolution of APOCRYPHAL’s style and the quality of the latest compositions, we really wanted to do something meaningful with it and share it. After our singer left the band, we needed someone to finalize it all. We reached out to Björn from SOILWORK without much hope at first, and, well—you know the rest…
V: 你们乐队的Logo很漂亮，是谁为你们设计的这个Logo，你们的专辑封面也是独一无二的，是谁为你们设计的这个封面？新专辑的封面是什么意思？
Your band's logo is beautiful, who designed this logo for you and your album artwork is unique, who designed this artwork for you? What's the meaning of the new album artwork?
S: 谢谢你！这是我的兄弟兼吉他手Didier画的。专辑封面是由来自METASTAZIS乐队的Valnoir创作的。他是一位法国艺术家，与许多国际艺术家合作而闻名，如Paradise Lost， Behemoth，Morbid Angel，Amorphis等。这幅作品完美地反映了这张专辑的标题和主题：我们星球的预定和即将到来的终结以及所有驱使人类走向自己垮台的行为。
Thank you! It was drawn by Didier, my brother and guitarist. As for the album artwork, it was created by Valnoir from METASTAZIS. He’s a French artist known for collaborating with numerous international artists like Paradise Lost, Behemoth, Morbid Angel, Amorphis, and many others. The artwork perfectly reflects the title and theme of the album: the programmed and imminent end of our planet, along with all the behaviors driving humanity toward its own downfall.
V: 你的乐队和ArtCrim Records和The Circle Music这两家厂牌发行过专辑，我对这两家厂牌不是很熟悉，我只知道ArtCrim Records是你们国家的厂牌，目前已经关闭了，而The Circle Music是希腊的厂牌，你能告诉我们一些关于这两家厂牌的情况吗？你们是如何联系到这两家厂牌合作的？你对这两家厂牌的工作满意吗？
Your band has released albums with two labels, ArtCrim Records and The Circle Music, which I'm not really familiar with, I just know that ArtCrim Records is a label in your country, which is currently closed, and that The Circle Music is a label from Greece, can you tell us a little bit about these What can you tell us about these two labels? How did you get in touch with these two labels to collaborate? What do you think about the work of these two labels?
S: Artcrim Records是我们自己的厂牌，我们创建它是为了推广APOCRYPHAL和其他本地乐队。然而事实很快证明，同时管理乐队和厂牌非常复杂。Circle Music是一个希腊厂牌，我认为它会很快获得认可。他们的目录中有一些优秀的艺术家，如Trail of Tears， Chaostar， Lake of Tears等等。在与他们签约之前一家美国厂牌和另一家法国厂牌也有兴趣发行"Facing the End"，但MARIA（the Circle Music的负责人）表现出的热情让我们自然而然地选择了这家厂牌。到目前为止The Circle Music表现出了很高的专业水平，这让我们确信，选择与他们合作是正确的决定。
Artcrim Records was our own label, which we created to promote APOCRYPHAL and other local bands. However, managing both the band and the label quickly proved to be complicated. The Circle Music is a Greek label that I think will gain recognition quite rapidly. They have some excellent artists in their catalog, such as Trail of Tears, Chaostar, Lake of Tears, and more. Before signing with them, a U.S. label and another French label were also interested in releasing Facing the End, but MARIA (the head of The Circle Music) showed such enthusiasm that our choice naturally gravitated toward this label. So far, The Circle Music has demonstrated a high level of professionalism, which reassures us that we made the right decision in choosing to work with them.
V: Lovecraft这是你音乐的主题，你为什么选择这个主题，你想通过这个主题表达什么？你有歌词部分吗，谁写的歌词，是什么给了他灵感？
Lovecraft this is the theme of your music, why did you choose this theme and what do you want to express through this theme? Do you have a lyrics section, who wrote the lyrics and what inspired them?
S: Lovecraft的影响很大，尤其是在"From Depths"时代。Sébastien尤其喜欢他的作品，这些作品与我们当时想要传达的音乐和氛围非常契合，今天的情况有所不同，“Facing the End”的歌词几乎都是我写的，人性是我灵感的主要来源。人类有一种不可思议的天赋，它能尽其所能加速自身的衰落，这种天赋既令人着迷，又令人绝望。
Lovecraft was an influence, especially during the From Depths era. Sébastien, in particular, is a big fan of his works, and they fit perfectly with the music and atmospheres we wanted to convey at the time. That's less the case today. I wrote almost all the lyrics for Facing the End, and human nature is my main source of inspiration. Humanity's incredible talent for doing everything in its power to hasten its own downfall is as fascinating as it is despairing.
V: 首先祝贺你们乐队今年发行了第二张正式专辑"Facing the End"，沉重，快速连续的riff，精确快速的鼓点，非常干净的录音，强调了乐队的技术和氛围，歌手干净清晰的声音。很吸引人，你觉得你的作品怎么样？与旧专辑相比新专辑有什么变化吗？
First of all, congratulations on the release of your band's second official album “Facing the End” this year, with its heavy vibe, fast and continuous riffs, precise and fast drums, and a very clean recording, which emphasizes the band's technique and vibe, and the singer's clean and clear voice. Very catchy, what do you think about your work? Has anything changed on the new album compared to the old one?
S: 谢谢你！很多东西都变了，这是肯定的，风格也有了显著的演变。与“Black Dreams...”我们演奏的是Atmospheric Death Metal，而今天我们的风格更倾向于Melodic Death Metal。我们对结果很满意，即使风格改变了，Didier仍然有同样的歌曲创作质量和他独特的风格。对于最终的结果，我们也保持着同样的高标准。Björn（SOILWORK的歌手）做得很棒，他是一个非常有才华的歌手。我认为这张专辑的结果非常好，但我相信下一张会更好！
Thank you! A lot has changed, that's for sure, and the style has evolved significantly. With Black Dreams..., we were playing atmospheric death metal, whereas today our style leans much more toward melodic death metal. We’re quite pleased with the result, and even though the style has changed, Didier still has the same quality of songwriting and his distinctive style. We also maintain the same high standards when it comes to the final result.
Björn (singer of SOILWORK) did an amazing job, and he’s an incredibly talented vocalist. I think the album turned out really well, but I’m convinced that the next one will be even better!
V: 作为一支在法国有着悠久历史的乐队，你们参加过很多音乐节，哪些给你们留下了深刻的印象，2025年还有那些音乐节邀请你们参加？
As a band with a long history in France, you've played a lot of festivals, which ones have impressed you and which ones have invited you in 2025?
S: 没有你想的那么多，但我们确实有机会在大乐队表演过的场地演出，那总是一种特别的感觉。2025年确实有一些邀请，但我还不能透露任何事情，因为阵容是在活动前不久宣布的。
Not as much as you seem to think, but it’s true that we’ve had the chance to play in venues where big bands have performed, and that’s always a special feeling. We have indeed been invited in 2025, but I can’t reveal anything just yet since the lineups are announced shortly before the events.
V: 2025年你们乐队还会有什么计划？你能透露一些信息吗？
What else is on the horizon for your band in 2025? Can you shed some light on that?
S: 我们将会看到我们的专辑在今年的过程中如何发展以及它如何跨越边界。这次采访让我们有机会帮助它走得更远一些。我还认为我们将专注于创作"Facing the End"的后继曲，以同样的决心，让每首歌从第一次听起就留在人们的脑海里并给APOCRYPHAL更多的知名度。
We’ll see how our album evolves over the course of this year and what borders it manages to cross. This interview gives us the opportunity to help it travel a little further. I also think we’ll focus on composing the successor to Facing the End, with the same determination to make each song stick in people’s heads from the very first listen and to give even more visibility to APOCRYPHAL.
V: 你们是法国最古老和最好的乐队之一，我会一直关注和支持你们的乐队，我希望这次采访能让更多的中国粉丝关注和支持你们的乐队，你最后有什么想对中国粉丝说的吗？
You are one of the oldest and best bands in France, I will always follow and support your band, and I hope that this interview will bring more Chinese fans to follow and support your band, do you have any final message for your Chinese fans?
S: 谢谢你！是的我们希望越来越多的中国重金属乐迷跟随我们。如果你喜欢这张专辑，让我们知道——我们会回复每个人。和你周围的人分享……再次感谢你！我们认为这是一个与新观众建立联系的好机会，我们很高兴能与你互动。
THANK YOU! Yes, we hope that more and more Chinese metalheads will follow us. If you like the album, let us know—we reply to everyone. Share it around you... Once again, thank you! We see this opportunity as such a great chance to connect with a new audience, and we’d be thrilled to interact with you.
Apocryphal乐队主要作品：
Apocryphal - Black Dreams of Silence（1999）
Apocryphal - Facing the End（2024）
Apocryphal乐队官方Bandcamp网站：https://apocryphal-official.bandcamp.com/
Apocryphal乐队官方Facebook网站：https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048617926486
Apocryphal乐队官方Homepage网站：http://apocryphal.free.fr/
Apocryphal乐队官方Instagram网站：https://www.instagram.com/apocryphal_france/
Apocryphal乐队官方Spotify网站：https://open.spotify.com/artist/46Ozflb7f3haA1aoQXDqQH
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