来自深渊 - 法罗群岛Progressive Death / Black Metal乐队Svartsalt专访

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法罗群岛一个位于挪威和冰岛之间的岛国，由18个火山岛组成，总面积只有1399平方公里，常住人口只有5.4万人，被誉为世界上最美的岛屿，就是在这样的一个国家却孕育了一些金属乐队，在网站上查询相关这个国家的乐队只有16支乐队，但是却包含了各类极端金属风格，从Black到Death Metal，从Doom到Thrash Meatl风格，今天杂志就采访到了一支来自这个国家的乐队Svartsalt，组建于2016年的Svartsalt乐队今年也是他们组建的第九年了，在刚刚成立之初乐队就发行了一张EP专辑，虽然只有短短的三首歌曲，但是这张专辑却展现出乐队成员的才华和之间默契的配合，乐队采用了Black Metal式的阴暗，冰冷的氛围，复杂的编曲和抓人心弦的旋律，这张专辑发行之后乐队迅速吸引了一些歌迷的关注，不过乐队并没有继续发行新的作品，相反而是选择沉寂多年来打磨自己的作品，2024年乐队才开始发行单曲，2026年乐队发行了他们的第一张正式专辑“Upp Úr Dýpinum”，乐队使用母语创作了所有作品，在新专辑发行之际杂志与乐队的吉他 / 歌手John Ivar Venned取得联系进行了一次专访！

（V: 代表笔者 J: 代表John Ivar Venned）

The Faroe Islands—an island nation situated between Norway and Iceland—comprise 18 volcanic islands with a total area of just 1,399 square kilometers and a permanent population of only 54,000. Often hailed as some of the most beautiful islands in the world, this nation has also given rise to a handful of metal bands. Online records list only 16 bands from the country, yet they span a wide spectrum of extreme metal genres, ranging from Black and Death Metal to Doom and Thrash. Today, we feature an interview with one such band: Svartsalt. Formed in 2016, the band is now in its ninth year of existence. Shortly after their inception, they released an EP; despite containing only three tracks, the release showcased the members' talent and their tight musical chemistry, characterized by the dark, icy atmosphere of Black Metal, complex arrangements, and captivating melodies. While the EP quickly garnered attention from fans, the band did not immediately follow up with new material; instead, they chose to spend years quietly honing their craft. They began releasing singles in 2024 and subsequently released their debut full-length album, *Upp Úr Dýpinum*, in 2026. The band writes all their material in their native tongue. To mark the release of the new album, we connected with the band's guitarist and vocalist, John Ivar Venned, for an exclusive interview.

(V: The Interviewer | J: John Ivar Venned)

采访对象：John Ivar Venned（Svartsalt乐队吉他 / 歌手）

采访时间：2026.09.14

V: 你好，很高兴见到你，也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。首先请向所有的中国乐迷打个招呼。Svartsalt成立于2017年，今年已经是第九个年头了。当初你们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. Svartasta was formed in 2017, and this year is your ninth year. How did you form this band in the first place?

J: 你好！能与你交流，并首次向中国极限金属界的兄弟姐妹们问好，我感到非常荣幸。向所有中国的金属乐迷致意！

这里先简单说明一下——我们的乐队名字叫Svartsalt（“Svartasta Holið”其实是我们那首主打单曲及MV的标题！）。

Svartsalt成立于2016年的托尔斯港（Tórshavn），当时是为了参加法罗群岛赛区的Wacken Metal Battle乐队选拔赛。我们三人因彼此了解对方的实力而走到了一起，希望能创作出一种原始、自然且真实的音乐——一种回归本源的极端金属风格，所有灵感都源自即兴演奏。最终，我们组成了一支反法西斯立场的blackened death/thrash metal三人乐队，成员包括我（Nirvargh，主唱/吉他）、Groth（贝斯/主唱）和 Killhellm（鼓手）。

Hello brother! It is a true honor to connect with you and address our extreme metal brothers and sisters in China for the very first time. Hello to all Chinese metalheads!

Just to clarify briefly—our band name is Svartsalt ("Svartasta Holið" was actually the title of our lead music video single!).

Svartsalt was formed in Tórshavn back in 2016 in connection with the Faroese edition of Wacken Metal Battle. The three of us came together knowing each other’s skills, wanting to create something raw, organic, and real—a back-to-basics style of extreme metal where everything was born through raw jamming. The result is an antifascist blackened death/thrash metal trio consisting of myself, Nirvargh (vocals/guitar), Groth (bass/vocals), and Killhellm (drums).

V: 你们乐队的录音制作非常出色。这张专辑是在哪家录音室录制的？由谁担任制作人？新专辑的录制过程顺利吗？

Your band's recording work is excellent. Which studio did you record the album at? Who produced the album for you? Did the recording process for the new album go smoothly?

J: 非常感谢你们对制作水准的赞赏！这对我们意义重大，因为我们始终坚持百分之百DIY的理念。

整张专辑"Upp Úr Dýpinum"的录音、工程处理、混音和制作，全都是由我们在法罗群岛、丹麦和挪威各自的家庭工作室里独立完成的。我们特意避开了商业录音室和那些工业化的制作套路。专辑中没有任何Auto-Tune、数字网格对齐编辑、AI工具，也没有那种过度修饰的录音室“作弊”手段。我们追求的是一种原始、充满冲击力且真实的“人”的声音，让听众能真切感受到演奏中那种充满力量的张力。人们常以为我们是在高端商业录音室里砸重金制作的，所以得知我们这种“自制”模式下的技术投入能带来如此震撼的效果，我们感到无比自豪。考虑到各种客观条件，整个过程其实非常顺利。也许正是因为不必按小时支付昂贵的录音室费用，大家的心态才更加轻松，压力也小了许多。

Thank you so much for the praise on the production! That means a lot to us because we have operated on a strict 100% DIY (Do-It-Yourself) philosophy.

The entire album, Upp Úr Dýpinum, was recorded, engineered, mixed, and produced entirely by ourselves in our own home studios across the Faroe Islands, Denmark, and Norway. We intentionally avoided commercial studios and corporate tricks. There is zero autotune, no digital grid-editing, no AI tools, and no polished studio cheats. We wanted a raw, punchy, and authentic human sound where you can actually feel the physical aggression of the performance. People often assume we spent a lot of money in a high-end commercial studio, so knowing that our homemade technical dedication hits that hard is something we are extremely proud of. It went very smoothly considering the circumstances. Maybe it contributed to a less stressful atmosphere, that we weren’t paying for every hour in the studio.

V: 你们乐队的三位成员都是元老级成员，彼此非常熟悉，也了解对方想要创作什么样的音乐，这让创作过程变得更加顺畅。能谈谈你们的创作过程吗？新专辑的制作进展顺利吗？

All three members of your band are first-generation members, so you'll find it easier to create songs because you know each other very well and understand what kind of songs the other wants to create. Could you describe your creative process? Is the creation process for the new album progressing smoothly?

J: 你说得完全没错——我们三人之间的默契正是Svartsalt的核心所在。对我们而言，歌曲创作其实始于彼此的交谈。我们会深入探讨对当前社会环境的不满——无论是针对法罗群岛本土还是全球局势。我们会明确指出究竟是什么让我们感到愤怒，并用语言将这些情绪表达出来。

有时我会先拿出符合我们想要营造的氛围的吉他riff或音乐灵感，但通常歌曲的基调是由那些深入的对话定下的。我们彼此太了解了，甚至曾跨越国界，通过Messenger视频通话创作出了一首最终收录进专辑的歌！虽然我们还没正式开始创作下一张专辑，但手头已经有一些小样和构思或许会用于下一次情绪的宣泄与表达。

You are completely right—the chemistry between the three of us is the backbone of Svartsalt. For us, songwriting actually starts with conversations. We talk at length about our frustrations with the current societal climate—both in the Faroe Islands and globally. We pinpoint what exactly makes us angry and put phrases to those feelings.

Sometimes I bring guitar riffs and musical ideas first that fit the atmosphere we want to capture, but usually those deep conversations set the feel of the song. We know each other so well now that we even managed to write a song over a video call on Messenger across country borders that ended up on the album! We haven’t started writing for a new album just yet, but we have some demos and ideas we might use for our next outpouring of frustrations.

V: 继2017年发行EP之后，你们乐队直到2024年才再次推出新作。是什么促使你们在时隔七年后决定发布新作品？

After releasing an EP album in 2017, your band did not release any new works until 2024. What made you choose to release new works after seven years?

J: 2017年发行EP后，我们觉得已经达成了既定目标。随着时间推移，我们的个人生活和职业生涯将我们引向了不同的方向。然而，在Svartsalt乐队演奏时那种原始、纯粹的侵略性与能量，却从未真正离开过我们。几年前，我们创作了一些Demo并以单曲形式发布，那其实是我们尝试自主制作的试验田。而真正的转折点在于，Necrolepsia乐队的John Åge Frost力邀我们担任他们2024年12月新专辑发布演出的暖场嘉宾。这重新点燃了我们的创作激情，最终促成了整张专辑的创作与录制。此外，当前的社会政治环境也召唤着我们挺身而出，发出呐喊——而唯有融合了blackened death/thrash风格的音乐，才能最有力地表达这种情绪！

After releasing our 2017 EP, we felt that we had achieved what we wanted. As time went on, our personal lives and careers took us in other directions. But the unfiltered aggression and energy of playing in Svartsalt never really left us. We wrote some demos that came out as singles some years ago. Those were the testing grounds for our in-house production. This really took off when John Åge Frost of Necrolepsia insisted on bringing us as their warmup for their release party in December 2024. This ignited a new creative fire in us, that led to a whole album being written and recorded. The current socio-political climate also beckons us to rise up and scream at it, as only blackened death/thrash can!

V: 你们乐队的标志设计非常简洁，却是我个人的心头好，因为它让我很容易记住乐队的名字。你们的专辑封面设计得美极了，请问是谁操刀设计的呢？

Your band's logo design is very simple, but it's one of my personal favorites because it makes it easy for me to remember your band's name. Your album art is beautifully designed. Who designed these album artworks for you?

J: 谢谢！不过你把名字拼成了“Svartasta”哦！哈哈，没关系。我们的标志是由才华横溢的法罗群岛艺术家Laura Edith Gunváardóttir设计的，我们非常喜欢与她合作。遗憾的是，她没能参与我们2026年专辑的设计工作。

"Upp Úr Dýpinum"的封面艺术是由才华横溢的法罗群岛艺术家Bjartur Fríði Clementsen创作的。他精准捕捉到了我们音乐中那种阴郁、充满不祥气息的特质——画面描绘了一个神秘身影从深渊中升起，与一艘传统的法罗群岛双桅纵帆船对峙——这幅画面印在12英寸黑胶唱片的封套上，效果简直绝了。

Thank you! You did manage to spell it Svartasta though! Haha! No worries. Our logo was designed by the talented Laura Edith Gunváardóttir. A Faroese artist who we really like working with. She was unavailable for our 2026 album unfortunately.

The artwork for Upp Úr Dýpinum was created by the talented Faroese artist Bjartur Fríði Clementsen. He captured the dark, ominous essence of our music—a mysterious figure rises up from the depths to confront a traditional Faroese schooner. - which looks incredible on physical 12" vinyl sleeve.

V: 你们乐队音乐的主题是什么？为什么选择这个主题？你们希望通过这一主题表达什么？歌词是谁写的？创作灵感来自哪里？

What is the theme of your band's music? Why did you choose this theme? What do you want to express through this theme? Did you write the lyrics? Who wrote them? What was their inspiration?

J: 乐队成员都会参与歌词和人声编排的创作，不过这张专辑的大部分歌词是由我撰写的。在歌词内容上，我们探讨了诸如存在主义式的焦虑、拒绝随波逐流、政治贪婪、极端资本主义、反法西斯主义，以及在日益分裂的世界中生活所带来的心理重负等议题。

我们的灵感来源多种多样：既包括阅读非虚构类作品（如奥威尔、菲利普·K·迪克、加缪、陀思妥耶夫斯基、叔本华的著作以及各类科学期刊），也源于在大自然中进行长途徒步或骑行时的体验，此外还受到工业噪音和环境音效的启发。我们利用歌词直面现实问题——例如歌曲"Bráðnandi Ríkið"（意为“正在消融的王国”）探讨了帝国主义对北极资源的贪婪掠夺；而"Mótstreymur"（意为“逆流”）则讲述了如何在面对民族主义仇恨言论和法西斯主义时，坚定地守住自己的道德准则。

We all write lyrics and vocal arrangements for the band, although I wrote most of them for this album. Lyrically, we deal with themes of existential dread, non-conformity, political greed, hyper-capitalism, anti-fascism, and the psychological toll of living in an increasingly divided world.

Inspiration comes from a mixture of reading non-fiction (Orwell, Philip K. Dick, Camus, Dostoyevsky, Schopenhauer, scientific journals) while taking long hikes or bike rides in nature, as well as industrial and environmental sounds. We use modern history and lyrics to directly confront issues—like in "Bráðnandi Ríkið" ("The Melting Kingdom"), which addresses imperial greed over Arctic resources, or "Mótstreymur" ("Countercurrent"), which is about holding your moral compass firm against nationalist hate speech and fascism.

V: 你们今年的新专辑名为"Upp Úr Dýpinum"。我其实很好奇这个标题的含义。

Your new album this year is titled "Upp Úr Dýpinum". I'm actually quite curious about what this title means.

J: “Upp Úr Dýpinum”是法罗语，直译过来就是“从深渊中升起”（或“从深处升起”）。

从概念上讲，它象征着Svartsalt这支地下乐队从深处崛起，向世界展现其如怪兽般狂暴的音乐面貌。同时，这只“怪兽”也是法罗群岛社会必须直面的黑暗议题——如宗教至上主义、贪婪与腐败——的具象化体现。我们厌倦了仅仅在地下圈子里抱怨这些问题，所以现在我们要大声呐喊，向所有愿意与我们并肩奋起的人发出呼唤。这一意象还有另一层含义：我们深入挖掘了自己的灵魂，才将这些情感从内心深处带到了表层。

"Upp Úr Dýpinum" is Faroese and translates directly to "Up from the Depths" (or "Up from the Deep").

Conceptually, it represents Svartsalt as an underground band rising from the deep, showing its monstrous sonic face to the world. At the same time, that "monster" is the manifestation of the dark societal issues—religious supremacy, greed, and corruption—that Faroese society needs to come face-to-face with. We got tired of just complaining about these issues in the underground, so now we are screaming it out loud to anyone ready to rise up with us. Another layer to this image, is that we have gone deep into our own souls to find these emotions that we brought up to the surface.

V: 你们选择自行发行作品，那么在与唱片公司合作发行方面有什么计划呢？

You all choose to release your own works. What are your plans to collaborate with a label to release your works?

J: 尽管我们在创作、录音和制作方面保持着百分之百的独立自主，但我们还是与法罗群岛传奇独立厂牌Tutl Records合作，正式发行了"Upp Úr Dýpinum"——该专辑推出了12英寸黑胶唱片版本，并同步上线各大数字平台。与Tutl合作，既让我们得以完整保留DIY（自主）的理念，又能确保实体黑胶唱片能触达全球各地的唱片店及极端金属乐迷。

While we retain 100% full creative, recording, and production independence, Upp Úr Dýpinum was officially released on 12" vinyl and all digital platforms in collaboration with Tutl Records, the legendary independent Faroese record label. Partnering with Tutl allows us to keep our DIY ethos completely intact while ensuring physical vinyl distribution reaches record stores and extreme metal fans worldwide.

V: 首先，恭喜你们乐队今年发行了新专辑。你们的作品充满了疾速而冷峻的吉他riffs，旋律也极具感染力。你们对每一个细节的把控都非常出色，主唱充满爆发力的嗓音更为专辑注入了强劲的能量。你们自己如何看待这部作品？与之前的作品相比，这张新专辑有哪些变化？

First of all, congratulations to your band on releasing your new album this year. Your work is full of fast, cold riffs, and the melodies are very catchy. You handled every detail very well, and the singer's fierce vocals also brought energy to the album. What are your thoughts on your work? How has the new album changed compared to the old one?

J: 谢谢你的夸奖！得知我们的吉他乐句、抓耳的旋律以及充满爆发力的嗓音能在中国引起你的共鸣，这对我们来说意义非凡。

与我们2017年那张基调阴郁、带有巴洛克式调性的EP相比，"Upp Úr Dýpinum"在风格上发生了巨大转变：整体更具侵略性，融入了受Gojira乐队启发的厚重groove，以及更多带有Thrash Metal和Death Metal色彩的吉他乐句。歌词的表达也变得更加尖锐，充满了对抗与指控的意味。如果说旧EP中的"Vónleysa Fylgið"是一首具有代表性的曲目，那么新专辑中的"Bráðnandi Ríkið"、"Mótstreymur"和"Lívsmegi"则展现了我们音乐风格的终极进化。

Thank you for those words! Hearing that the riffs, catchy hooks, and fierce vocals resonated with you in China means everything to us.

Compared to our 2017 EP, where bleakness and baroque tonalities dominated, Upp Úr Dýpinum has shifted heavily into more aggression, heavy Gojira-inspired grooves, and more thrashy/death metal riffs. The lyrics have become much more confrontational and accusative. Off the old EP, "Vónleysa Fylgið" was a defining track, but on the new album, songs like "Bráðnandi Ríkið", "Mótstreymur", and "Lívsmegi" show the ultimate evolution of our sound.

V: 你们参加过哪些现场演出？其中哪些给你们留下了深刻印象？你们今年发行了新专辑，是否会配合新专辑的发布安排新的现场演出？

What live performances have you participated in? Which live performances left a deep impression on you? You released a new album this year. Will you have any new live performances to coincide with the release of the new album?

J: 令人难忘的演出包括2016年的Wacken Metal Battle、2017年的EP发布演出，以及2024年12 月的回归演出；其中2024年那场演出的现场氛围棒极了。

我们将于12月在法罗群岛举办一场“回归故里”演出，以此拉开现场演出活动的序幕。此外，我们目前正积极联络并预订2027年的各类现场演出及欧洲音乐节档期，力求将"Upp Úr Dýpinum"带上国际舞台。

Memorable performances include Wacken Metal Battle 2016, the 2017 EP release show and a comeback show in December 2024. The atmosphere at the 2024 show was fantastic.

We are starting our live campaign with a homecoming show in the Faroe Islands in December. Beyond that, we are currently actively pitching and booking live shows and European festival appearances for 2027 to bring Upp Úr Dýpinum to international stages.

V: 你来自法罗群岛，老实说，我一直对那里的金属乐氛围和场景很好奇。你能描述一下那里的氛围吗？有什么推荐的乐队吗？当地有摇滚或金属音乐节吗？

You're from the Faroe Islands, and to be honest, I've always been curious about the metal scene and atmosphere in your country. Could you describe the atmosphere there? Are there any bands you'd recommend? Are there any rock or metal music festivals in your country?

J: 法罗群岛位于北大西洋，由18座崎岖的火山岛屿组成。这是一个充满独特意境的地方，拥有壮丽的峡湾、陡峭的青山和变幻莫测的极端天气。

当地的金属乐场景虽曾经历过沉寂期，但底蕴深厚。Hatespeech（活跃于90年代至2000年代）、Krit、Sic、Synarchy 和 Týr等先驱乐队为这一流派的发展铺平了道路。如今，Hamferð（Doom Metal）、Joe and The Shitboys（Punk）、Tunghoyrt和Necrolepsia等乐队正延续着重型音乐的活力。像Upp Við Hornunum这样的组织在举办金属乐演出方面也做出了卓越贡献。至于音乐节，在Syðrugøta海滩举办的G! Festival 就因其独特的地理位置和主打地下音乐的演出阵容而享誉全球。

The Faroe Islands consist of 18 jagged, volcanic rocks in the North Atlantic. It’s an atmospheric place of dramatic fjords, steep green mountains, and extreme weather.

The metal scene has had its quiet periods, but it has a rich history. Pioneers like Hatespeech (from the 90s/00s), Krit, Sic, Synarchy, and Týr paved the way. Today, bands like Hamferð (doom), Joe and The Shitboys (punk), Tunghoyrt, and Necrolepsia are keeping heavy music alive. Organizations like Upp Við Hornunum are doing great work putting on metal shows. As for festivals, G! Festival on the beach in Syðrugøta is world-famous for its location and underground lineup.

V: 你们是一支非常优秀的乐队，我会继续关注并支持你们。同时也希望通过这次采访，能让更多中国乐迷关注并支持你们的乐队。此外，我也希望能借此机会进一步了解你们国家的金属乐圈子与氛围。采访即将结束，你们有什么话想对中国的乐迷说吗？

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. I also hope to learn more about the metal scene and atmosphere in your country through your band. The interview is about to end. Is there anything you would like to say to your Chinese fans?

J: 致中国所有的金属乐迷、地下音乐支持者以及热衷于甩头（headbanging）的朋友们：衷心感谢你们的支持与热情！

感谢每一位支持地下极端金属、购买实体黑胶唱片并坚持DIY精神的人。请抵制法西斯，支持独立艺术，同时也欢迎大家在Bandcamp和Tutl Records上收听Upp Úr Dýpinum的作品。保持重型本色，保持自由！

致以最诚挚的问候，

John Ivar Venned (Nirvargh)

Svartsalt

svartsaltband@gmail.com

To all the metalheads, underground supporters, and headbangers in China: thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and passion!

Thank you to everyone supporting underground extreme metal, buying physical vinyl, and keeping the DIY ethos alive. Stand against fascism, support independent art, and check out Upp Úr Dýpinum on Bandcamp and Tutl Records. Stay heavy, stay free!

Best regards,

John Ivar Venned (Nirvargh)

Svartsalt

svartsaltband@gmail.com