沉溺于幻梦之中 - 俄罗斯Progressive / Thrash Metal乐队Alienations专访

Volcano Magazine
2 hours ago
14 min read

今天采访到的是来自俄罗斯的Progressive / Thrash Metal乐队Alienations，组建于2017年的Alienations乐队，在组建这支乐队之前乐队的成员就已经认识了并且同时在一支名为Agitator的Thrash Metal乐队当中演奏，但是在2015年Agitator乐队宣布解散，但是他们并不想结束自己的音乐生涯，所以Alienations诞生了，在组建不久之后乐队便发行了第一张同名EP专辑，这张专辑发行之后便受到了广泛的关注，优美的旋律，复杂的编曲，如同剃刀一般的Riff，2021年乐队自助发行了第一张正式专辑“В плену иллюзий”，这是一张制作精良的作品，在创作上更加突出了Progressive的元素，这张专辑也受到更多国家的歌迷关注，随后乐队在2022 - 2025年发行了两首单曲作品，在前不久杂志与乐队的吉他 / 歌手Vladislav取得联系进行了一次专访！

（V: 代表笔者 L: 代表Vladislav）

Today we're interviewing Alienations, a Progressive/Thrash Metal band from Russia. Formed in 2017, the members had already known each other and played together in a Thrash Metal band called Agitator. However, Agitator disbanded in 2015. Not wanting to end their musical journey, Alienations was born. Shortly after forming, the band released their self-titled debut EP, which garnered widespread attention for its melodic hooks, intricate arrangements, and razor-sharp riffs. In 2021, they independently released their first full-length album, “В плену иллюзий” (Captive to Illusions). a meticulously crafted work that further emphasized progressive elements in their songwriting. This album garnered attention from fans across more countries. Subsequently, the band released two singles between 2022 and 2025. Recently, our magazine connected with the band's guitarist/vocalist Vladislav for an exclusive interview!

(V: Author | L: Vladislav)

采访对象：Vladislav（Alienations乐队吉他 / 歌手）

采访时间：2026.03.04

V: 你好兄弟，很高兴认识你，非常感谢你参与这次访谈。我想这是你们乐队首次接受中文杂志的采访。首先，我想向所有中国乐迷和朋友们问好。外星人乐队成立于2017年，是一支历史悠久的乐队。你们最初是如何组建这支乐队的呢？

Hello brother, nice to meet you and thank you very much for participating 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 Chinese fans and friends. Aliens was founded in 2017 and is a long-standing band. How did you form this band in the first place?

L: 你好！是的，这是我们首次接受中文杂志的采访。向所有读者问好——我是Vladislav，Alienations乐队的吉他手兼主唱。其实早在Alienations成立前我们就相识了。最初我们共同效力于一支名为Agitator的Thrash Metal乐队。2013年9月，鼓手Vsevolod用诡计——哈哈——把我拉进了乐队，当时Ilya正在那里担任贝斯手。那时我正为自己的乐队物色主唱。Vsevolod发消息提议：“要不你来我乐队弹吉他，我来你乐队唱歌？”但他最终没加入我的乐队担任主唱，反倒是我深深沉浸于他的乐队音乐中，最终离开了原来的乐队。遗憾的是，那支乐队未能持久，2015年左右解散时未曾发行任何作品。此后我沉浸于创作新曲目并开始学习录音混音技术。2015年秋天，我联系Ilya提议合作演出。当时他刚完成个人工作室的搭建，我们两人就在那里进行了约半年的夜间排练。半年后，Vsevolod发消息提议组建乐队。巧合的是，我正打算向他提出同样的建议——毕竟我已与Ilya开始合作。某次排练时，我戏谑地对着麦克风发出低吼，这段即兴表演深受大家喜爱，他们说服我担任吉他手兼主唱。外化乐队时代就此开启。

Hello! Yes, this is our first interview for a Chinese magazine. Greetings to all the readers — my name is Vladislav, I’m the guitarist and vocalist of Alienations band. We actually met long before Alienations existed. Originally, we played together in a thrash metal band called Agitator. I was invited there by our drummer Vsevolod in September 2013 — by trickery, haha — and Ilya was playing bass there at the time. Back then, I was looking for a vocalist for my own band. Vsevolod messaged me suggesting: “How about you play guitar in my band, and I’ll sing in yours?” But he never actually joined my band as a vocalist, and instead I got deeply involved in his band’s music and eventually left my own group. Unfortunately, that band didn’t last long and broke up around 2015 without releasing anything. I then immersed myself in writing new material and started learning recording and mixing. In the fall of 2015, I contacted Ilya and suggested we play together. By that time, he had just finished setting up his own shop, and for about six months we rehearsed there at night, just the two of us. After half a year, Vsevolod messaged me suggesting we start a band. Coincidentally, I was about to suggest the same thing to him, since I was already playing with Ilya. During one rehearsal, I jokingly growled into the microphone — the guys liked it and convinced me to become the guitarist-vocalist. That’s how the Alienations era began.

V: 你们的乐队基本保持着第一代阵容，仅在2023年更换了一位吉他手。第一代吉他手为何离开乐队？新吉他手是如何加入的？你们对新成员的表现满意吗？

Your band basically maintains the first generation lineup, only changing one guitarist in 2023. Why did the first generation guitarist leave the band? How did a new guitarist join the band? Are you satisfied with the new member's job?

L: 是的，我们的阵容始终保持完整。2023年我们并未更换吉他手——而是新增了一位。2020年我们与Vegvisir乐队巡演时结识了Vasily，他当时在该乐队演奏。若我没记错，2022年金吉塞普演出结束后，Vasily主动找到我说：Alienations的演奏紧凑而厚重，但当我开始独奏时，因缺少节奏吉他而失去了那种厚重感。他主动提出加入。我们欣然接纳他加入乐队，2023年他正式成为Alienations的正式成员。我们的音乐变得更厚重、更强劲、更有力量——这正是乐迷们在演唱会上常提及的改变。

Yes, our lineup has remained completely intact. In 2023, we didn’t replace a guitarist — instead, we added a second one. We met Vasily in 2020 during a tour with the band Vegvisir, where he plays. If I’m not mistaken, after a show in Kingisepp in 2022, Vasily came up to me and said that Alienations sounded tight and heavy, but when I started playing solos, the heaviness disappeared due to the lack of a rhythm guitar. He offered his candidacy. We welcomed him into the band, and in 2023 he officially became a full member of Alienations. Our sound became thicker, heavier, and more powerful — something our fans often point out at concerts.

V: 各位成员都是拥有丰富创作经验的音乐人，能否介绍你们的创作过程？

Each of you members is a musician with rich creative experience. Can you introduce your creative process?

L: 我们主要有两种创作模式。第一种是在排练时灵感迸发，我们共同展开创作。第二种是我带着近乎完成的作品来排练，或是成员提出构思后我们共同完善。在2024年之前，第一种情况占主导地位，因为我们都在夜间排练，有充足时间打磨旧曲目并创作新歌。创作起点总是源于吉他或贝斯弹奏的某个乐句。例如“Wasted Time”这首歌的诞生，就得益于Ilya尝试贝斯点弦技法。Vsevolod和我迅速加入即兴演奏——而那段贝斯点弦声正是歌曲的开场。“Away”的音乐部分完全诞生于某次排练。次日清晨我写好歌词录制吉他，当晚便完成了人声录制。数周后录制鼓与贝斯音轨，设计封面后便发行了单曲。如今筹备第二张专辑时，我通常会带着完整谱写的乐曲。成员们会提出修改建议——此处增补、彼处删减——有时某人瞬间灵光乍现，立刻构思出歌词主题并开始创作。

We have two main songwriting scenarios. The first is when an idea is born during rehearsal, and we start developing it together. The second is when I bring almost finished material to rehearsal, or one of the guys comes with an idea and we build on it. Until 2024, the first scenario was dominant because we rehearsed at night and had plenty of time to refine old material and create new songs. The starting point was always a phrase played on guitar or bass. For example, the song “Wasted Time” was born thanks to Ilya, who was experimenting with bass tapping. Vsevolod and I quickly joined in and started jamming — and that bass tapping is exactly how the song begins. The music for the song “Away” was entirely written during one of those rehearsals. The next day after waking up, I wrote the lyrics, recorded the guitars, and the following night I recorded the vocals. A few weeks later, we recorded drums and bass, got the cover artwork done, and released the single. Currently, for the upcoming second album, I usually bring fully written music. The guys suggest ideas — adding something here, removing something there — and sometimes someone immediately comes up with a lyrical concept and starts writing.

V: 你们的录音效果非常出色。专辑是在哪家录音室录制的？由哪位制作人操刀？

Your works have excellent recording effects. Which studio did you record your album in? Which producer made the album for you?

L: 从最初，我们就选择独立制作。我们很幸运，因为父亲拥有一间名为“梦幻之地唱片”的小型录音室，我们常趁夜深人静时去那里录制人声。吉他和贝斯部分主要通过UAD Apollo Twin音频接口在我家完成录制。鼓组曾需租用专业录音室录制，因为当时我们尚不具备自主录制鼓组的能力。混音和母带处理由我亲自操刀——我在家中搭建了配备齐全的录音工作室。除鼓组外，所有音轨均可在我家完成录制，但人声仍坚持在父亲的工作室录制，因为他拥有出色的Rode Classic II话筒和Vari Tube录音通道压缩器。去年我们终于购置了机架式调音台和鼓麦克风套装，由此开启自主录制鼓组的新篇章。最新单曲“In the Realm of Shadows”正是如此完成的——所有环节均由我们独立完成录制与混音。三月我们将推出新单曲“Straight Through”，作为即将于今年发行的第二张全长专辑的前奏。

From the very beginning, we chose to be independent. We were lucky because my father owns a small recording studio called “Dreamland Records,” where we recorded vocals at night when no one was there. Guitars and bass are mostly recorded at my home through a UAD Apollo Twin interface. Drums used to be recorded at a rented studio because we didn’t have the ability to record them ourselves. I handle mixing and mastering myself — I’ve built a home studio with everything necessary. Essentially, we can record everything except drums at my place, though we still record vocals at my father’s studio because he has an amazing Rode Classic II microphone and a Vari Tube Recording Channel compressor. Last year, we finally purchased a rack mixer and a drum microphone set, which allowed us to start recording drums ourselves. That’s exactly what we did for our latest single “In the Realm of Shadows” — we recorded and mixed everything independently. In March, we will release another single titled “Straight Through” for our upcoming second full-length album, which is expected later this year.

V: 你们的标志设计非常精美。是谁为你们设计的这个标志？你们的专辑封面设计也很漂亮。是谁为你们设计的这些专辑封面？

Your logo design is very beautiful. Who designed this logo for you? Your album artwork is also very beautiful. Who designed these album artworks for you?

L: 我们的首款标志原型由Ilya设计。后来我联系了艺术家MPH.artwork——我长期关注他的作品，非常欣赏他的风格。约一周后，他提交了四个设计方案，其中就包括现行的版本，不过我们稍作修改。除标志外，我们还希望设计一枚徽章，但团队无人掌握相关技巧。艺术家建议以字母A和N，或A与S结合镰刀进行创作。Vasily当即灵光乍现，在纸贴上勾勒出镰刀造型中的“A”字。其创意在于：当视角倾斜时，镰刀轮廓会自然形成A、N、S三字母。我将这个概念发送给MPH.artwork，他通过添加圆环和撕裂线条完成了最终设计，打造出极具冲击力的徽章。顺带一提，他同时设计了即将发行的单曲"Straight Through"封面。至于专辑“Enchained by Illusions”，封面及内页设计均由MAYHEM PROJECT DESIGN操刀。专辑概念旨在描绘人类在内心构筑的“美好幻境”——当外界陷入混乱时，我们试图以此作为防护屏障藏身其中。

The first prototype of our logo was made by Ilya. Later, I contacted the artist MPH.artwork — I had been following his work for a long time and really liked his style. About a week later, he presented four concepts, including the one we use now, although we slightly modified it. Besides the logo, we also wanted an emblem, but no one knew how to design it. The artist suggested playing with the letters A and N, or A and S combined with a scythe. Vasily was immediately inspired and sketched an “A” with a scythe on a paper sticker. The idea was that when viewed at an angle, the shape would form the letters A, N, and S within the scythe.

I sent this concept to MPH.artwork, and he finalized it by adding a circle and torn lines, creating a very cool emblem. By the way, he also designed the cover for the upcoming single “Straight Through.” As for the album “Enchained by Illusions,” the cover and full booklet design were created by MAYHEM PROJECT DESIGN. The concept behind the album was to depict a “wonderful world” that we build inside our heads as a protective barrier, trying to hide there while chaos unfolds around us.

V: 你们音乐的主题是什么？为何选择这个主题，又想通过它表达什么？你们还创作了歌词部分，这些歌词由谁创作，灵感源自何处？

What is the theme of your music about? Why did you choose this music theme, and what do you want to express through this music theme? You also created the lyrics section. Who created these lyrics and what inspired them?

L: 我们的歌词聚焦于与自我的抗争——恐惧、焦虑、内心冲突。可以说这个主题并非我们选择，而是它选择了我们，因为我们写下的正是真实感受。与此同时，我们也触及传说与神话。Ilya是主要作词人——他通常确立核心理念，随后由我与他共同深化。Vsevolod同样参与作词，例如他创作了首张EP"Alienations"全部歌词，以及即将发布的单曲“Straight Through”的词作。

Our lyrics focus on struggling with oneself — fears, anxieties, inner conflicts. You could say we didn’t choose this theme; it chose us, because we write what we feel.

At the same time, we also touch on legends and myths. Ilya is our main lyric writer — he usually sets the core idea, which I then develop together with him. Vsevolod also writes lyrics — for example, he wrote all the lyrics for our first EP Alienations, as well as for the upcoming single “Straight Through.”

V: 你们的专辑都是自主发行的，为什么不选择正规厂牌来发行呢？

Your albums are all self released, why don't you choose a legitimate label to release your albums?

L: 正如我之前提到的，我们从一开始就选择了独立发展的道路。不可否认，唱片公司能比个人运作更快更有效地推广艺人。然而许多艺术家因此丧失创作自主权，被迫做出妥协。有时甚至连发言权都没有，只能竭力履行合约义务。正因如此，我们组建了自己的小型个人厂牌并自主推广。这条路充满艰辛，但我相信我们能够应对。

As I mentioned earlier, we chose the path of independence from the start. It’s hard to deny that labels promote artists faster and more effectively than doing it on your own. However, many artists lose creative control and are forced into compromises. Sometimes you don’t even have a voice and simply try to fulfill the contract. That’s why we organized our own small personal label and promote ourselves. It’s a difficult path, but I believe we can handle it.

V: 首先，恭喜你的乐队在2025年发行了最新单曲。您的作品旋律优美，其中融入的进步摇滚元素更赋予作品持久的生命力。复杂的编曲与吉他即兴段落、精准的鼓点节奏以及清亮的演唱都令人印象深刻。你如何评价自己的作品？新专辑与旧专辑之间是否存在变化？

First of all, congratulations to your band for releasing their latest single in 2025. Your work is very melodious, and the elements of Progressive make your work more enduring. The complex arrangement and Riff, precise drum beats, and clean singing have left a deep impression on people. What is your opinion on your own work? Is there any change between the new album and the old album?

L: 谢谢！变化确实存在。如今我们积累了多年经验，即便录音尚未开始，我已能预见整个流程的走向与预期效果。自主录音赋予我们极大的灵活性——但最重要的是时间自由。无需支付高昂的录音室租金，让我们能从容工作而不受压力困扰。可以自由尝试各种创意，不必担心一小时后会有新客户接档。混音时也能大胆探索声音效果，不必担心工程师因超时而追加费用。所以主要变化在于，相比以往录音，我们现在感觉自由得多。例如录制专辑“Enchained by Illusions”的鼓轨时，我们仅租用录音室一天。工程师曾断言我们这种风格不可能一日完成，但弗谢沃洛德拼尽全力完成了所有录制。那次经历堪称与时间赛跑的艰辛历程，但我们最终成功了。如今我们能自主完成鼓轨录制，这正是当前阶段最重大的变革。

Thank you! Yes, there are definitely changes. We now have many years of experience, so even before recording begins, I already know how I want the process to go and what result I expect. Recording independently gives us huge flexibility — but most importantly, it gives us time. We don’t spend large amounts of money on studio rental, which allows us to work calmly without unnecessary pressure. We can experiment freely without worrying that another client will arrive in an hour. I can experiment with sound during mixing without fearing that an engineer will charge extra for studio time. So yes, the main change is that we feel much freer compared to previous recordings. For example, when we recorded drums for the album “Enchained by Illusions,” we rented a studio for just one day. The engineer told us we wouldn’t manage in a single day in our genre, but Vsevolod pushed himself to the limit and recorded everything. It was tough — a real race against time — but we did it. Now we can record drums ourselves, and at this stage, that has been the biggest change.

V: 作为一支优秀的乐队，你们参加过哪些音乐节？哪些音乐节给你们留下了深刻印象？能否介绍当时的现场氛围？2026年乐队将带来哪些全新演出？

As an excellent band, which music festivals have you participated in, which ones have left a deep impression on you, can you introduce the live atmosphere at that time, and what new performances will your band have in 2026?

L: 我们尚未有机会在大型音乐节上演出。通常我们与几支常年巡演的乐队共同登台。今年我们计划进行14座城市的巡回演出。

We haven’t had the chance to perform at major festivals yet. Mostly, we play alongside several bands with whom we regularly tour. This year, we have a 14-city tour planned.

V: 2026年乐队将承担哪些新任务，比如创作和录制新歌？能否与大家分享一些信息？

What new tasks will your band undertake in 2026, such as creating and recording new songs? Can you share some information with everyone?

L: 2026年，我们计划同时推出单曲与全新专辑。即将问世的专辑将比前作更重更凶猛，堪称一部真正黑暗而宏伟的交响乐章。

In 2026, we are planning to release both a single and a new album. Our upcoming album will be heavier and more brutal than the previous one. It will be a truly dark and monumental symphony.

V: 你们是支优秀的乐队，我将始终关注并支持你们。也希望通过这次访谈吸引更多中国乐迷关注和支持你们。访谈结束之际，你们有什么想对中国的乐迷说的吗？

You are an excellent band, and I will always pay attention to and support your band. I also hope to attract more Chinese fans to pay attention to and support your band through this interview. Do you have anything to say to Chinese fans at the end of the interview?

L: 我们非常感激我们的音乐能在贵国引起共鸣。我们期待能给中国金属乐迷留下更深刻的印象并最终能前往贵国举办现场演出。

We really appreciate that our music our music has resonated in your country. We hope to impress Chinese metal fans even more and eventually visit your country for live shows.