衰败的文明社会 - 美国Black/Death Metal乐队Misanthropik Torment专访

Volcano Magazine
22 minutes ago
15 min read

Misanthropik Torment的主创 Erik Leviathan 拥有一段极具争议且震撼的人生轨迹，十六年铁窗岁月，见证人性崩塌与体制压迫，他在囚笼之中写下大量遗书与歌词手稿。出狱后，他以单人企划的形式组建乐队，把牢狱之中积压多年的不公，彻底转化为独一无二的极端音乐表达。

（V: 代表笔者 E: 代表Erick Draven）

Erik Leviathan, the mastermind behind Misanthropik Torment, has lived an extraordinarily controversial and staggering life. Spending sixteen years behind bars, he witnessed the collapse of human nature and systemic oppression firsthand, penning numerous suicide notes and lyrical manuscripts during his incarceration. Following his release from prison, he founded this oneman musical project, channeling years of pentup resentment and injustice endured in confinement into a singular, unparalleled form of extreme musical expression.

(V: represents the author; E: represents the Erick Draven)

采访对象：Erick Draven（Misanthropik Torment乐队创始人）

采访时间：2026.08.24

V: 你曾放弃Haunted这个名字，因为撞了Six Feet Under专辑，选择Misanthropik Torment作为乐队名字出于什么考量？有什么深意？

You abandoned the name Haunted because it coincided with an album title of Six Feet Under. What considerations led you to settle on Misanthropik Torment, and what profound meaning lies behind this name?

E: 哇，你从一开始就关注我了啊，我好久没提“Haunted”这个名字了。我喜欢这个名字。谢谢你这么细心。是的，最初“Misanthropik Torment”确实打算叫“Haunted”，因为我的故事让我感觉自己从出生那天起就被某种东西缠身。但是“Haunted”这个名字已经被很多人用了，所以我不得不认真思考一下。于是，我开始思考我在这世上的经历是如何塑造我的。“Misanthropy”（厌世）这个词浮现在我的脑海里，因为我对人类的现状确实深恶痛绝，但我并非只有仇恨。至少我的本性并非如此，我被塑造成了一个充满仇恨的人，但我心中仍然怀有悔恨和爱，因此我被自己的仇恨所折磨。于是，“Misanthropik Torment”就此诞生。

Wow, you have been following since the beginning huh, I haven’t spoken of the name Haunted for a very long time. I like that. Thank you for your attention to detail. Yes, at first Misanthropik Torment was going to be called Haunted because of my story I feel as though from the day I was born that I have been haunted. However The name Haunted has been taken by so many, I had to think a little deeper. So, I thought about how my experiences in this world had shaped me. The word Misanthropy came to mind because I do have an extreme hatred for what humanity has become, however I am not all hate. Not by my original nature anyway I was molded into a hateful thing, yet I still carry remorse and love in my heart therefore I am tormented by my own hatred. Thus, Misanthopik Torment was born.

V: 你把自己定义为“被人性病态催生的厌世者”，如果没有这次入狱经历，你认为如今的你，还会诞生Misanthropik Torment这个项目吗？

You describe yourself as a misanthrope forged by the sickness inherent in humanity. Do you believe you would ever have created the Misanthropik Torment project if you had never served your prison sentence?

E: 如果我的人生轨迹有所不同，我不确定Misanthropik Torment这个项目是否还会存在。但我从五岁起就热爱音乐，所以这个项目肯定会存在，因为我骨子里是个艺术家，音乐是我生命中的动力。主题也会有所不同，而这个世界已经够糟糕了，我总能找到一些值得我愤怒的东西，所以，是的，这个项目肯定会存在。

If my life had somehow turned out differently, I am not sure if Misanthropik Torment would exist however I have loved music since the age of 5 so a project would exist because I am an artist at my core music is the driving force behind my eyes. The topic would be different, and the world is just fucked up enough for me to find something worthy of raging about so yeah something would exist.

V: 你16年监狱服刑期间，就动笔写下了Misanthropik Torment最早一批歌词底稿，是否最开始在狱中动笔写下歌词的时候就已经埋下了组建极端金属乐队的想法？"Suicide Notes"整张专辑歌词原型，都是你当年在狱中写下的自杀遗书。十多年过去了，把这些带着死亡念头的遗书，改编成金属歌词对外发表，完成这场转化的那一刻，你内心是完成了和解，还是依旧在借音乐宣泄当年的绝望？

You drafted the earliest lyrics for Misanthropik Torment during your 16 years of incarceration. When you first started writing lyrics in prison, did you already harbour the idea of forming an extreme metal band? The entire lyrical content of Suicide Notes originates from the suicide notes you wrote behind bars. More than a decade later, you’ve adapted these deathintentioned writings into metal lyrics and released them to the public. At the moment you finished this transformation, did you achieve reconciliation with your trauma, or are you still venting the despair you endured back then through music?

E: 是的，我的大部分歌词都是在监狱里写的。说来也怪，我当时根本没想过自己能活着出来。这些歌就像是写给我在乎的人的信，也是我的遗书。我当时迷失了方向，孤独无助，心力交瘁。我当时还得在地狱里待上十年。说实话，我以为我会死在那里。重获自由后，我花了将近十年才回到现实，意识到我已经不在人世了。

是的，制作这张名为"遗书：最终章"的专辑对我来说是一次非常彻底的宣泄。录制过程痛苦不堪，我哭得像个娘们儿。但完成后，我感到如释重负。痛苦依然存在，它将永远存在，它是我的一部分。然而，通过音乐，我现在能够以积极的方式疗愈我的创伤，而以前我根本无法承受。所以，我猜想“厌世者的折磨”乐队还会创作更多关于创伤疗愈的作品。我写下我的感受，写下我眼中的世界，我永远不会词穷，哈哈。

Yes, most of my lyrics were written while I was in prison. The funny thing is I did not expect to get out alive. These songs were letters and suicide notes to people whom I cared about. I was lost alone and broken. There I was with a decade to serve in hell. I honestly thought that was where I would die. It took me almost a decade after being in the free world to come back to reality and realize that I was no longer there.

Yes Making this album Suicide Notes The Final Chapter was a very cathartic release. It hurt like hell and I cried like a little bitch the whole-time recording. But after it was finished, I felt a release. The pain is still there, it will always be there it is apart of who I am, however, through this music I am able to now deal with my trauma in productive healing ways whereas before I was not ok at all. So, I assume that there will be more from Misanthropik Torment regarding healing from Trauma. I write how I feel and how I see the world I will never run out of things to say ha ha.

V: 你如何接触到极端金属这种风格的？你平常喜欢听哪些乐队的作品？哪些乐队在音乐方面启发了你的创作？

How did you first get exposed to extreme metal? Which bands do you regularly listen to, and which musical acts have inspired your creative process?

E: 如果要我称之为极端乐队的话，我接触的第一支极端乐队是 Slayer，大概是1992年或1993年。那时候我还是个孩子。我一个比我大的朋友放了"Hell Awaits"这首歌，把我吓得魂飞魄散，哈哈。我从小在基督教家庭长大，所以自然很害怕听了这首歌会下地狱。但我很喜欢这首歌，Slayer也因此成了我最喜欢的乐队之一，之后我又听了Cannibal Corpse、Deicide、Death以及所有我们今天都喜欢的伟大乐队。不过我并不只听金属乐，我几乎什么都听。

So my first extreme band if you want to call them extreme, Was Slayer back in 1992 or 93. I was just a kid. One of my older friends had scared the shit out of me with Hell Awaits ha ha, I was raised in a Christian home so naturally I was afraid I was going to burn in hell for hearing it. But I loved it so Slayer became one of my favorite bands and followed was Cannibal Corpse Deicide Death and all the greats that we all love today. I do not only listen to metal though. I like almost everything.

V: Misanthropik Torment你最满意的一张作品是什么？Misanthropik Torment发行的专辑风格多变，黑死，老派死亡金属，工业金属都有所涉及，为什么选择这种风格多元化的创作模式？外界统一将你的曲风归类为黑化死亡金属，你本人是否认可这个标签？

Which release of Misanthropik Torment is your personal favourite? Your discography spans multiple stylistic directions, including blackened death metal, oldschool death metal and industrial metal. Why do you adopt such a stylistically diverse creative approach? The mainstream metal scene categorises your sound as blackened death metal; do you personally agree with this label?

E: 目前我最喜欢的专辑是"Purification"和"Tweaker Lakes Welcome To The Nightmare"以及"Suicide Notes"，难以取舍。制作这些专辑都耗费了我大量心血。我认为它们最能真实地展现我的内心世界。

不，我不同意。Misanthropik Torment融合了所有金属乐的元素，不仅仅是黑化死亡金属。不过，如果他们非要这么定义，那就随他们便吧。说实话，我并不喜欢金属乐的各种子流派和标签。对我来说，金属就是金属，只要好听，我就会听。我不喜欢这种划分。我喜欢尝试金属摇滚、工业甚至说唱等风格，因为这些都是我常听的音乐类型。如果我的嗓音能够驾驭我喜欢的风格，我就想尝试。我也会不断尝试不同的风格，用新鲜的东西来吸引我的听众，而不是把同一张专辑用不同的方式重复20遍。

At the moment My favorite release is a tossup between Purification and Tweaker Lakes Welcome To The Nightmare and Suicide Notes. All these albums took a lot out of me to make. I think they are the most truthful albums as to who I am as a person.

No I do not agree. Misanthropik Torment has elements of all metal not just Blackened Death but hey if that’s how they label it whatever, I myself, I honestly dislike all the subgenres and labels for Metal. To me Metal is metal and if it sounds good, I will listen to it. I do not like the categorization of division. I like to dive into styles of Metal Rock and industrial even some Rap because these are all styles that I listen to and if my vocals can do a style I like I want to do it. I also mix things up to keep my audience entertained with something new, not the same album written differently 20 times over.

V: "Make Assassinations Great Again"刻意在总统就职日发行，极易被大众误读为教唆暴力，为何选择如此直白的表达？之后Misanthropik Torment的创作主题会更多围绕自身内在，还是社会批判？

You released Make Assassinations Great Again on Presidential Inauguration Day, a choice that leaves your work vulnerable to misinterpretation as an incitement to violence. Why did you opt for such blunt, unvarnished expression? For future creations, will you focus more on your inner trauma, or maintain your social critique orientation?

E: "让暗杀再次伟大"这张专辑被严重误解了，哈哈。不过它卖出了超过500张，所以我觉得我在市场营销方面做得还不错。

这个世界比以往任何时候都更加颠倒，在我看来，这是因为我们的政治体制已经崩溃。这张专辑并非号召暴力。如果你仔细看专辑封面，你会发现上面有很多我认为对世界有害的政客。这些人中有些思想和政策过时，有些则犯下了种族灭绝和反人类罪行。我自己也不明白为什么有人能逍遥法外，所以我决定通过这张专辑来引起人们对这些问题的关注。然而，这张专辑却让我上了国内恐怖分子监视名单，还引来了特勤局的人员到我家，所以我可能要暂时远离政治，专心疗愈我生活中的种种混乱。说实话，我觉得没必要再出一张政治专辑了。"让暗杀再次伟大"已经完成了它的使命，它想表达的都表达出来了。何必一遍遍重复同样的信息呢？我们需要新的视角来解决问题。不过，我只不过是个普通人，和其他人一样，有自己的看法而已。而且似乎也没人关心。所以，管他呢，坐下来，看着世界毁灭，然后笑着离开吧。

Make Assassinations Great Again was a highly misunderstood album ha ha. But it sold over 500 records, so I believe I did something right as far as marketing goes.

The world is upside down more than it ever has been, and, in my opinion, it is because of our political systems that have been broken. The album was not a call to violence. If you notice on the cover of the album there are many politicians whom I believe to be detriment to our world. Some of these people have outdated ideas and policies some of these people are causing mass genocide and committing crimes against mankind. I myself have no idea how anyone is getting away with these things so I figured I would bring some attention to these issues with that album. However, it landed me on a domestic terrorist watch list and brought the secret service to my house so I may shy away from politics for a while and just focus on healing from the chaos of my life. I honestly do not see the need for another political album anyway Make Assassinations Great Again did its job, it says what it needs to say. Why keep repeating the same message. We need fresh eyes to fix the problem. However, I am just some dude with an opinion like everyone else. And no one seems to care anyway. So fuck it sit back watch the world burn and have some laughs on the way out.

V: 你坚持自建厂牌全程自主运营，不签约传统唱片公司出于什么原因？在自主运营厂牌时有没有遇到哪些困难？

You run your own independent label and manage everything inhouse, refusing to sign with major traditional record labels. What core reasons stand behind this decision? What hardships have you encountered while running your own independent label?

E: 经营唱片公司其实并不难。难的是和经验不足的乐队合作。每个人都想成为摇滚明星，直到真正开始做摇滚明星该做的事。专辑发行、巡演安排，甚至演出，背后都有很多事情需要处理。我对所有想把音乐作为职业的乐队的建议是：一定要学习音乐行业的运作。你的乐队就是一个生意，需要像对待生意一样对待。乐队会让你花钱，但它也应该为你赚钱，而这正是很多乐队失败的地方。

我选择保持独立运营，这样我才能完全掌控我的项目。我想发行什么就发行什么，想怎么做就怎么做，想什么时候发行就什么时候发行。我在业内拥有所有必要的人脉，所以我不需要唱片公司来告诉我什么能发行什么不能发行，也不需要唱片公司来抽取我的收入分成，更不需要唱片公司来拥有我的音乐版权。这些都不是我想要的。我的公司也不会这样对待我们的艺人。我的公司非常注重艺人利益，一切都以艺人为本。一月份，我将推出 Leviathan Entertainment。（请参阅附件传单）

Running a record label is not that difficult. What is difficult is working with inexperienced bands. Everyone wants to be a rock star until its time to go do rock star work. There are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes for an album release or to book a tour or even a show. My advice to any band out there is to learn the music business if you are trying to make this a career. You band is a business and needs to be treated as such. Your band will cost you money however it should also make you money and that is where a lot of bands fall short.

I choose to remain my own entity so that I have total control over my project. I release what I want, how I want and when I want. I have all the connections in the industry I need so I do not need a label telling me what I can and cannot release or take percentages of my earnings or owning my music. That’s not something I want. That is also something that my company does not do to our artists. My company is very artist friendly by the artist for the artist. In January I will be launching Leviathan Entertainment. (Please see flyer attached)

V: 极端金属长期背负煽动暴力、消极反社会的负面标签，你如何清晰界定艺术创作表达与现实违法暴力行为的边界？

Extreme metal has long been stereotyped as music that incites violence and promotes anti-social mindsets. How do you draw a clear dividing line between artistic expression in your music and illegal violent conduct in real life?

E: 我的网站上写明了，这些音乐仅供娱乐。我明确表示，任何人都不应该模仿我在歌里唱的那些事。毕竟，这些歌只是我根据自身经历创作的一个虚构人物的故事或想法。我无法控制任何人的选择，我不是榜样，事实上，我就是反面教材。所以，就像我的歌一样，千万别照着唱的做，哈哈。

On My site it states that this music is made for entertainment purposes only. I make it clear that no one should do the things I talk about in my music. After all these songs are just stories or thoughts from a fictional character that I created based off of my life story. I can not control what anyone chooses to do I am not a role model in fact I am the poster child for what not to do with your life. So Like the music, just don’t do what it says ha ha.

V: 收录在"Ecdysis"中的"Master and Slave"让我印象深刻，你认为普通人挣脱系统性奴役最现实的方式是什么？

Master and Slave, featured on your album Ecdysis, left a deep impression on me. In your opinion, what is the most realistic way for ordinary people to break free from systemic enslavement and oppression?

E: 我无法回答这个问题，因为我的答案和我刚才在第8题中的回答完全矛盾。哈哈

I can not answer this question because my answer contradicts everything I just said on question 8. Ha ha

V: 后续乐队有什么新的计划会展开？听说你有在写自传，可以先介绍一下吗？

What new plans do you have for Misanthropik Torment going forward? We’ve heard you are writing an autobiography. Could you give us a brief introduction about this book project?

E: 是的，我写这本书"我的精神病演变史"已经快五年了。这本书深入细致地描述了我的童年，塑造我、摧毁我的种种经历。它详细记录了导致我精神崩溃的种种事件。书中也谈到了我的成瘾问题、如何克服成瘾、失败的感情经历、精神、身体和性虐待、监狱生活——这就是我的人生。这本书既是对了解我的人的一种补偿，也是对我自身的一种疗愈。当这些故事被讲述出来之后，痛苦也会减轻很多。

Yes, I have been working on this book The Evolution Of My Psychosis for almost 5 years now. The book is a deep in-depth description of my childhood, the things that shaped me, the things that broke me. It is the detailed events that have led to my personal crazy. The book also goes into my addictions and overcoming said addictions failed relationships, mental and physical and sexual abuse, prison it’s my life. Its an expiation to those who know me as to why I am the way I am. It is also so I can heal. Once the story is told it no longer hurts as much.

V: 非常有幸能采访到Erik Leviathan！我非常敬佩你的精神，同样Misanthropik Torment的歌曲也给我留下了深刻印象。希望这个世界能充满正义与和平，也希望通过本次采访能让更多人听到Erik Leviathan的声音与故事。最后有什么想对读者说的话吗？

It’s my great honor to interview you, Erik Leviathan. I hold deep respect for your spiritual outlook, and the music of Misanthropik Torment has left an unforgettable impression on me. I sincerely hope the world can be filled with justice and peace, and wish this interview can let more audiences hear your voice and life story. Do you have any parting words for our readers?

E: 谢谢您。非常感谢您的鼓励。我也很感激您的提问，这些都是很实际的问题，不像其他面试官那样泛泛而谈。非常感谢您抽出时间提出这些有意义的问题。

临别赠言：是的，如果您正在经历创伤或成瘾或者两者兼有，黑暗中依然有光明。您并没有破碎，您并不孤单。您的人生不必如此。如果您找不到人倾诉，可以随时拨打我的电话，我们会尽力为您提供所需的帮助。放下一切，拿起电话。这可能是您余生的开始。我的电话号码是 859 693 1097。

谢谢您，埃里克·莱维坦

Thank you for that. I greatly appreciate your kind words. I also appreciate your questions they are real questions not generic like so many other interviewers. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to ask real questions.

Parting words. Yes There is light in the darkness if you are enduring trauma or addictions or both. You are not broken you are not alone. This does not have to be your life. If you have no one to talk to you can call my phone at anytime and we will see if we can get you the help you need. Put it all down and pick up the phone. This can be the first day of the rest of your life. My number is 859 693 1097.

Thank you Erik Leviathan