噬湖 (SHIHU) is a folk metal act whose inspiration comes from classic Chinese literature, most notably with their full-length album 茫茫集 which draws inspiration from Dream of the Red Chamber.
The band was founded in 2017 in Dalian, China by the band’s main creator, 刘天啸 (Liu Tianxiao), who was then an architecture student at Dalian University of Technology. By 2019, the band released their first EP, 曲水流殇 (Melancholy of the Flowing Waters), with Tianxiao handling all songwriting and composition, establishing SHIHU’s signature folk-infused melodic metal style. Tianxiao then went to the U.K. to pursue his master’s degree at UCL, while other members also faced changes in work and studies, leading to a temporary hiatus. During this period, Tianxiao completed most of the compositions for a new album.
The band then regrouped in Beijing in 2022, gradually solidifying its lineup and preparing for the new album and in 2023, SHIHU officially released its first full-length album, 茫茫集 (White Poetry, and embarked on a 14-city tour across northern China, gaining a dedicated following. From 2024 to the present, the band has remained active on major rock and metal stages across China, earning widespread acclaim for both its songwriting and stage presence.
What is the true English translation of the band name? It comes out as Devouring Lake or Eat the Lake？
Chenivs Zhang (guitar): Yes, “The Devouring Lake” could be a possible English translation of 噬湖. However, due to the strong cultural significance embedded in our music, we have officially chosen “SHIHU”—the direct pinyin transliteration of 噬湖——as our band’s English name.
- Name Origin: A Tribute to Chinese Classical Literature
The name “噬湖”（SHIHU) is inspired by a famous passage from the Northern Song Dynasty’s literary masterpiece 岳阳楼记（Yueyang Tower Essay）by 范仲淹（Fan Zhongyan）:
“I observe the splendid scenery of Baling, centered around Dongting Lake. The lake embraces distant mountains and engulfs the Yangtze River. Vast and expansive, it stretches endlessly. From morning’s glow to evening’s shade, its appearance changes in myriad ways.”
This passage captures the ever-changing magnificence of Dongting Lake, portraying it as a powerful, all-encompassing force—a lake that devours mountains, rivers, time, and space. From this imagery, we derived the name SHIHU, which can be loosely interpreted as “The Devouring Lake” or “Lake the Devourer.”
However, rather than relying on direct translation, we chose 噬湖（SHIHU）as a unique and abstract term—one that preserves the poetic depth and philosophical meaning of its Chinese origin.
- Visual Identity: The Ouroboros Connection
In our latest visual design upgrade, we drew inspiration from ancient Shang Dynasty jade craftsmanship, incorporating a common motif:
A jade dragon biting its own tail, forming a continuous ring.
This imagery, deeply rooted in Chinese culture, also parallels the Ouroboros symbol in Western philosophy—both representing eternity, self-renewal, and the cyclical nature of existence.
Thus, one could interpret 噬湖（SHIHU) as an Ouroboros Lake symbolizing the endless transformation of nature and sound. But ultimately, 噬湖（SHIHU) stands as a name beyond direct translation—fusing the essence of East and West into a singular, evocative identity.
In speaking with members of Human Instrumentality Project, who take their inspiration from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, they stated that why not take cues from different types of literature or media. I agree, as there is lots to explore aside from the usual subjects. Dream of the Red Chamber was your inspiration for 茫茫集. What drew you into this story?
We have always believed that metal is a serious form of music.
From a musical perspective, metal is highly inclusive, capable of blending a wide range of instruments and their unique timbres. In terms of themes, its creative scope is vast, encompassing but not limited to religion, epics, history, and mythology. It has the capacity to convey everything romantic, sorrowful, or sublime.
Because of this, metal bands around the world have developed distinctive localized expressions, and Chinese metal bands are no exception. Among the pioneers of localized Chinese metal, many have focused on themes such as war, history, and poetry, often incorporating brutal and blood-soaked imagery. However, classical literary masterpieces have remained largely absent from Chinese metal, and we believe there is a need to explore and contribute in this area.
With this in mind, we chose Dream of the Red Chamber as the central theme of our album. The profound tragedy of this work naturally aligns with the seriousness of metal, making it an ideal creative foundation.
Following the chronological progression of the original novel, we selected nine representative stories and composed them into songs, ultimately shaping our debut full-length concept album—茫茫集 (White Poetry).
It is one of the four classic Chinese novels. Would you consider doing concept albums on the other three?
Yes, we are very likely to continue developing works based on classic literature, and we may also carry forward the stylistic tone of Dream of the Red Chamber, focusing on the output of classical tragedy-themed content.
By the way, it’s too early to make a final decision, and before our next album is released, we’d like to keep a bit of mystery.
Could you describe the aesthetic of the live show and what some of the things represent (the red cloak, the choices for accompanying videos)?
Since our music is based on classic literary masterpieces, our songs have a strong narrative quality. To provide the audience with an immersive concert experience, we have devoted great effort to stage design.
For costume styling, the lead vocalist, as the sole visual focal point, adopts the most elaborate and ornate attire. The choice of a red robe aligns with the image of Jia Baoyu, as some songs, such as 叹晴雯 (Lament for Qingwen) , are expressed from his first-person perspective. Meanwhile, the VJ visuals interact with the lead vocalist’s appearance, enhancing the overall performance impact.
In the VJ design, we reinterpreted Dream of the Red Chamber illustrations created by our collaborating artist AA through deconstruction and recomposition, incorporating positive and negative space to create a visual frame that evokes elements of theater curtains, round fans, and moon gates. When paired with film clips from Dream of the Red Chamber, the visuals resemble a theatrical stage; when displaying lyrics, they appear as inscriptions on a round fan; and during scene transitions, the moon gate effect creates a layered spatial progression, making the visual storytelling more fluid.
Additionally, each song features a unique frame color corresponding to its character theme to enhance the atmospheric immersion—大出殡(The Grand Funeral) is set in cool tones, 省亲曲 (The Reunion Song) in warm hues, while 叹晴雯 (Lament for Qingwen) reflects Qingwen’s attire. By adjusting colors according to each character’s temperament and emotional tone, we enrich the visual presentation, ensuring depth, ornamentation, and functionality.
I still believe that Chinese folk-infused metal feels the most authentically Chinese. It could be the infusion of traditional instruments clashing with modern ones, which feels like China at times—ancient and modern working together in symbiosis. What do you think ?
We deeply resonate with this. It’s not just the clash of traditional and modern sounds but also the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures.
I have a prediction: In the cultural industry, we will see more and more products and landscapes that blend Eastern and Western influences—using Western, modern media as a vessel to express the core ideas of Eastern, traditional culture. This is truly fascinating. Take the success of domestic productions like Black Myth: Wukong and Ne Zha, for example; they prove this point.
For SHIHU, focusing on ethnic culture and traditional music, is not only our passion but also our opportunity.
I saw the video of the band doing recordings in the studio. This aspect of Chinese bands has always been a mystery to me. Where do you record/practice ?
Yes, the recording process is both fascinating and engaging.
For electric instruments like guitar and bass, recording can be fully accomplished in a home studio. However, traditional Chinese instruments require a more professional recording environment. We recorded all of our traditional instrument parts at Youmu Music’s studio in Beijing, which frequently handles such recordings and perfectly suited our needs. Our producer Yang Jiaoyang also provided highly professional recording support.
We’ve been to almost every rehearsal studio in Beijing, and the two we visit most frequently are Jam Music Studio and 330 Music Studio.
You are part of Infected Blood Records out of Inner Mongolia. What can you say about this label ?
Infected Blood Records helped us produce the physical release of 茫茫集 (White Poetry) and handled its online sales. Their way of collaborating with bands has been very accommodating for us. Before this, we had no knowledge of the record industry, but now we are familiar with the entire process. Here, we would like to extend our special thanks to Infected Blood’s founder, 毁怜 (Hui Lian).
What’s rare is that we are a band with independent design capabilities. Now that we understand the record production process, we will take an even more independent approach to the design and production of our future albums.
Recently you performed a few shows in Beijing as well as Sanya and Baoding. I have been to Sanya but did not attend a show there. How did you find it as a band?
We were all looking forward to the show in Sanya, but unfortunately, due to weather conditions and some venue-related issues, the performance had to be canceled. We had put a lot of effort into preparing for this show, particularly in designing a brand-new stage visual specifically for the venue’s massive irregularly shaped screen.
That said, after updating our stage visuals, the performances in Beijing and Baoding turned out fantastic. Both the experience on stage and the audience’s response exceeded our expectations.
Where would you like to perform in the future?
We hope to progress steadily, step by step, and first reach bigger stages within China.
At the same time, we eagerly look forward to the opportunity to go beyond borders, standing before audiences of different skin colors and eyes, bringing unique Chinese stories and traditional sounds to the world.
Photos courtesy of SHIHU
