all photos by Eva Tusquets
(We present our Comrade Aleks’ recent interview with John Paradiso, vocalist/guitarist of the long-running U.S. funeral doom band Evoken, whose first new album in seven years [reviewed here] will be released tomorrow by Profound Lore Records.)
While funereal death-doom has never been (and never will be) a popular genre, there are bands that know how to squeeze the most out of its dry rulebook and present their vision creatively and with a spark. American pioneers of this genre, Evoken, are generally considered to have formed in 1994, although the band had existed under other names since 1992. Of that original lineup, only two remain in Evoken today: Vince Verkay (drums) and John Paradiso (vocals, guitar). However, the rest of the band are no newcomers either: Don Zaros (keyboards), David Wagner (bass), and Chris Molinari (guitar) have been elevating this slow and agonizing funeral doom to the level of true art for over fifteen years.
I respected Evoken, albeit not fanatically, but their latest full-length Mendacium resonated with me, reflecting a lot of things happening in the world right now. And objectively, this moderately original, distinctive, and mature album is interesting not only from an artistic perspective, but also as a metaphor for a deeply ill world. A world in which we still live.
Hail Evoken! How are you? Who’s online today?
Hello, I’m John Paradiso, guitarist and vocalist for Evoken and I’m doing quite well, thanks for asking.
First of all, I’m not sure how we shall count it – since Funereus’ foundation or since you renamed that band Evoken, but in the second case you had the band’s 30th anniversary in 2024. Accept my congratulations anyway, and how was it? Did you spend the date?
Thank you very much. It was just an ordinary day for us. We were all well aware of the date but we were probably busy dealing with life on that day.
Okay, but did the media or your colleagues from other bands congratulate you? After all, Evoken is the most ancient funeral doom band in the States, even if it’s a niche genre.
No, and now that I think about it, it really doesn’t matter to me either way. We have always been a band that was never popular amongst most of the metal community.
It’s not something unusual, but there’s a seven-year gap between Hypnagogia and Mendacium. How did you spend this period?
We started writing Mendacium soon after Hypnagogia but as you know, that’s when the world shut down. Covid made it very hard to get the band together to work on songs. It did give me plenty of time to come up with ideas so I guess it worked out in that regard. Vince and I did jam most of the time even though we were missing the other guys. We created much of the core of the material in those jam sessions. We all dealt with a lot of personal loss during that time and the new record is a result of that as far as the music goes.
Did you revalue the role of Evoken in your life during the pandemic? Did you think back then that it’s better to focus on your relatives, on your own life after all?
Evoken has been part of my life for a long time so I never questioned continuing when Covid hit. I did take care of my family and was careful not to put the other members of Evoken at risk unnecessarily.
How do you start the work on new material? Was it like one day some of you called to arms with others, finding new ideas for songs?
The riffs just started pouring out of me. I did intentionally set out to go back to our original style. I wanted to get back to being much darker. The production was also something that I didn’t want to compromise on either. I felt like we needed to get back to our darker, more sinister side.
Well, do you feel that this darkness has the same roots as it was back in the ’90s? You know like… different things drive people to anger, to frustration, or whatever, in a different age.
There’s always something to be angry about. I still live in New Jersey so there is that. I will always love to create for the darker side of life because that’s what intrigues me the most in music, film, and literature.
I don’t remember, or rather I never thought, that some of your albums have a concept, and now officially Mendacium has it. Even the songs’ titles are named after daily church liturgies. What drove you to choose a story like that for the album? How was this plot born?
We are very fortunate to have a literary mastermind on drums. While we all take part in writing and composing the music, it sets something in motion in Vince’s mind. It feels like a gift when he reveals his ideas.
Was Vince partly influenced by the COVID experience? Or was it just a fictional plot?
I don’t know for sure. He would have to handle this question.
Listening to the album, I was surprised that after all these years you found a way to add something new to your formula. Mendacium is diverse as far as the genre allows, and some new textures (whatever that means) are charming in their own twisted way. Was it a challenge to make a step further and update Evoken’s sound?
I think the most difficult part is not repeating yourself 100%. Of course, you want what makes Evoken present in the songwriting but with a surprise or a return to a very early period of the band’s sound. I know for the most part we have stayed very locked into our style but the last record was a bit too “uplifting” for my taste.
Did you have an idea of some changes from the start? I mean that, from aside it looks like quite a difficult task to make yourself stay focused and try to compose something different yet recognizable? What kind of parts of Hypnagogia did you want to get rid of?
It’s definitely a challenge not to write the same riff twice. The best part about playing this style of music is that we can go in so many directions without feeling like we’re headed in the wrong one. Right from the start we incorporated doom, black, death, and goth. As far as Hypnagogia goes, I’m really proud of that record, even the melodic singing part.
I would define two types of funeral doom bands, taking into account subjective perceptions of their music and lyrics. For example, Skepticism and early Monolithe are about some grim yet triumphant energy; they’re triumphant, and yet they’re neutral to some degree, if we speak about emotions. On the other hand, there are bands with quite a negative, oppressive vibe that channel the stream of inner disturbance or suffering outside. Do you see Evoken at some of these sides? Or do you feel it another way?
Evoken to me is total audio devastation with hints of hope and beauty thrown in simply to intensify the desolation.
I never thought about that, but listening to Mendacium, I caught myself thinking that some of your songs have a black metal touch, concept-wise: they’re hostile, they’re intensive, more hostile and intensive than we may expect from a funeral doom band. You know, it’s something spiritual in some way… Did your personal preferences regarding music change with age? Is there any place for black metal in your playlist?
We’ve always included black metal elements into our songs. I would say even more dark metal (Bethlehem) style. RIP Jurgen. That’s where we pull that cold atmosphere from. There’s plenty of Dark Goth worship as well, especially Dead Can Dance.
Speaking about influences, Evoken took part in a Thergothon tribute years ago. Was it your main gateway to the magic world of doom? Which bands did you dig back in the early ’90s? Was it mainly the European scene or were bands like Trouble and Dream Death among these names?
Thergothon was the slowest recording I’ve ever heard to this day! Absolutely devastating. Of course, the big Three — Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Anathema. Winter and Disembowelment are the biggest influences on me personally.
How much time did you spend at the studio working on Mendacium? Did you record the album at Sound Spa Studios?
This time around we were fortunate enough to be able to work with Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal once again. We love Sound Spa, but like I said before, we made a conscious decision to go back to the early recordings and capture that vibe once again. I would say Mendacium was one of the easiest records we have ever made. This was all due to Ron being an amazing engineer and producer. He just knows us so well that we weren’t even present during the mixing. We were done tracking the record and a few days later Ron had a mastered mix that blew us all away.
By the way, how easy was it to organize all the sessions? Are all of you still living in New Jersey or did some members relocate to other places?
It was a very trying time because of Covid. For most of the time it was just Vince and I since we only live a few miles from each other. So to say it was difficult is an understatement. The other guys are either further out in New Jersey, or in New York.
I remember that back in the ’00s Evoken did a lot of interviews, at the same time as Atra Mors (2012) opened more opportunities to play live for the band. How would you value your position nowadays? Do you feel that people still watch for news from your side? How do you see Evoken’s status today?
We have been quiet for years now, so when we release a new record we do receive lots of attention. As long as we deliver a great record, we still feel relevant.
You shared the Maryland Death Fest stage with Mournful Congregation, Shape of Despair, and Skepticism in May. Do events like that still satisfy you? Do they grant some motivation to move on?
That show was amazing; it was incredible for us to be sharing the bill with all those legends. After 30-plus years, shows like this make all the hard work worth it.
Do you feel yourself natural and comfortable on stage after such long breaks? Do you need some special preparations besides rehearsals?
The only thing I feel like I need is to rehearse, but when I get onstage it feels like I belong there.
How do you see the band’s prospects regarding live gigs in 2025/2026? How many do you have in your list?
We have a show in Mexico City this March and are planning a European tour for Summer 2026.
Will you prepare some merch to have with you? How do you perceive this part of metal culture today? Are t-shirts and patches remaining important attributes for folk still?
Absolutely! Merch is just as important as the music in my opinion. Giving the fans something to buy and take home from a live show will never be replaced.
Do you prefer to take part in bigger festivals, or do solo gigs count as well? How easy is it to organize a mini-tour for Evoken today?
There is nothing like playing a well-organized festival. We get treated like rock stars! We are fortunate enough to work with Jose (Doomed Events) over in Europe. He makes it look easy even though I know it’s a ton of work. The small shows are cool as well but nothing compares to the serious festivals.
I found that you took part in Alejandro Sabransky’s project Funeris, as you recorded additional vocals for his album Through Callous Time (2021).
That was really special. I really enjoy Alejandro’s work and to growl over those riffs was awesome.
Thanks for the interview, it’s much appreciated. I hope people will find time to digest and enjoy Mendacium, it’s worth it. Did we skip something important by the way?
Thank you for having me and we will see you on the road.
https://linktr.ee/evokenmendacium
https://evokenofficial.bandcamp.com/album/mendacium
https://www.evokendoom.net/
https://www.facebook.com/evokenhell/
https://www.instagram.com/evoken_doom_official/