Location: New Jersey
Country: USA
Genre: Death/funeral doom metal
Single/video: None
Format: Digital, promotional video
Label: Profound Lore Records
Release date: September 15, 2025
Evoken has been causing a stir in the funeral death doom world since their official formation in 1994 (they were active under other names for two years prior). While their core sound has remained relatively unchanged, they continue to adhere to a successful formula while seeking to enrich the atmosphere of their music, always aiming for a heavier, more immersive and deeper experience.
After all these years, they’re adding further depth to their work with a promotional video made in collaboration with director and producer Eva Tusquets to publicize the upcoming release of their album "Mendacium" in October. Evoken's video for "None" stands out as among the most expertly crafted for an underground metal band.
When they succeeded in creating a melancholic yet approachable sound on albums like 2018’s "Hypnagogia", their upcoming release indicates them refining the heavy, disharmonious dirges for which theyr’e best recognized, amplifying the intensity and enhancing the feeling of dread when necessary. This video serves as further proof that bands can maximize their resources and deliver breathtaking visuals reflecting their mindset.
Evoken selected a setting thoughtfully chosen to reflect its theme and collaborated with an extensive professional team, complete with actors, photography directors, lighting and grip operators, set designers, special effects and makeup artists, among others. The professionals they worked with achieved significant progress in bringing their unwavering vision to film, showcasing deep and unsettling imagery that reflects the moods embodied by them and other death/funeral doom bands since the 1990s.
The single and the video are part of a narrative where a fourteenth century aged Benedictine monk undergoes a profound crisis of faith after being afflicted by illness, which confines him to his monastery cell. In the depths of his isolation, he is plagued by an entity that slips into his reality through a rift connecting his realm to the next. Could it be a demon of sorts, a reflection of his fears, or perhaps something symbolizing his yearning to escape from his confinement?
The backdrop of this narrative said to take place during the papacy of Pope Clement VI, who served as pope during the initial outbreak of the Black Death. The atmosphere, settings, lighting, and production quality of "None" all express an aspect of the afterlife where light and darkness converge, resulting in a different realm. A realm akin to purgatory.
The somber mood that "None" opens with, featuring the imagery of an abandoned church and vacant pews, along with the band enveloped in mist, gentle illumination, and shadows... these elements serve as an appropriate introduction. The atmosphere created by the candles and the gentle background lighting brought back memories of the times I attended live performances by bands of this genre.
The monk's solitude in this environment is depicted in a deep manner, yet the imagery slowly shifts to a more surreal and nightmarish quality as his internal conflicts become more evident, ultimately consuming his entire existence. All through this the video leaves the origin of the entity ambiguous, leaving it to you to decide where it came from. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
John Paradiso: Vocals, guitars
Chris Molinari: Guitars
David Wagner: Bass
Guitars Don Zaros: Keyboards
Vince Verkay: Drums
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