Yep. That logo says Evoken. Perhaps one of the finest doom metal bands to ever grace the planet, Evoken have reached unmatched levels of heaviness with their debut album, Embrace the Emptiness. This is doom metal unlike most other doom metal bands. Evoken are as brutal as they are depressive and that is what sets them apart from their peers. Read on for some insight into this incredible band.

Al Kikuras and Vince from Evoken shoot the breeze for a bit in the begining about porn and other fine arts. To skip over the BS and jump straight to the hardcore music questions, click here.

Interviewed by Al Kikuras. All pics courtesy of the Offical Evoken Web Site

A: Hey!

V: Hey how are you?

A: Good!

V: Cool... I'm a bit under the fuckin' weather today.

A: Sick?

V: I hate these quick climate changes.

A: I'm sorry to hear that.... is it hayfever or something?

V: Yeah, slight hayfever. How's the zine coming along?

A: Good! We're getting a lot of traffic! We just added a new porn interview and I am going to update our free XXX gallery before the weekend.

V: Ah... I'm going to a porn convention here next week.

A: Which one?

V: I just heard about it. It's in Secaucus for three days.

A: Ever go to the East Coast Video Show?

V: No I haven't. How is it?

A: ECVS is an annual thing in Atlantic City. HIGHLY recommended... LOADS of porn stars!!

V: When is it? I would love to go!

A: It was in Oct last year. Or was it Nov? One of the two. SO MANY porn stars! So much T&A everywhere!

V: My keyboard player gets the really funny pornos with chickens and Japanese girls getting shit thrown at them.

A: Yeah, we get some ones with fisting and guys taking fists up their ass and she-males and stuff like that.

V: I just saw one with a midget dressed as an elf..I pissed myself.

This is Vince. He's playing the drums and wearing a black shirt.

A: Anyway, shall we do the interview?

V: Let us. Fire at will.

A: First question: If I cancelled the interview again, would you have egged my house?

V: Well, if your door was open with a screen in it, yeah I guess.

A: How and when did Evoken form?

V: Well, Evoken came about in late '91 with Nick and Rob, our old guitar player. I joined in '92 with Nick asking me if I would mind helping him out. Members came and went by the wayside until the line-up which is now, was completed in '95.

A: Were any of the members in other bands before Evoken?

V: Hmmm... Nick was in a band called Putrifact, John was in a band called Section 8, among others, Steve was in a band called Inner Conflict, Dario was in Infester, and I was in Body of Christ, so we all were in several bands.

A: Are any of you still in other bands?

V: I know Nick is trying to do a death metal band with a couple of other guys, plus he is trying to do a 60's stoner doom-type band. The rest of us just pretty much stick with only Evoken. We all work and it's hard to form or join other bands. Myself, I would love to do something with a symphony, form my own but that's very far fetched, I would say.

A: Symphony! Are you talking straight classical compositions or a traditional metal band with a symphony?

V: Well, I'm not a big classical buff, I work for a performing arts center, but I would like to see what Evoken would sound in a classical arrangement. So, I guess you can say a little of both.

A: While on the topic of other music... do you listen to much besides metal?

V: Indeed, I love Dead Can Dance, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, old U2, Lustmord, some tranced-out techno. I listen to a little of everything. When you listen to nothing but metal I think it hampers the creativity of the band. So, we try to incorporate different genres of music to our writing.

A: Is there any album in your collection that you love but would be embarrassed if the general population knew?

V: Ah, should I reveal such secrets? I would say... alright I'll spill the beans. I have a few Def Leppard albums. On Through the Night, High N Dry and Pyromania, but those were great in my opinion. I was a big fan for that period.

A: Awww, come on now... that doesn't count. You've got to have something worse than that!! EVERYONE used to like The Lep, except those black metal guys... or at least they don't admit it.

V: Worse? Hmmm let me see... you're right about that. Hmmmm, I would say... Oh yeah! Shit! I'll catch flak for this one... Roger Whittaker's love ballads! It was a gift from my grandfather a while ago. Why? I have no idea! There, you did it! You made me say it... heh heh heh.

A: I knew it!! Uhhhhh... who the fuck is Roger Whittaker???

V: I'll be damned if I know. He has really grey hair and glasses. I listened to it twice and I became very limp-wristed from it. Maybe that's why I listen to slow music. He inspired me. A: Now, as far as metal goes, are you primarily a fan of the slow stuff, since you brought it up?

V: Yeah, basically, I do listen to plenty of older death metal and black metal and newer stuff as well. But, nothing gives me chills like when I hear a band like Winter or disEMBOWELMENT.

A: 99% of all doom metal bands I speak to are total Black Sabbath freaks. Are you among the disciples?

V: I wouldn't say a freak over them. I have my favorite songs like "Snowblind," which we are doing on a Sabbath tribute coming out on Dwell. Also, "Black Sabbath." When I saw them at Ozzfest and again this year the heaviness fuckin' blew me away. I'll never get that sound of "Black Sabbath" when they played it, I nearly came to tears from the heaviness. I was waiting for the rafters to shake loose.

A: I was never a big Sabbath fan, myself.

V: Yeah. I mean some bands take the influence of Sabbath to the very core. Myself, I don't own every album and I'm not going to run out and purchase all of them but, I do enjoy like I said certain songs. Some songs just don't appeal to me.

A: Looking back, how does your MCD compare to Embrace the Emptiness?

V: Oh damn the MCD just doesn't compare to Embrace. The MCD songs were written so long before the actual recording and when we did record them, John and our old bass player Bill were only in the band a couple of months. I look back at Shades now and there were some parts that I still nod my head to but, majority of it just makes me shake my head in wonder. What I can't believe is till this day it's still being reviewed. It just won't go away already.

A: Are the reviews positive or slags?

V: Most are very positive. Although there are the ones that just totally slag it. It seems that the more positive reviews came from Europe. The reason why is the label that released it was based in France so, the MCD never really made it to the US. We actually pondered re-re-releasing it with Elegy but it didn't go much further than that.

A: How did you wind up signing with Elegy?

V: It was a couple of things actually. We have known Rob from quite some time now from talking to him at shows and at different parties and bars. Plus a friend of ours, Daryl from Abazagorath, gave Rob a listen to our stuff. Rob really liked it and wanted to do something with us. So, after a little time had passed we signed with Elegy for the one album and the rest is boring history. Rob is great, if it wasn't for him we might be sitting here with our thumbs up our arses. We really were struggling to find someone to do the album with and Rob picked us up and gave us the chance, so cheers goes out to Rob!

A: Did you have the album recorded already or did Rob help foot the recording bill?

V: Rob footed the bill. A very large bill for such a small band. We wanted to do the best album we could so we asked for a fairly large sum. So, Rob now is doing his label from a bed sheet tied to two trees after going bankrupt from us. Plus I think he is playing the spackle bucket at Penn Station in New York to gain his money back. He is very impressive I hear.

A: Maybe you guys should let him sit in on a track... return the favor, sort of...

V: Yep. We are still in discussion to let Rob on a track but, he is in very high demand this time of year.

A: What with his upcoming appearance at the Summer Olympics... I would imagine he'd be real bogged down with press appearances and such, eh?

V: Yep ,he's a gold medalist in the sleep late dragon slaying event. They always insist he participates every year. He has been on Sally Jessie Raphael show for his charm and wit.

A: Who is your favorite member of the A-Team?

V: Oh, Murdock. That van... I was in love with that van. I always tried to draw it when I was a kid, but fucked up on the details. What a wanker I was in drawing those days. Mr. T was cool. but after that Rocky movie all I could think of was Clubber Lang.

A: He'll always be Mr. T to me. Doesn't matter who he plays. He's T. Even the cartoon with the gymnastics team.... don't matter!! T!!!

V: The cartoon! That was great. Remember the cereal too?

A: I think General Mills had a stock cereal recipe they used for "trend" cereals back in the day. Mr. T cereal tasted exactly the same as Pac Man cereal and Batman cereal, which obviously came a few years later. "I pity the fool that don't eat my cereal."

V: Pee Wee Herman (he's referring to the line from Pee Wee's Big Adventure where Pee Wee says "I pity the fool that don't eat my cereal." - Al). Poor guy...all he did was take care of himself.

A: I consider Pee Wee to be a hero, myself.

V: He was. He stood up for all the waxers out there. He gave me pride to say... "YES! I do jack the wrangler."

A: Are you much less of a wanker when it comes to drawing these days?

V: To an extent. I draw logos of other bands when I have the time. I can draw album covers too. Although that has since stopped.

A: It seems doom bands are separated into two primary categories... those that embrace more gothic metal roots and those that lean more towards death metal. Evoken are, in my opinion, leaning towards the second category. Would you agree?

V: I do. There are some good doom/gothic bands out there, but the majority of them just don't appeal to me. Doom should be, in my opinion, ominous, dark, and heavy. It should crush the soul and leave you in despair. A lot of these gothic doom bands just come across weak and lacking any of those qualities. Sorry to say that these days there are so many of them that doom has lost that identity and the metal crowd now shrugs at the near mention of doom metal. It's sad, but it happens in any genre of music.

A: Are you guys big death metal fans, on the whole?

V: Very much so. Some favorites are Autopsy, Lord of Putrifaction, old Grave, old Crematory... shit, I can go on forever. We all love death metal. I can't imagine never having it. When I go out to a club or anywhere if there is no death metal after a while, I'll start humming a song. I just go through withdrawals.

A: Do you think you will ever move away from the death metal vocal style? Not you, personally, obviously, but John (vocalist)...

V: Never! We will not pull a My Dying Bride on anyone. This is what gives the music it's power I think. I listen to My Dying Bride and think, "Christ! What this part or that part would sound like with growls!" No, the heavy vocals are here to stay. We use the cleaner ones because at certain points it just feels right. John will just continue to drink his tea and shred his chords.

A: I am very happy to hear you say that.

V: Yeah, that's a big part of Evoken and I can't see not having them.

A: I think you answered my next question: "What do you think of the direction that bands such as Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride have taken, opting for clean vocals?"

V: Paradise Lost are just complete shit now. I hear the demo and then the new shit and think what the hell went wrong there. I guess the almighty dollar, huh? My Dying Bride... well, I hear they are going back to the growls, but I'll believe it when I see it. I heard they were before just to be let down. This newer album, although doesn't totally suck, was a big disappointment to me.

Evoken playing in what looks like my basement.

A: What is a live Evoken performance like? Do you just get up there and play or are theatrics a part of it at all?

V: In the beginning, we just got up there and played. We were very inexperienced and nervous as can be. Now we use candles little to no lighting at all. Now we are using fog machine for the overall atmosphere. We have a few other ideas, but we will have to wait and see. I think a band should give an audience something to absorb with the music.

A: What about costumes? Robes and stuff or do you just come out in tye-died shirts and converse high tops?

V: We come out covered in syrup and rubber boots. No, we just wear all black. I guess we are pretty boring in our costumes. Actually, that's not true. Nick and myself are thinking about dressing as a horse when we play while the others dress as Roy Rogers, Zoro, and Capt. Kangaroo. The only problem is who gets to be the ass. We would like robed figures to hold candles during our show but, nothing has come of it.

A: If you did the horse thing, would you both be naked so whoever is in the back can toss the other guy's salad?

V: Well, that depends. I know Nick has a thing for guys with Beefaroni in their can. No salad tossers in the band. Our farm animals would get jealous.

A: heh heh. Jersey rednecks!

V: Absolute hicks.

A: Skepticism have created quite a stir in the doom underground lately, although I seemed to miss the boat on their material... it seems so nondescript to me. Do they live up to the hype, in your opinion?

V: I think the first album does. The second album has a better production but the music is in the same vein as the first album. I think they live up to the hype I mean how many bands play such an extreme kind of doom. You can count them on your hand... each country I think has one, maybe two extreme doom bands among them. I would say they are one of my favorites right now.

A: Ever get the urge to play fast?

V: Always. When we practice, we usually goof around for a few playing some faster things death metal, black metal, thrash. Even schlumps like us need to get the aggression out.

A: No chance of that stuff ever making it into a tune though? That is, on an Evoken album... are you purists?

V: On an Evoken album, I would say no. Nick, like I said, is trying to do a side death metal band so he will test some stuff out and we'll play along with him. We are doom true and through anything else would be just winging it.

A: Do you think neo-nazis insist on working on Jewish holidays?

V: That's a good question. I think that they all have a hidden agenda. It's an agenda that at this time I need to investigate more. I recently have hidden a camera inside of a gavilta side dish at my job for this purpose. Of course, I cannot reveal the results as of yet, but I can tell you this a nude hamster does go well as an enema.

A: What are the three greatest doom metal albums of all time, in your opinion?

V: Okay... top three are, number three: Stream from the Heavens from Thergothon. Number two: Lost Paradise from Paradise Lost, and number one is Transcendence Into the Peripheral from Disembowelment. Those are, by far, my favorites. I can listen to those albums a million times and never get bored of them.

A: What do you think of Candlemass?

V: Candlemass are great. The new one I have taken an interest in. It took me a few listens to get the whole vibe, but now I listen to it constantly, among other albums, It's a shame with all the tribute albums that are out that Candlemass are still without one. I think they are way overdue to have one. I would love Evoken to be part of that. Which song we would do is hard to say being there are so many favs from them. Maybe Dwell will do one some day.

A: Do you find that in a live situation that the songs are faster, with all the adrenaline pumping and everything?

V: Actually, it's funny you ask that. The songs are played slower for some reason. A friend of ours recorded two shows for us and both times the songs were slower then what they are actually played on the album. It's god damn strange. The other shows they were played the right speed.

A: That is bizarre... it is usually the other way around. Any idea why?

V: I haven't a clue. Before we play any show we are all friggin' nervous as can be. So, naturally you think we would play the songs faster but, that's not the case. I know the first shows we ever played the songs were twice as fast. Those were the worst shows we ever played. They were absolute nightmares. Now it's usually about halfway through the first song that I begin to relax.

A: Since you're from Jersey, are you familiar with Hades? The NJ band, that is...

V: I am. Actually, I never really heard too much from them. A song here and there and it was great. Nick actually spoke with the drummer at the Metalfest. I guess they talk to each other when they meet at shows. I, myself, don't know them personally

A: How about Non Fiction?

V: Non Fiction. I saw them years ago at a club called Studio 1 that used to be around. They had a strange sound to them that I enjoyed, actually.

A: Wow. Studio 1. I've been there more times than I care to remember Non Fiction definitely had the slow thing going on...

V: Yeah, they had a Voivod feel to them . They were quite slow. Usually I was so drunk when I would see them.

A: I LOVE Voivod!

V: Ah ! They were so great when I was stoned. All I had was taped copies of songs of theirs. I never went out and bought anything from them and I don't know why. I think I should know that I think of it.

A: Some of their albums are totally trippy. I don't smoke anymore, but I'd imagine they would be great stoned. The last two are VERY heavy.

V: Voivod are the best thing to relax you.

Evoken live at Radio City Music Hall. "Bad" tour '89.

A: Have you written any new material since Embrace?

V: A plethora of material has been written. I would say we have 5 songs written . They just need touching up.

A: Are the new songs in the same vein as the album?

V: I would say so. We are using more cello and those riffs themselves are starting to become somewhat like Embrace, just overall better, I think. We don't want to write Embrace two. That, we want to avoid. We try not to become stale.

A: What are some of the titles to the new songs?

V: Right now, no titles have been put to the songs. For some reason I can write lyrics rather easily, but titles I have a problem coming up with. The titles are usually the last thing to be added. I know it sounds strange.

A: So you are the lyricist of the band?

V: For the most part. Nick will come up with lyrics as well but most of that is left up to me. John will come up with some but he basically just fits the lyrics to the songs.

A: Have you seen the movie Weird Science?

V: I love that movie it's a corker! The dickheaded brother of that kid... the faces that bloke puts on! Wax on the nipples...

A: Do you identify more with Gary or Wyatt?

V: Hmmm. I would say Wyatt. He seemed like he wanted to get laid so bad but, he was just to shy and not forthcoming. He was kind of laid back and worried way too much about different things. That's me for sure.

A: What is the shittiest album you have ever heard in your life?

V: That's easy. By far, the worst one I ever heard was Moonspell - Under the Moonspell. When I heard that album, I almost shit myself in utter disgust. There are other albums as well but this one, for some reason, sticks out in my mind.

A: If you lived in Sweden, would you eat flapjacks every day?

V: Either that or I would eat Swedish meatballs or Swedish women. I would like to bend over them blonde Swedish women and give them my stroodle. This one wouldn't be the Pillsbury Dough Boy, either!

A: Are you a fan of pornography?

V: Oh yes. I borrow videos from Dario all the time. He knows all the names and shit, but I usually just want to see them bump and grind, no names. I think I'm going to start collecting them or something when I have extra money to my name. I love the foreign ones. They are the funniest things I've seen in some time. One I saw this French guy was picking women off the street so he could film them getting buck naked fondling themselves, while he was going "ahhh, ohhh.." It was great!

A: Sounds like Pro Am stuff... the French guy, that is...

V: Heh. You can say that.

A: So what is it you do in your regular job?

V: Right now I work for the ticketing department. I go to school for computers, so I can get out of that job and have something to fall back on. I hate the job I have now. I hate dealing with people and everyone that I work with basically sucks the customer's ass.

Puppet Show and Spinal Tap.

A: Ticketing dept? Like speeding and parking and shit like that?

V: Heh... nope, my fault. I work for a performing arts center. I answer the phones and take the customers' order for tickets. Like a Ticketmaster would be an example I fuckin' hate it.

A: I could see how that would suck. Tedious?

V: Very. The stress is nothing short of going crazy. You just want to tell people off but, of course I can't or I get fired. But I have come close.

A: What albums have you been listening to lately?

V: Manes, new Morgion, Esoteric, and Lycia.

A: I have the new Morgion right here in front of me.

V: What do you think of it?

A: Kind of bores me... I am not a huge doom fan, to be honest. V: You know, it is boring to me. I can't get past the second song without it becoming background noise.

A: I like Candlemass, and I really like some NJ band. What are they called... Evfluken? Evluken? Something like that...

V: Evfluken? Is that like Imfluken? I never heard them before.

A: Yeah, well, they're total glam rock anyway. Evoken! That's it!

V: Ah.... the Swedish Chef way of saying it!

A: Seriously. I am not a huge doom fan, but completely LOVE Embrace the Emptiness.

V: Thank you. The review you gave it floored me. Most people aren't doom fans. Think about it. Who wants to listen to music move at a snail's pace? That's one thing we try to avoid is taking a riff and pounding the shit out of it . That's what I find is the difficult part of listening to a doom band.

A: Well, the thing with the album is you guys really created a very oppressive atmosphere. Although slow, there is still a lot of aggression there. It sounds hungry to me, not just slow... not plodding.

V: That's what we try to put across. We want that depressive atmosphere but, at the same time, we want the music to make you clench your fist in anger.

A: I think I described it like a "rabid bear on queludes" or something like that, didn't I? Do you remember?

Vince, playing the drums and wearing a black shirt (again).

V: I remember that clearly. I was like "Wow! What a great description. He nailed it right on the head of what we are trying to put across!" I printed it out and showed the other members. It was a love-fest.

A: Here it is: "They are slow. VERY slow, but there is a rage and hunger that is all the more furious because of the crawling pace the music holds. It's like a bear on tranquilizers. He's fucking PISSED and his roars are slurring, his movements sluggish... but fuck if he still doesn't scare the crap out of you."

V: HA HA!! That's so fucking great man. I love that description. I still have the print up of it. You could have done the review in Yiddish and I would be smiling from ear to ear.

A: If you were offered your "dream tour package," what three bands would you choose to go on the road with (just from a musical standpoint)?

V: Well well, three bands eh? Well, that's tough to say, actually. Most bands that come to mind no longer exist. Let me take a stab at it - one, disEMBOWELMENT. I would clam my panties for a show with the mighty gods! Two, Winter. The name says it all. Three, The Panty Boyz of North Carmel. They make my mouth water with sultry lust.

A: Are there any current plans to go back in the studio?

V: Sure is. We go back in the studio to record in mid-November and this will be for sure, heavier than Embrace. The same concept will be there to create that complete feel of misery. We have also come up with a few goodies up our sleeves for this next release as far as different instruments go. So, I would assume, that the release will be sometime in 2000.

A: Any idea if your next release will be on Elegy?

V: Although Elegy has been great and Rob is a good friend of ours, the next release will not be on Elegy. Recently, we signed a two album deal with Avantgarde music in Italy. For quite sometime we were writing back and forth with Roberto (head chief) and finally something came of it. So, as you can imagine we're as happy as a pig in shit. Elegy is a great label and will flourish in the future, I'm sure. But after the amount of funds we cost Elegy, who the hell knows?

A: Who would win in a fight? Popeye or The Fonz?

V: That's easy. Popeye! Why you may ask? Well, think about it. The Fonz was always getting laid, Popeye on the other hand never shanked Olive, he never could generate any other interest from other women. So, naturally The Fonz is all tuckered out to fight. Therefore, Popeye in 3 rounds.

A: Is there anything you want to ask me?

V: Yea, if you were shaggin some bimbo in the ass and when you suddenly pulled out, and you discovered a turd on the head of your johnson. Would you a) Flick it off with your finger, and continue with your business? b) Eat it like if it were a booger? or c) Wipe it on your sheets and blame your sister for eating chocolate in your bed? And why?

My basement (reprise)

A: I'd have to go with A. I don't have a sister, so I couldn't blame it on her anyway. I'd rather not eat it to avoid getting staph poisoning. That's some nasty stuff. The way I see it, "Shit happens," so in the tradition of Ron Jeremy I'd just wipe my cock clean and keep plugging. While on the subject, what are your 5 favorite ways to describe taking a shit?

V: Ooh! Aah! Eppp! Errrr! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

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