John and Vince of Evoken: The Gift of Mendacium

On this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with JohnParadiso and Vince Verkay of the legendary funeral death doom band Evoken. Celebrating over 33 years as one of theseminal bands in the genre, we had the opportunity to talk about the most recent release, Mendacium released last month on Profound Lore Records. The interview took place on Halloween, so we begin with some stories about scaringtrick or treaters and the creative lengths Vince went to one year. We then move into concept of the new record. I wasfortunate to get access to the promo and the limited-edition vinyl from the great Decibel magazine so I had the opportunity to spin the album a lot before talking to the guys. My original plan was to deep dive into the lyrical themes on each track and the album, but Vince and John are very much in demand these days, so we only had about an hour totalk. While the episode is considerably shorter than the two-part interview with Vince that Markisan and I completedearlier several months back. In some ways, this interview can be considered a companion to that one. Specifically, wetalk about return to longtime producer and metal guitar god Ron Bumblefoot Thal. Specifically, Ron was recentlyinterviewed on the wildly popular Rick Beato’s YouTube channel. In a remarkable surprise, Ron mentions Mendaciumand a humorous dialogue ensues over the meaning of “doom metal.” We then talk about the new video for the album’s second single “None,” it’s an incredible piece of cinematic art crafted by Obsidian Studios. Major props the killer performances by friends Joe the tattoo artist and Chloe Rose, who did a terrific job playing the central characters in the album’s blasphemous tale of a dying Benedictine monk’s inner turmoil and crisis of faith. We also dig deeper into None’s music arrangement and the revelation of Vince Verkay’s phenomenal debut vocal performance. We learn that it was lead vocalist guitarist and song writer John who convincedVince to go for it! John and Vince also talk about their collaborative approach he uses to bring Vince’s lyrics tolife. A little peak inside an musical process that began over 30 years ago! I personally love Vice’s harsh blackened throat on Mendacium and hope we get to hear him on future Evoken albums. We also talk about Bumblefoot’s multi-instrument appearance and arrangement wizardry on the mesmerizing and crushing instrumental Prime. We then explore the ncomplex album opus Sext—a song where Bumblefoot’s mix brought it all together—including what would becomekeyboardist Don Zaros’s haunting intro—a move Don didn’t know about until after the album recording sessions were finished. All in all, this fun chat, especially for me becauseMendacium has been on near constant rotation on my turntable for more than 2 months now. I was really glad to give the guys their flowers for over three decades of releasing consistently amazing music. Evoken is one of my all time myfavorite metal bands, their dedication to a scene before there was a scene, and the guy’s devotion to their loyal fans. Likeother more well-known underground death metal artists from the great New Jersey/New York scene of the early 90s—guys who I deeply admire like John McCantee from the legendary death metal titans Incantation-Vince and John are such down-to-earth guys and passionate artists. Even after 33 years this interview makes plain how devoted to their craft and grateful they remain. I also recommend to anyone listening to pay the $30+ for the vinyl. It’s an exceptional package with cover artwork done by the artist ⁠Worthless ⁠and Summer Lacy’s exceptional gatefold layout design. While I do stream metal, and don’t buy vinyl like I used to, this record is 100% wax worthy! So sit back and enjoy a Black habit Dark Ale brewed by the Benedictine Brewery beer—you guessed it—a brewery owned and operated by Benedictine monks of the Mount Angel Abbey in Mount Angel, Oregon. Enjoy!