METALLIAN - Evoken

April 17th, Anno 23

Shades Of Night Descending - 1996 - Adipocere
Embrace The Emptiness - 1998 - Elegy
Quietus - 2001 - Avantgarde
Antithesis Of Light - 2005 - Avantgarde
A Caress Of The Void - 2007 - I Hate Records
Atra Mors – 2012 - Profound Lore
Hypnagogia – 2018 - Profound Lore
Mendacium - 2025 - Profound Lore

Members

Vocals

JOHN PARADISO

Guitar

Putrifact, Funereus, Funebrarum >>Nick Orlando - Apocalypse, Grim Legion>>JOHN PARADISO>>Grim Legion - Divine Silence, Grey Skies Fallen>>CHRIS MOLINARI>>Divine Silence - Wrath Of Killenstein, Anticosm, Grim Legion>>RANDY CAVANAUGH>>Wrath Of Killenstein, Anticosm, Grim Legion

Bass

Inner Conflict>>Steve Moran>>Rigor Sardonicous - Aggressive Intent, Nocturnal Crypt, Carnage, Desecrator, Putrifact, Incantation, Sturmführer, Methadrone, Disciples Of Mockery, Ceremonium, Abazagorath, Womb>>Craig Pillard>>Womb, Sturmführer, Methadrone, Incantation, Disma – No Restraints, Abazagorath, Warhead, Funebrarum>>DAVID WAGNER

Drum

Body Of Christ, Funereus>>VINCE VERKAY

Keyboard

Infester, Meat Shits, Threnodist, Abazagorath, Krohm, Vetus Obscurum>>Dario Derna>>Abazagorath, Krohm, Vetus Obscurum, Ritual Chamber - Denny Hahn – Marshmallow Bunnies, Dimentianon, Adversvm>>DON ZAROS>>Marshmallow Bunnies, Dimentianon, Adversvm

History & Biography

Evoken was formed as early as 1992 and plays doom/funeral doom/goth with keyboards. Under the previous monickers the band releases a promo tape each and similarly so in 1996 and 1997. Shades Of Night Descending Nick Orlando was one of the founding members. Shades Of Night Descending was initially a 1994 self-release which was re-released by Adipocere - whom the band terms a "rip-off."

The band signed to Avantgarde for two albums, the first of which - Quietus - saw American release by Dwell Records. The group signed to a new label called I Hate Records in late 2006. The band announced the addition of keyboardist Don Zaros following the release of A Caress Of The Void. Craig Pillard left the band after two years in 2008. He had been in a Nazi band called called Sturmführer four years after leaving Incantation in 1998 and also shared with the Mourning The Ancient website how. "I always had political feelings toward the Far Right and now I can finally express them now!" Pillard's album for his Nazi band featured Hitler on the cover.

The funeral doom band issued a new album, entitled Hypnagogia, through Profound Lore Records in November 2018. Randy Cavanaugh had just joined. Profound Lore would also sign Disma, which featured former member Craig Pillard. Evoken Tape Boxset was a cassette compilation for the band in 2022. The band appeared at Mexico's Candelabrum Fest in 2022 and even signed a new contract with a booking agent, but no activity ensued. Mendacium was the 2025 album and was released through Profound Lore Records on October 17th, 2025. It was engineered, mixed and mastered by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. Evoken and Todomal announced a tour of Europe for the summer of 2026.

The band's monicker was inspired by Finland-based Thergothon's track of the same name, which stemmed from 1991.

Reviews

EVOKEN - QUIETUS - AVANTGARDE/DWELL
Formed some eight years ago under the Funereus moniker, the Americans embrace the kind of doom better associated with the early nineties. Grandiose and gloomy, Evoken are a little Morgion, a little more Disembowelment and a lot more Winter. Keeping the flag of that particular genre of doom flying, Quietus (the follow up to earlier releases on Adipocere and Elegy Records) dissects death and salutes sadness with its music, lyrics, cover, concept, etc. The appearance of keyboards and other miscellaneous nuisances take away from the overall impact and memorability of this band, but fans of the aforenamed bands can hardly afford to be choosy nowadays. - Ali "The Metallian"

Interviews

Evoken