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Interview: Vince Verkay of EVOKEN on Darkness, Doom, and the Descent of the Monk

By capitalchaostv on October 15, 2025 • ( 0 )

For over 30 years, Evoken has stood as one of the most unrelenting forces in funeral doom, crafting soundscapes soaked in dread, loss, and metaphysical weight. With their latest album, Mendacium, the band circles back into a sonic void reminiscent of their heaviest material—one marked by monumental despair, isolation, and psychological unraveling.

We spoke with drummer and lyricist Vince Verkay about the writing process behind Mendacium, theological obsession, the burden of history, and what playlist might distract a tormented monk in his final hours.

On Returning to Darkness with Mendacium

“It felt like we needed to go back to where we used to be—something really dark, blunt force, in-your-face kind of doom.“

After the more melodic tone of their previous record Hypnogogia, Evoken’s return to oppressive weight wasn’t arbitrary. According to Vince, the shift was born from personal grief and the long psychological shadow of the pandemic.

“There was this endless cycle. One member’s parent would get sick, another’s would die… it just kept circling,” he says. “So this album became a reaction. It felt natural to go darker again.”

Watch our video for the whole interview: