Evoken

Evoken infused fresh vitality into death and doom metal by fashioning enigmatic and crushing compositions, launching their activities in the early 1990s in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The ensemble traces its origins to 1992, when guitarist Nick Orlando and bassist Rob Robichaud established Funereus. Multiple personnel adjustments culminated in a stable lineup by 1996, which replaced Robichaud with Steve Moran and added vocalist John Paradiso, drummer Vince Verkay, and keyboardist Dario Derna.

The group tracked its inaugural demo, Shades of Night Descending, in 1995; a French label reissued the recording the following year. Their appearance on the 1997 Iron Maiden tribute A Call to Irons, released by Dwell Records, led to a first recording contract in 1998. That year also brought the debut full-length Embrace the Emptiness on Elegy Records.

Turning toward European listeners, the band signed with Italian label Avantgarde Records, which underwrote subsequent releases. Their initial European-catalogue effort, Quietus, surfaced in the United States through Dwell Records in 2001. Ahead of the next album, Dario Derna departed in 2002 and Steve Moran left in 2004; keyboardist Denny Hahn joined as replacement while John Paradiso assumed bass duties for the 2005 album Antithesis of Light. Hahn’s time proved short, ending before the 2007 release of A Caress of the Void.

Evoken later restored and expanded its ranks by enlisting full-time keyboardist Don Zaros, bassist Dave Wagner, and third guitarist Nick Molinari. The resulting six-piece unit issued its fifth album, Atra Mors, via Profound Lore in 2012.