Evoken – Atra Mors
Evoken – Atra Mors
Evoken have eternally been the death doom masters of misery. With Atra Mors, Evoken’s 5th full-length release, they have returned to dethrone Mournful Congregation as the fan perceived rulers of the genre. If this isn’t the case, then there is something wrong with the lot of you! It is easy to compare both bands, for they dwell within a similar realm of downtrodden wonder, but Evoken have always struck me as far more creative/unique in their embellishments, maybe even gleaning off some of the classic Disembowelment oddities in their harmonies. Plus, their songs are a lot shorter. This allows the listener to not have to invest a good share of their day into listening to an album. Crushing doom in half the time? Yes please!
Atra Mors once again finds Evoken reveling in their dynamics. A prime example of this can be found on “Descent Into a Frantic Dream”, with its quiet, metal-less beginnings. 8 minutes later, the track starts to add darker layers where death vocals creep in. The climax of the song hits with detuned distortion and a faster tempo, before drifting back into a slower ugliness. Other findings… what sounds like a morbid string symphony, adds an illusion of romanticism to the dark tidings unearthed in “Grim Eloquence” to inject a hint of color into the lurching moan of this excellent track. The bands orchestration is once again commendable, for their formula embraces such a vibrant array of moods and use of clean and polluted sounds, that each track feels like a new world unto itself. Piano/organ tones enter into this equation for an even more well rounded body of sickness. But the true power behind Evoken rests in the full death tone of those soul exhuming riffs, reverb drenched/soaring harmonies, and guitarist John Paradiso’s grotesquely deep vokills. Evoken are emotionally draining, but I find myself wanting to return to the procession repeatedly due to their more concise songwriting style, and fearless inclusion of other musical traits to exist within their oddly beautiful style. I find it refreshing that Evoken can offer up keyboards and other more gentle musical traits to embrace their grimey death doom persona, and NOT EVER sound frail, or cheesy like a lot of more goth driven and delicate Euro/UK doom bands. Atra Mors is a very urgent and gripping album that effortlessly defines what this genre is all about. The grief sounds genuine on this album and the deathly foundation makes it feel like a terminal condition. -Marty
Profound Lore Records
Worm Gear 
[…] Evoken – Atra Mors Evoken’s heralded return grabbed me late in the year, but when it finally finished sinking […]