Interview: Vibrations of Doom

A band influenced by the likes of the mighty and cult status revered Pan.Thy.Monium? Yes, please... All fucking day long... This Russian band made me a big fan with their "Drunken Tales" album, due to the stoner rock and doom metal influences, complete with the FLUTES, man!! Their newest release continues down the path forged by the left hand of doom, but evolving ever so slightly to bring about an album that has a few new twists to the tried and true sound... This is an interview we have been after for a long time, and of course they're signed to Solitude Productions, so I probably don't need to say much more about this band.

I have your first CD "Escape To The Dreamlands," and it was cool to hear the Lovecraft influences and lyrics on that record. I'm guessing you decided to not go that route lyrically by the time "Drunken Tales" came around?

Yes, "Drunken Tales" has another concept and themes, both in music and lyrics. We left the Lovecraftian themes just after the "Escape...". The lyrics in "Drunken Tales" are some kind of monologues or talks inside the mind of a man. Something like a mid-life crisis in a meditative way, if you know what I mean.

The two records "Escape..." and "Drunken Tales" are quite different stylistically; one could say that "Escape..." has almost a gothic doom/death feel to it, whereas "Drunken Tales" is more of a psychedelic and slightly melodic atmosphere?

Sure, the music is very different in these two albums. We name this our own way of progress... or regress). It depends on your point of view.

So I'm curious if you guys have ever listened to the band Pan.Thy.Monium? Because I absolutely LOVED the "Khaoos And Konfusion" record, and the first album I ever heard from you guys ("Drunken Tales") reminded me SO much of that record, especially with the flute sounds. Of course, it's less chaotic and more, shall I say, "controlled" that Pan.Thy.Monium? Were these guys an influence? Maybe the band name Evoke Thy Lords "evokes" influences from that realm?

Of course, we listened to Pan.Thy.Monium, but as for influences from their realm? I don't think so. Anyway, I need to listen their records again. Thanks, you reminded me about the band.

Your first album came out on Stygian Crypt, and now you're on Solitude Productions. How did that whole deal come about? I know Stygian Crypt is a rather small label and your first album is difficult to find nowadays...

It's not a big problem, we still have some copies of our previous works and "Escape..." as well. So if some good guys want to have this, they can send us email (evokethylords@gmail.com) or order CD's via our bandcamp page.

Well, about labels... Stygian and Solitude work well, we can't say something negative about either of them. And we haven't released "Drunken Tales" via Stygian, just because our music has changed. Solitude specializes in these genres so we have released the record via Solitude. By the way, besides Stygian Crypt and Solitude we have also released our second work - the "Twofaced" EP via a Mexican label called American Line.

As of this writing, I see you have a new album out, with a rather odd title "Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms In Your Cellar!" Tell us how different (or how similar) this is to your previous albums?

Maybe it's right to call it a missing link between our other albums. The music has a groove and death metal elements as well. There are some tracks with female voices again and with flute, of course. You can listen to it on our bandcamp page. The album name is an allusion to Ray Bradbury's novel. We think the atmosphere in the story is very similar to that in our album.

Going back to the album "Drunken Tales," there's less of a female vocalist presence than there was on your first album. I did hear some female vocals, but they are scaled back quite a lot and not as operatic. Did people respond well to the operatic styled vocals on the first record?

Yes, the words of people who like that music were quite positive about a female voice on "Escape...". But, as you said, we had some changes in female vocal parts. This type of a female voice is closer to our music and ourselves. It's more live, realistic and emotional, I think.

Tell us a bit about the lyrical themes on "Drunken Tales." I love the picture of an astronaut in what I guess is a space bar? I know Sleep had a similar thing going on with having an astronaut on the moon with a bong hooked into his jetpack; Seems like you normally wouldn't find an astronaut "on the job" either drinking or smoking weed; considering how dangerous his job in space can be!

Your words are so poetic, thanks. It seems, people make suggestions in the light of a visual component, and art is more than lyrics or interviews. As I say, the lyrics on "Drunken Tales" are more about thoughts of a man rather than open space and cosmonauts. The artwork shows an astronaut in a usual bar... I don't know... a wrong man in the wrong place maybe.

Solitude Productions has a TON of great doom bands on their label; they seem to sign so many amazingly talented and quality bands from all around the world! I particularly love The Howling Void, Ea, of course you guys, Mournful Gust, Shattered Hope and quite a few more! Who are some of your favorite artists from that label?

You must listen to Station Dysthymia if you like funeral doom. These guys are our neighbors and they are great. What about other Solitude-released bands, I don't watch them closely. But I remember Heavy Lord from the Netherlands, it's an awesome band.

Are any of you guys a huge fan of stoner rock? I know some people say the genre is a bit oversaturated, but there are some great bands in this genre; such as Kyuss, Dozer, Gate 9, Natas, Acid King and more.

We like a lot of bands in stoner rock and stoner doom metal also. I saw Acid King on Hellfest in 2014 and they were awesome. Same words I can say about other great bands on that stage, for example Clutch and Electric Wizard... Fantastic music and fantastic gigs!

Does Russia have any kind of stoner rock scene at all? I know that black metal and doom metal are probably two of the genres that Russia has an abundance of, but I've never heard of any stoner rock bands coming from here...

Sure, our country has stoner bands too. A short time ago we played with the band Weeduza in Tomsk, Siberian city, and these guys were very good. Their music is strongly influenced by Sleep. And in our city we know To Have Balls band, they play very tasty stoner/southern riffs.

While on the subject, any of you fans of black metal at all? I know most people think of Scandinavia when they think of black metal, especially with the winter landscapes, but I know Russia has probably harsher winter climates and probably just as many vast forests and glacial mountains...

And you think we must love black metal because we're from Russia, don't you? So, you're catching the very core - EVERY Russian loves black metal, it's truth. But some of us are uncomfortable to confess to it, as an elephant in the room - you know, for example, all these grandmothers with grandchildren, common people, authorities, society - so, we all just look the other way and put the best face on matters.

So just curious if you know much about the history of Rock Music in Russia. I have a very interesting book I have read about the history; it's interesting to see that the government was actually interested in sponsoring Russian rock music. To hear about bands like Time Machine and the like; it must have been a very interesting and challenging time in Russia for young musicians...

Talking about that, it's necessary to keep in mind that a huge number of bands playing Russian Rock music don't play rock. I guess, it's some kind of substitution, and Russian Rock doesn't mean a Russian version of world rock music. This music has much more in common with guitar poetry than hard rock or something. As for me, in the USSR these bands had more of a social nature than a musical one. And now this genre doesn't relate to any heavy or underground scene and it's a part of show business, maybe with very few exceptions. But I have never heard about government sponsoring of any rock musicians in our country.

We've heard quite a bit awhile back about Vladimir Putin censoring "swear words" and music that reflects these have been on the chopping block as well. What are your thoughts on this; surely this is something that the Russian people could not be happy with? I also learned that Cannibal Corpse albums are not permitted in Russia these days...

I think it's kinds of political games. Most people in Russia have heard nothing about Cannibal Corpse and those bands.

Finally, I always enjoyed the flute in doom metal, but felt it wasn't heard enough. Granted, bands like the aforementioned Pan.Thy.Monium, and also Shape Of Despair and Cathedral's first album, utilized this to great effect, but I rarely ever hear it anymore... Will the use of flutes continue on with Evoke Thy Lords?

The flute is the part of our sound, so don't worry, the flute will continue to play in our music.

Vibrations of Doom