Hi VOKODLOK, congratulations on the release of The Egregious Being! You must be excited.
Hello, thank you for the interview.
Yes, we are really excited and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it.
Firstly, can you tell us about the formation of the band? When and how was it formed? Do you believe the band name 'VOKODLOK' perfectly describes your music and philosophy?
VOKODLOK was formed in 2000, and shortly after, we released our demo ''Unchain The Wolf." This was followed in 2003 by our debut album, "Mass Murder Genesis." We performed live as often as possible until 2008, when we entered a ten-year hiatus. In 2020, we released the "Oracle’s Fury" EP, and finally, the last release "The Egregious Being".
The band's name, inspired by the werewolf legend, connects to several themes present in our lyrics, such as the transformation of a man into a monster, but in a more symbolic sense. This reflects how mythology has shaped human cultures and thought throughout history, offering intriguing perceptions that relates with the reality of past times. We can observe this reality manifesting even today.
Now, can you tell us about The Egregious Being and the lyrical themes behind each track? What are the ideas you wanted to convey?
"The Egregious Being" represents the darker side of human nature, the parts of ourselves we often try to ignore or hide. It revolves around the idea that I mentioned earlier: the transformation of "The Human" into "The Monster", illustrating the metamorphosis from good to evil in different contexts. For example, in the track "jagh Iw vIpoQ," we describe how, in the absence of external evil, humans tend to project their fears and unresolved conflicts onto imagined creatures, representing the darker sides of their thoughts. "The Human" is about the body and spirit being consumed by its own nature. "Death Terror" explores the collapse of faith and morality, revealing the raw inner decay. "Warzone" is about the realities of war and its aftermath, where only decomposition, despair, and oblivion remain. "Disdain" is a critique of hypocrisy and betrayal, destroying the illusion of righteousness to expose the rot beneath. "Bestiarium" takes inspiration from "The Island of Doctor Moreau" and critiques the ambition of "scientists" who, out of selfishness and immorality, corrupt nature in an abusive and unethical manner to create uncontrollable abominations. The album concludes with "The Monster", which explores the blurred lines between man and beast through the legendary creatures that have been feared throughout the ages.
Where and when did you record The Egregious Being? Are you satisfied with the final product?
We recorded the album in various studios: the drums and guitars were done in our own studio, while the vocals were recorded at Consonance Studio. The mixing was handled by Ghiaur and the mastering was completed by Jon Sjölin. We are pleased with the final result, though we admit that there is always room for improvement.
Do you have any plans to release official band merchandise?
Yes, we currently have T-shirts, CDs and patches available to be ordered on Bandcamp or directly to us on vokodlok@mail.com.
What are VOKODLOK's musical and non-musical influences?
We all primarily listen to metal and initially, we were drawn to iconic bands like Metallica, Sepultura, and Pantera. However, our musical journey quickly evolved as we discovered more underground and aggressive styles, such as Black Metal, with bands like Mayhem, Immortal, Emperor, as well as Death Metal, like Brutality, Hypocrisy, Deicide.
Beyond music, our influences comes from our daily lives, science-fiction literature and movies and an observation of the decaying humanity, the decline of compassion and empathy in today's world.
Could you please share your personal views on religion and god?
Discussing religion and the concept of God is pretty difficult. In my view, God and religion are two distinct entities.
I believe that the idea of God was born as a way for early humans to explain phenomena they could not understand with the knowledge they had to them at the time. As our understanding of the world has evolved, we can now explain many of these once unexplained heppenings. It's pretty clear that nature has played significant role in our existence, with or without any potential external influences. The belief in a God or higher entity should be a matter of personal choice and free will.
On the other hand, religions are human-made organizations that often seek to control people by exploiting this fear of the unknown. They have transformed this fear into fantastic stories that have been widely promoted and enforced. The primary purpose of these organizations has been to manipulate, corrupt, and dominate human minds, leading to division and conflict, ultimately resulting in wars for power and control. This destructive influence continues to be used even in present times.
Can we expect to see some gigs across the USA or Europe in the near future?
At the moment we are preparing some gigs in Europe.
Lastly, when can fans expect something new from you? A music video, single, or documentary perhaps?
We have just released a video for our track Warzone and planning one more. Additionally, we'll soon start recording an EP that will be released as a split with the Italian band Kybalion.
Thank you for the interview. Is there anything you would like to say to your fans, supporters, critics, and our readers before we wrap up?
We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy the music! Thanks for keeping the Metal alive!
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