One of the guest artists opening for Taake on February 14th, at Quantic was the Romanian band Vokodlok, a band whose enthusiastic live appearance in something to remember. That being said, an interview with them was the most natural thing to expect… even more since the band made a miraculous comeback after a twelve year hiatus period, dropped an EP and now, they are soon to release a new album!
DinIntunerec: Hello, thank you for getting on board with this interview and welcome to Bucharest. How are you guys? What have you been doing recently?
Vokodlok: Hello, we want to thank you for doing the interview. It’s nice to be here in Quantic, which is such a cool venue. Also, we are really excited to play shows again.
DinIntunerec: Tell us a few words about Vokodlok, how did you decide to form the band and what did you have in mind at the very beginning?
Vokodlok: The idea of starting a band came to us when we were teenagers. Full of enthusiasm and influenced by the 90’s metal scene we turned our dream into reality in 2000, when Vokodlok came to existence. We were also friends with the guys from Dies Irae, a band from Bucharest, and this friendship also played a big part in our musical journey.
DinIntunerec: How has your approach to songwriting and composition evolved since the band’s early days?
Vokodlok: Well, the band’s style evolved from mid paced raw black metal on the demo to a faster, more complex style. What is more, as we matured in composition and playing, we added some death metal elements, and emphasized more on the riffs. However, we have always kept the melodic character.
DinIntunerec: What got you into extreme metal in the first place and who are some of the bands that got you into the genre?
Vokodlok: At the beginning of the 90s, we used to exchange audio tapes. That’s how I discovered some popular metal bands like Pantera, Metallica and so on. However those bands have only opened my appetite and, naturally I was craving for more. That’s when I started to discover more extreme metal and bands like Immortal and Mayhem. At that point, I got hooked on extreme metal and the dream of starting a band began to take shape.
DinIntunerec: What is the story behind the name of the band? I mean the name obviously derives from the Slavic word vukodlak, meaning werewolf. Why Slavic etymology? And what’s with the werewolves that attracted you so much?
Vokodlok: As a matter of fact, there is more behind the name than meets the eye. We were trying to find something original, somehow related to the concepts we were planning to delve into. Well, we found the legend of the man transforming into a monster interesting and in some way reflecting the reality. We can see that reality coming to life even today. The Slavic etymology seemed like a better choice, since our legends and myths have more in common with the Slavic ones than with the Latin.
However, we didn’t use the exact word for werewolf in Slavic because there is an American black metal band named Vukodlak, so we played with the word a little bit and that was the result. Vokodlok sounds cool and aggressive, dark even because of the closed vowel, repeated three times. On the other hand, we all love vodka, and the band’s name sounds like it. You know that I’m joking, right? Or, am I?
DinIntunerec: Let’s take a journey back in time. The band came to existence in 2000 and the debut album came out in 2003. Then nothing for five years, when there was a ten year hiatus. Two questions arise: first, what have you been doing during the five years before the hiatus and second, why a ten year hiatus?
Vokodlok: In short, the band formed in 2000. We released the demo the same year, then, the album Mass Murder Genesis in 2003. Many years later, the Oracle’s Fury EP came out, in 2020. Between 2000 and the end of 2008 we toured as often as it was possible taking into account that specific period of time and how things went back then. The hiatus was between 2008 and 2020. The main reason for that hiatus was actually the difficulty of finding a drummer at that time, followed by some personal issues which are private. Finding a drummer, especially for live shows is still an issue. However, despite the hiatus, we have always been active and took part in other projects in the metal scene.
DinIntunerec: We’ve already mentioned your debut album Mass Murder Genesis, out in 2003. Tell us about the lyrical concept and about how the artwork mirrors them.
Vokodlok: The lyrical concept of Mass Murder Genesis portrays a world consumed by violence and chaos, driven by the most imposed and promoted religious book, the Old Testament. Its extreme violence is used to force ideas upon people’s minds, lives, and spirits for hundreds of generations, fostering generational guilt and suffering. The album cover mirrors this theme, depicting the human spirit trapped between the almighty “good” depiction of God and the eternal infernal fire of the underworld. This visual representation reinforces the album’s exploration of oppression, suffering, and the dark duality of religious control.
DinIntunerec: The second track of the album, Blestem, is in Romanian, the rest are in English. Why did you choose to include a song in Romanian? Does it have any specific significance to you?
Vokodlok: Blestem is inspired from Romanian folklore, evoking ancient curses and dark legends of the night. The lyrics paint a haunting picture of spirits bound by curses, relentlessly haunting the living, while the ancient evil that has watched over the land for centuries fills the air with an oppressive darkness and despair.
DinIntunerec: After such a long time, 17 years to be accurate, you dropped the EP Oracle’s Fury. Here, you delve into Greek philosophy, and two concepts seem to emerge: fear and faith. How do the two connect and why did you go in this direction?
Vokodlok: Our main goal is to create music that is neither bound to only one style nor to one theme, even though the human element is always present, in the center of all our releases. That is obvious because of the different styles that are interwoven around the main black metal style. The connection between fear and faith in Oracle’s Fury springs from their inherent duality and the way they shape human experience. Fear often arises from the unknown, the uncontrollable, or the inevitable, whereas faith is the response to that fear, a belief in something greater, something that transcends the limits of our understanding.
By exploring these concepts, we wanted to delve into the tension between these forces and their power to both constrain and liberate the individual. Ancient Greek philosophy and religion provides a rich background for this, as it challenges us to confront our inner turmoil and to seek meaning in a world full of uncertainty.
DinIntunerec: Finally, we got to your latest release, the single Death Terror. What can you tell us about it, in terms of composition and theme?
Vokodlok: Death Terror is an intense and dark inner journey for anyone seeking answers within themselves, starting an introspective analysis of their beliefs, regrets, and inner doubts. It marks the beginning of reconciling with the self by understanding that one doesn’t need imposed dogmas to live a “righteous” life. The lyrics reflect the thoughts of the composer, yours, and of anyone who has felt or feels deceived by the false kindness of religion.
DinIntunerec: You are exactly in the middle of the mini tour. How is it going until now?
Vokodlok: Actually, it’s great and we are having an excellent time. The atmosphere has been amazing every evening and the audience is enthusiastic. It’s really exciting to be able to perform live with VokodloK, and connect with the audience. We’d like to thank Michiel, the drummer of Pestilence, for stepping in at the last moment and learning the songs in less than two weeks to make this tour possible. His dedication and effort have been incredible, and we truly appreciate it.
DinIntunerec: The new album will come out soon, on March 14th. The title is intriguing, The Egregious Being. What can you tell us about the concepts behind it and its creation? Also how does the artwork relate to the concepts behind this album?
Vokodlok: The Egregious Being represents the darker side of human nature, the parts of ourselves we often try to ignore or hide. The title refers to the destructive forces within us and the world around us. The lyrics explore different phases of transformation from good to evil in different contexts. Like for example on the track jagh Iw vIpoQ we emphasized on the fact that humans, in the absence of external evil, often project their fears and unresolved conflicts onto imagined creatures, representing the darker sides of their thoughts. The artwork was created by FearSorrow and suggests submission to this self-created darkness. It suggests that evil is not always an external force, but something we cultivate, worship, integrate it into our own identity and in a crumbling world of our own making.
DinIntunerec: How does the writing process go in your case? Who does what? Is it a collaborative process, does everyone chip in?
Vokodlok: In depends, it’s not a standard process. Everyone can participate with ideas. Generally, Ghiaur composes the tracks and the concept of the album. Pestarzt and Urmuz took care of the storyline and lyrics with Sephiroth taking care of the drum parts on the last two releases. We also have a guest on The Egregious Being namely Arek Furdal ( Sibyline, ex-Trauma) doing some great solos on four songs.
DinIntunerec: Any plans for the future that you might share?
Vokodlok: Our enthusiasm is just crazy! We have plenty of plans for the future, so keep an eye on us. Anyway, we can share some of our near future plans. Currently, we are working on the material for a split to be released next year with the Italian band Kybalion. And, of course, simultaneously, we will try to play live as often as possible.
DinIntunerec: Thank you for your time, any final words for our readers?
Vokodlok: Thank you for the support! Keep coming to concerts, support your favorite bands, buy merch and keep the underground alive.
