SOURCE – To me, Evocation is definitely one of Sweden’s greatest metal exports. You have been part of the band since Tales from the Tomb that released back in 2007. How does it feel when you look back in time? How much has this band been an important part of your life all these years?
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – I have been part of the band since 1991. It was a huge part of my life back then, I felt that this was the thing I’ve been waiting for ever since I started to work with music so when we split up in -93 it was devastating. I started to work with Cemetary after that for some years but eventually left the whole scene for a while to reflect. In 2003-2004 during a 5 months travel in South America I decided to start working again in various projects as soon as I got back home. Some years later I got an e-mail from Janne in 2005 while I was in Cambodia, asking me if I was interested to pick up Evocation again and I instantly said yes without thinking. I knew that this is something I don’t need to think twice about. Within in 2 years we had done a demo and also made our first full length album Tales from the Tomb, it was a lovely moment. I knew and remembered that working with Marko, Vesa and Janne was very professional, well focused and great musicianship. We were back on track again and so was my musical life. I’m glad I said yes, I never really knew in 2005 that we would get this far and I also never knew that my lyrics and vocals would become that good either, it still surprises me every time we make a new album. I was born to make Death Metal and I was born to tell the world about my thoughts through my lyrics. I love playing 4-string bass a whole lot too.
SOURCE – So tell us more about the new album The Shadow Archetype! What’s the story behind the name and what story does it emphasize to deliver? Any specific influences?
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – From the start we had Survival of the Sickest as the working title for the album and most songs are written from out of that perspective. The idea was to make a follow up story of our Apocalyptic and Illusions of Grandeur albums, where a dark and insane empire now has gained control over the worst surviving type of humans. I asked Marko for a title on a psychological theme/illness and he came up with The Shadow Archetype. I wanted a song/title that could show how bad a human being can be and what kind of experiments there actually has been going on without our knowledge. I wrote about another old crazy experiment on the Illusions album, Well of Despair it’s called. Never the less, after a while we decided that The Shadow Archetype should also be the main title for the whole album and it actually fits really well also. I don’t use or have any influences when I write my lyrics, I create my own art. Many musicians love to have influences and write in that way, but I don’t.
SOURCE – What can you share about the recently released video for The Coroner track?
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – Well it’s not really a video, it’s just a promotion video for the album. The Coroner is a great song and we thought that it should be respected worldwide as a teaser for the forth coming album. It’s a story of paranoia, insomnia and chemicals, the days when you feel that everything and everyone wants a piece of you. You feel that someone is staring through your windows or that there is someone outside your door, every noise in the house is frightening. I had many, many Sundays like that.
SOURCE – Five albums down the line. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced?
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – Every album is a huge challenge, it sucks a whole lot of energy from the deepest parts of your body. Writing lyrics is great when the pencil glows but before it really starts to glow and I really find out the red line it’s like you take every emotion, thought or bad experience you ever had, mix and shake it in a big jar, and then throw it out all over your floor. I love/hate it. A really big challenge was of course when Janne and Vesa left the band. Me and Gustaf felt that it was time to work even harder and looked forward to the challenge but Marko took it really hard. Convincing him not to leave the band as well was a huge challenge but we managed to turn him around thank god. He had one deal though and that was if we accepted to bring in Simon Exner on guitar, we said yes on the spot. I have always been a huge fan of Simons other band As You Drown and I also knew that he is very professional and a lovely human being. If there is someone that makes Marko enjoy his guitar it’s Simon. I am very happy that this actually happened, the new album is fantastic all the way.
SOURCE – Metal being the grinding force of Sweden’s rise into global metal, with bands like In Flames and Dark Tranquillity, and later giving rise to various sub genres of death thrash and death core and many others. How do you see Evocation standing out in changing times, do you think metal is here to stay?
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – We always make great albums, we don’t let too many mistakes slip through. Every album is a journey in both sound and style but we never leave our roots. We are always looking for the perfect sound and on The Shadow Archetype I think we really found it. We made a great sound on the Excised and Anatomised EP and kept most of it and just polished it. We will always have our roots with us. To blend this with Gustaf who is a fast musician since Defleshed, Simon with his brutal Deathcore/New School from As You Drown and Me and Marko from the Old School makes us a total band. We have more albums to make I hope and yes Metal will always survive.
SOURCE – Today’s music industry has taken a dip in the sale of physical CD’s/Vinyl’s for instance. In such a scenario, is it too risky for bands to put out an album?
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – It’s not risky for the band, its risky for the record labels. We are not in it for the industry, we are in it because we love to play music. A band will always exist without a record deal, but a record company would never exist without a band. It sucks that the new generation doesn’t value what is important anymore. A 17 year old wouldn’t understand why he or she could pay for the art they enjoy. The Internet is great in many ways and I really love it but the free streaming companies are just pure thieves. I have to admit I don’t buy much albums anymore, but it’s not because of internet it’s because of lack of money and other interests.
SOURCE – Let’s talk about what you and the guys do on a daily basis. Tell us about the others.
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – We work 24/7 on hooker street, beyond the big red eclipse under a dark day sunrise.
SOURCE – Thanks for speaking with us Thomas! We wish you good luck for new album.
Thomas Josefsson (Vocals) – Thank YOU for being part of Evocations legacy and good luck/T 2017.
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