Formed in 2015, Evilon is a Swedish band that merges the power of melodic death metal with the epic spirit of Nordic folk influences. With the release of their third album Ginnungagap, Evilon embarks on a new chapter, led by founding member Kenneth Evstrand. We had the chance to talk with Kenneth about the meaning behind the band’s name, the mythological themes woven into their latest record, the band’s evolution, and their recent live experiences across Europe. Dive into this candid conversation that traces the creative heart of Evilon and their journey from Shores of Evilon to Ginnungagap.
Serial Metalbums: Can you tell us the story behind the name Evilon? What does it mean, and how did you come up with it? What motivated you to form the band back in 2015? What were your initial goals or inspirations at the time?
Kenneth Evstrand: The name Evilon is a wordplay. Initially the band was meant to be called Avalon, according to the myth of the island where King Arthur is buried. We found out there had been a band with that name already so the music we played was kind of heavy/”evil” so a mixture of Evil and Avalon became Evilon. Though we are not evil in that sense. It´s more about Norse Mythology.
The band was started with the intention to make heavy and kind of brutal music. The initial goal was to make good music with the inspiration from bands such as In Flames, At The Gates and Amon Amarth.
A big reason for starting the band I must say also was the creative process that helped me and was therapy because I at that time had a heavy period in my life and was sick. On our first release the EP ”Shores Of Evilon” and also on the first album ”Leviathan” I contributed with some lyrics writing about my situation.
Serial Metalbums: Your new album Ginnungagap has a strong mythological title. Can you explain the concept or themes behind the album to the readers of our zine? How does Ginnungagap differ from your previous releases in terms of sound, songwriting, and atmosphere?
Kenneth Evstrand: The name Ginnungagap is where all life evolved from according to Norse Mythology. This new album is like a rebirth of Evilon, me being the only founding member left so the name of the album fitted with this new start to Evilon with the new band members. The lyrics on the album are also mostly about Norse Mythology themes so the name of the album also summarizes that.
We worked with new people on this album concerning mixing and mastering which took the sound and songs to a new level. Evilon has never sounded better in my opinion! The songwriting on this album is focused on getting catchy songs and a bit simpler arrangements than earlier albums. Still aiming towards great melodies and melancholy but not so complex arrangements. When these songs were written that was the intention at that time. The symphonic elements are more used on this album as well as acoustic guitars which I think makes it sound even more folkish and brings a nice atmosphere to the sound.
Serial Metalbums: What was the creative and recording process like for this third album? Any particular challenges or memorable moments? Are there any tracks on Ginnungagap that hold a special meaning for you personally? If so, which ones and why?
Kenneth Evstrand: We recorded most of it at our own studio like on the previous album. Electric guitars were recorded at home. The vocal recordings were maybe the most challenging because David who has written most of the lyrics knows exactly how he wants the words to be sung, he´s a perfectionist in that matter. The drum recordings also took some time and it was quite challenging for our drummer Robin to record metal songs coming from a more rock background but the final result is very good. I think both Tor and Robin really surpassed themselves on this album and it sounds awesome. Both David and KR, guitar and bass also did a great job on this album!
David also for the first time took upon the job as our sound engineer and did a fantastic job! I´m really satisfied with all of the songs but to pick two: I think the songs Aurora Borealis and Allfather include some of the best both songwriting and especially melodies I´ve ever written.
Serial Metalbums: Evilon blends melodic death metal with strong folk elements. Who are some of your biggest musical influences, both in metal and folk music?
Kenneth Evstrand: At the time when Ginnungagap was written I listened a lot to Nightwish and Wintersun. Nordic, Swedish and Norwegian folk music is the main folk music influence. I always discover new music that inspires me so future music will sound a bit different than this album.
Serial Metalbums: You’ve played some shows following the release of Ginnungagap. How was the crowd reaction to the new songs? Any memorable moments from your recent concerts you’d like to share with us?
Kenneth Evstrand: The reaction has been fantastic so far! Well, we played at a festival in Germany, we had severe sound problems, but we still did an amazing show with the time we had left and the crowd waited patiently while we tried to solve the problems. A really great audience in Germany and the arrangers were also great people so we hope for more adventures in Europe.
Serial Metalbums: What’s next for Evilon after Ginnungagap – more shows, new material?
Kenneth Evstrand: We are performing at another festival in Norway on the 30th of August. I have already written six new songs and another is in the making and some lyrics have been written already.
Serial Metalbums: Looking back at your discography, how do you think the band has evolved musically and thematically since your debut?
Kenneth Evstrand: The band has become more mature in a way, in the beginning the sound and influences were very wide and the songs were very different compared to each other. As the songwriting has evolved over the years I think you can hear a specific Evilon-sound in every song. Thematically it has become more Norse Mythology over the years.
Serial Metalbums: How do you see the current metal scene in Sweden, especially for bands mixing folk and melodic death metal? And how do you see the metal scene nowadays?
Kenneth Evstrand: There are some bands in Sweden doing it well for sure mixing Melodic Death Metal with folk influences. There are not many though. Oh, well I try to be updated on new releases though I'm very picky when it comes to metal music. Recently I´ve discovered a couple of bands that seem very interesting that I will check out further.