Evoken - Hypnagogia (2018)^{Release ID: 3394}

Evoken's sixth album is a WWI-themed concept album. A dying soldier, bitter at being lied to and the circumstances of his death, begins writing a journal of his final hours. A deal with a sadistic god allows him to imbue the journal with a part of his wounded soul, which then causes any who read it to experience his suffering as their own.
The songwriting and musicianship are excellent, as always. The true success of funeral doom, however, ultimately depends upon the atmosphere created - an area where Evoken have always excelled and thankfully Hypnagogia is no exception. From the bile and bitterness of opening track "The Fear After" to the almost wistful acceptance and embracing of fate from closer "The Weald of Perished Men" this is a real lesson in enabling the listener to make an emotional investment in the music.