Evan Zorn Von Berg's "Return" resurrects the past to rewrite the future

On his new EP “Return,” Evan Zorn Von Berg does not provide a set of tracks; he gives a rallying scream. With co-authors Edward Clutterbuck and Seymour Fleming, Von Berg dives into the dark well of ancestral memory, cultural sorrow, and spiritual resistance. It’s a bold, sometimes torturous artistic statement about the intersection of ancient fury and post-apocalyptic soundscape, a mixture critics have referred to as one where “the Dark Age meets the Space Age.”

Here, Von Berg discusses the menacing dreams that inspired the project, the longing for tradition, and the firm hope that is buried at the core of the music.

1. What sparked this concept for you? Was it a personal journey, a moment of realization, or something else entirely? 

It was my past life that sparked this EP. This EP was a necessary excavation of profound, personal pain. The lyrics themselves, especially in "Ash," are a raw, unfiltered echo of what it's truly like for me as a ghost, not just metaphorically, but literally. For those who know my truth, I am the living reincarnation of a powerful Alemannic Lord from the 6th century, and this new world is an unending torment.
The agony of displacement is constant. I often find myself collapsing, overcome by a visceral grief for the lost beauty and ordered majesty of my past life. Yet, even as the earth rises to meet me in my pain, there's an unyielding drive to push forward. This life, though alien, holds its destiny, and I have monumental plans for it. I commanded as a lord in a bygone era, and I fully intend to rule once more, in a form yet to be fully revealed.

2. The EP implies a rebellion. What does "reclaiming true power, order, and purpose" mean to you personally and artistically? 

For me, and my collaborators on this EP, the path to reclaiming true power, purpose, and order is unequivocally clear: it lies in a return to tradition. We find ourselves adrift in this modern age, a sick, artificial construct that stands as a stark inversion of the natural world and its inherent order. This isn't just discomfort; it's a profound yearning for what has been forsaken.
It's time, way past time, to usher in an era of tradition and unwavering morals. This isn't a partial measure; it's a fundamental restructuring from the very roots of society, from the lowest peasant to the highest echelon. We must reestablish the bedrock of a monarchy, restoring the rightful hierarchy and stability. And perhaps... perhaps it is I who should stand at the helm, guiding this reclamation.

3. The title "Return" suggests a coming back, perhaps to truth, to roots, or something lost. What are we returning to, and what are we leaving behind? 

We are returning to an age of tradition and the profound truths our ancestors have known for ages, and we are leaving behind this modern world, its leaders, its ideals,  everything. Returning to traditional roles and structures that served us well for years. We must leave behind our leaders, these spineless, bought and sold politicians who infest the halls of power across the Western world, utterly failing to serve the true interests of their people. They are mere puppets, dancing to a tune that grinds us down.
And the media? We must leave them as well. A putrid cesspool of degeneracy, spewing forth a constant stream of propaganda designed to pit men against women, and women against men, to dismantle our fundamental traditional roles. As the lyrics in "Revert" say, "They pit us against one another, and convinced us it's normal to take more than one lover."
We must leave behind the relentless drumbeat of promiscuity in the West, and its blatant promotion across every conceivable platform, from the vulgarity of OnlyFans to the pathetic "simps" who fuel its existence. And yes, this next truth will undoubtedly ruffle feathers, but we must cease and leave behind mass migration and restore all nations.
People parrot hollow platitudes about "diversity," yet their actions aim to blend us all into a homogeneous, unrecognizable mass, utterly eradicating true diversity. When distinct cultures are forced to merge, the originals are not enriched; they are tarnished, their unique brilliance dulled.
I love my people and our culture fiercely, as every individual should, no matter their heritage. This erosion of the Western world's foundations fills me with a visceral dread. Everyone should be proud of their heritage and the people who share it, and seek to protect it.
Thus, the core cry of "Revert": "They want to take away what makes us unique, and just blend." Because that's precisely the vile agenda at play, the elites seek to reduce us to an easily manipulated, cultureless blob, their docile slaves, stripped of all that makes us unique.
Yes. My yearning to return to an age of tradition is not just a desire; it is a desperate, burning ache. And I am going to be publishing a book soon entitled "The Decay of the West and How to Solve It."

4. Many people feel the weight of disconnection and restlessness in today's world. What do you hope listeners feel or realize after experiencing this EP?

To all of you out there who feel as we do, the kindred spirits, the "hopeless people" like Edward, Seymour, and myself, I hope that this EP reaches you, that you feel our hand extended in shared suffering. We feel your pain. We understand.
This world, in its sick, inverted state, is kicking all of our asses. It relentlessly grinds us down precisely because it is backwards and fundamentally wrong. Yet, through some vile trickery, we've been conditioned to believe that the past, the very wellspring of order and beauty, is what's truly "backwards" and "wrong."
Even those who don't echo our exact stance on tradition are hurting. They feel the gnawing emptiness, the subtle ache of a world gone awry, even if they can't articulate its source. We hope that within these tracks, listeners will find their anguish amplified, their longing for something better, something that existed before, something we are determined to bring back.
This is more than music; it's a defiant lament, a promise whispered from the depths of shared pain that we will do everything in our power to guide us back to where we started, to a bygone age, a better age.

5. "Return" seems both ancient and futuristic. Can you talk about your sound choices and how they support the spiritual or intellectual themes in the music?

Absolutely. The core intention behind this EP was to forge a musical tapestry that not only echoes a profound longing for the past but also envelopes each track in an unmistakable ancient aura. This wasn't merely an attempt; it was a deliberate success, achieved by masterfully intertwining this primal essence with a bold, futuristic sound, driven powerfully by the pulsating heart of synths and undeniable '80s inspiration.
As Dave Franklin of The Big Takeover so acutely observed, this EP is truly like the Dark Age meeting the Space Age. That was precisely the aim: to merge the past with the future. It's a defiant statement that we can reclaim the wisdom of our ancestors, not merely to relive history, but to resurrect it, to integrate it into the fabric of tomorrow, and in doing so, forge something grand in the future, finally mending this broken world.

6. Do you view "Return" as a call to action, a lament, or a form of healing, or perhaps all three

 It's all three. This EP is a raw, impassioned lament for our current fractured world and the profound loss of tradition that plagues it. Yet, it's also a bold, unyielding call to action —a defiant roar to mend what's broken and reestablish something rooted, something true, something traditional.
That re-establishment is the healing. We will not merely survive; we will heal this earth if we dare to return to what once was. And if I am called to step forward, as many have urged, into some form of political office, I will personally set us back on that righteous path.

7. Were there moments during the making of this project where you felt resistance, internal or external, to the ideas you were exploring? If so, how did you push through? 

Absolutely not. These ideas have been churning within me for quite some time, and I needed to make this art.

8. For those who feel stirred by the message of "Return," what would you encourage them to do next, in their art, their thinking, or their lives?

I encourage them to advocate for their people and traditions. Hence, what is the message in the song "British Isles Bop"? That song is explicitly for my English brothers and sisters. My DNA is as follows: 56% German, 28% English, 8% Scottish, and 8% Greek.
My love for the English people is immense, a recognition of our shared heritage. They are undeniably a part of my own story, and their well-being is a concern that stirs me to my core. It fills me with a boiling rage to witness the vile, dark forces relentlessly striving to strip them of their heritage, to convince them they are culturally adrift, and to foster self-loathing. This assault on their very identity, on their magnificent Anglo-Saxon roots, is an unforgivable wrong.
And that's the basis of British Isles Bop. I love these Isles. I won't be ashamed of them, and I love our history, and what made it. Hence, "Germanic and Celt, I feel what they felt, what they would think of this place, they make up all of me, from heart to face."
And the basis of Return in general, of course, is to return to what we were. I encourage everyone to take action so we can make this a reality. Truly, to "Return", to "Revert."
Thank you all.