Amenra is a Belgian band from
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Regio ...
. It was formed in 1999 by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove, who now perform alongside drummer Bjorn Lebon, guitarist Lennart Bossu and bassist Tim De Gieter. Among a number of other works, they have released six studio albums in the ''Mass'' series, the latest of them through
Neurot Recordings
Neurot Recordings is an American independent record label founded by members of avant-garde metal band Neurosis in 1999. Gradually expanding, it has showcased a variety of artists including a number of sludge metal, post-rock, and noise bands.
...
. The band's unique musical style, characterised by brooding atmospheres and spiritual intensity, is rooted in
doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
,
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
and
post-rock
Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
. Their live performances, accompanied by visual art, have been described as "entrancing communions".
In 2005, Amenra formed Church of Ra, a collective of collaborating artists which now includes
Oathbreaker and
the Black Heart Rebellion.
History
![AmenRa1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/AmenRa1.jpg)
Amenra was formed in 1999 in the West Flanders city of
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Regio ...
. The band was founded by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout, lead guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove and bassist Kristof Mondy. The three had been in the
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
band Spineless that split up in 1999 and wanted to create music with more "heart and soul".
The group released their debut studio album ''Mass I'' in 2003. Van Eeckhout suggested in 2017 that each ''Mass'' is created out of necessity to reflect on a certain experience or phase in the band members' lives and thus they never know which album will be their last.
He also described 2005's ''Mass III'' as a "keystone moment of
menra'sexistence" at which they "found direction". The band's next "turning point" came when they joined
Neurot Records
Neurot Recordings is an American independent record label founded by members of avant-garde metal band Neurosis in 1999. Gradually expanding, it has showcased a variety of artists including a number of sludge metal, post-rock, and noise bands.
...
to release ''Mass V''.
The label was founded by
Neurosis
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving chronic distress, but neither delusions nor hallucinations. The term is no longer used by the professional psychiatric community in the United States, having been eliminated from th ...
; a band that has been influential in Amenra's style and career. Produced by Billy Anderson, ''Mass V'' has received moderately positive reviews from critics.
In August 2021, professional wrestler
Malakai Black
Tom Budgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Malakai Black. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Aleister Black from 2017 ...
began using Amenra's song ''Ogentroost'' as his entrance theme in
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
.
Style
Sound
Amenra's musical style has been described as
post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture through experimental composition. In a way simil ...
,
sludge
Sludge is a semi-solid slurry that can be produced from a range of industrial processes, from water treatment, wastewater treatment or on-site sanitation systems. For example, it can be produced as a settled suspension obtained from conventiona ...
,
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
,
doom
Doom is another name for damnation.
Doom may also refer to:
People
* Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed
* Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist
* Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher
* L ...
and ethereal
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
.
It has also been noted to bear a resemblance to
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
,
gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
and
post-rock
Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
.
Remfry Dedman of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' wrote that their "
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
post-metal" music "push
sthe boundaries of
extreme music
Extreme Music is a production music arm of Sony Music Publishing. The company creates and licenses music for use in television, film, advertising, and online media. Their library includes music from artists and composers such as Quincy Jones, H ...
by being heavy in practically every conceivable way; sonically, emotionally and spiritually."
Themes and artistry
Though calling himself
agnostic
Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...
, Colin H. van Eeckhout acknowledges the presence of spirituality and religion in the band's work. Shortly before the release of ''Mass VI'', he wrote for ''The Independent'':
We have one story to tell and it is always the same. I always write about life’s pain. I always use personal experiences as a reference to relate as truthfully and as honestly possible, from the heart. I try to bend the darkness into the light. ... From the beginning, our intention with the ''Mass'' albums was to devise a platform for self-reflection, to set a base for introspection; that moment when you’re on your knees and you ask questions that don’t have answers.
Amenra often collaborate with visual artists and choreographers, including Willy Vanderperre and
Berlinde De Bruyckere
Berlinde De Bruyckere (born 1964) is a Belgian contemporary artist.
De Bruyckere specializes in sculpture in various media including wax, wood, wool, horse skin and hair, though she also works in watercolour, gouache, and since the early 1990s ma ...
.
Sideprojects and Church of Ra
Around the release of ''Mass III'' in 2005, Amenra founded a collective of like-minded artists named Church of Ra. It includes friends who share a
DIY ethic
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...
, collaborating on various artistic projects. In a 2014 interview, van Eeckhout traced the development of the collective:
We started working together in different projects with Amenra and sideprojects Kingdom ncluding van Eeckhout and Vandekerckhove Syndrome andekerckhove's solo project etc. When Lennart Bossu f the band Firestone(guitars) and Levy Seynaeve f the band Black Haven(bass) joined Amenra, Oathbreaker ncluding Bossuand Hessian eynaevegot formed. We worked together with Tomas Lootens and Valentijn Goethals from Webecameaware for layouts artwork etc, they are also in The Black Heart Rebellion. Treha Sektori from Paris also works with us a lot. I started talking to him in 2009, and soon thereafter we formed Sembler Deah an Eeckhout, Vandekerckhove New projects CHVE an Eeckhout's solo project Harlowe an Eeckhout, Bossu Caan an Eeckhout, Vandekerckhove Darak an Eeckhout, Vandekerckhove Wiegedood athbreaker membersare being formed. Through the years photographers like Stefaan Temmerman, Jeroen Mylle, Thomas Sweertvaegher worked with us as well, dancer choreographer Thomas Steyaert, visual artist/graphic designer Tine Guns and so much more.
One recurring musician in the collective is Tim Bryon, the drummer of Kingdom, Hessian, and the Black Heart Rebellion. In 2015, Vandekerckhove formed Absent in Body with
Scott Kelly of Neurosis, joined in 2016 by van Eeckhout; they released one single, "The Abyss Stares Back - Vol. V", in 2017. In 2020, van Eeckhout and Bossu released the single "A Faint Young Sun" with techno DJ
Gianmarco Cellini, as Eyes of Another. In 2021, Caro Tanghe of Oathbreaker joined Amenra and contributed vocals to the album ''De Doorn''.
Members
;Current members
* Colin H. van Eeckhout – vocals
(1999–present)
* Mathieu J. Vandekerckhove – guitars
(1999–present)
* Bjorn J. Lebon – drums
(2003–present)
* Lennart Bossu – guitars
(2008–present)
* Tim De Gieter – bass
(2020–present)
* Caro Tanghe – vocals
(2021–present)
;Former members
* Kristof J. Mondy – bass
(1999–2006)
* Vincent F. Tetaert – guitars
(2003–2008)
* Maarten Kinet – bass
(2006–2012)
* Levy Seynaeve – bass
(2012–2020)
;Timeline
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bar:Lennart text:"Lennart Bossu"
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bar:Bjorn from:01/01/2003 till:end color:drums
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Mass III'' (2005)
* ''Mass IIII'' (2008)
* ''Mass V'' (2012)
* ''Mass VI'' (2017)
* ''De Doorn'' (2021)
EPs
* ''Mass I: Prayer I-VI'' (2003)
* ''Prayers 9+10 12"'' (2004)
* ''Mass II: Sermons'' (2005)
* ''Afterlife 10" + CD'' (2009)
* ''Het Dorp / De Zotte Morgen'' (2020)
Live albums
* ''Live'' (2012)
* ''Live II'' (2014)
* ''Alive'' (2016)
* ''Mass VI Live'' (2020)
* ''Acoustic Live (Vivid)'' (2020)
Splits
* ''Vuur / Amenra 7"'' (2004)
* ''Vuur / Amenra / Gameness / Gantz CD'' (2004)
* ''Amenra / Hitch 7"'' (2007)
* ''Amenra / Hive Destruction 10"'' (2011)
* ''Amenra / The Black Heart Rebellion 12"'' (2011)
* ''Amenra / Oathbreaker 7"'' (2011)
* ''Amenra / Hessian 7"'' (2012)
* ''Amenra / Madensuyu 10"'' (2014)
* ''Amenra / VVOVNDS 12"'' (2014)
* ''Amenra / Eleanora 10"'' (2014)
* ''Amenra / Treha Sektori 10"'' (2014)
* ''Amenra / Sofie Verdoodt 7"'' (2015)
* ''Amenra / Raketkanon 7"'' (2017)
Compilations
* ''The Cradle: Demos'' (2019)
* ''A Flood of Light: Soundtrack'' (2020)
DVDs
* ''Mass III (Hypertension Records pre-order special)'' (2005)
* ''Church of Ra'' (2009)
* ''23.10'' (2009)
* ''01.06 (Fortarock 2013)'' (2013)
* ''22.12 (
Ancienne Belgique
Ancienne Belgique ( French for "Old Belgium") is a concert hall for contemporary music in Brussels, Belgium. Located in the historic heart of Brussels, it is one of the leading concert venues in Belgium, hosting a wide variety of international and ...
2012)'' (2013)
Books
* ''Church of Ra'' (2008)
Singles and music videos
* "Nowena 9, 10" (2012)
* "Boden" (2012)
* "Amonâme" (2014)
* "Charon" (2016)
* "Children of the Eye" (2017)
* "A Solitary Reign" (2017)
* "Trahn" (2020)
* "The Summoning" ''(with Kreng)'' (2020)
* "Song to the Siren" ''(Tim Buckley cover)'' (2021)
* "De Evenmens" (2021)
* "Voor Immer" (2021)
* "Day is Done" (2021) ''(Nick Drake cover)'' (2021)
References
External links
Amenra at Neurot Recordings
{{Authority control
Post-metal musical groups
Sludge metal musical groups
Post-hardcore groups
Doom metal musical groups
Belgian heavy metal musical groups
Belgian hardcore punk groups
Belgian post-rock groups
People from Kortrijk
1999 establishments in Belgium
Musical groups established in 1999