Amenra is a Belgian band from Kortrijk. 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 Levy Seynaeve. Among a number of other works, they have released six studio albums in the Mass series, the latest of them through Neurot Recordings. The band's unique musical style, characterised by brooding atmospheres and spiritual intensity, is rooted in doom metal, hardcore punk and post-rock. 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
Amenra was formed in 1999 in the West Flanderscity of Kortrijk. The band was founded by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout, lead guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove and bassist Kristof Mondy. The three had been in the hardcorepunk band Spineless that split up in 1999 and wanted to create music with more "heart and soul". The group released their debut studio albumMass 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 existence" at which they "found direction". The band's next "turning point" came when they joined Neurot Records to release Mass V. The label was founded by Neurosis; a band that has been influential in Amenra's style and career.
Style
Sound
Amenra's musical style has been described as post-metal, sludge, post-hardcore, doom and ethereal hardcore. It has also been noted to bear a resemblance to black metal, gothicfolk and post-rock. Remfry Dedman of The Independent wrote that their "avant-garde post-metal" music "push the boundaries of extreme music by being heavy in practically every conceivable way; sonically, emotionally and spiritually."
Themes and artistry
Though calling himself agnostic, 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.
Around the release of Mass III in 2005, Amenra founded a collective of like-minded artists named Church of Ra. These are often friends who share Amenra's DIY ethic and mindset. Church of Ra collaborates with Amenra on art and performances. Some of the group's better known members are Oathbreaker and the Black Heart Rebellion, as well as side-projects of Amenra's band members. In a 2014 interview, van Eeckhout stated:
We started working together in different projects with Amenra and sideprojects Kingdom, Syndrome, etc. When Lennart Bossu and Levy Seynaeve joined Amenra, Oathbreaker and Hessian got 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. New projects CHVE, Harlowe, Caan, Darak, Wiegedood are 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.
