Album Review: Amenra - De Doorn
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
Championed by amongst others, the excitable Scot Gavin McInally of Damnation Festival, I realised that shamefully, I knew little about the Belgian outfit Amenra. Their first album on Relapse Records and the first release since 2017’s ‘Mass VI’ has provided me with a chance to rectify that. It’s a journey that I’ve had to dive deep into, and I apologise in advance to any loyal fans of the band, because in many respects, capturing the intensity that the band generate is a near impossible task. My other challenge with this review, was having a meagre knowledge of the band’s back catalogue. This meant taking ‘De Doorn’ at face value, and somewhat crassly having to ignore the 21-year history and evolution of Amanra’s sound and delivery.
It's unsurprising that Amenra engage such religious devotion. ‘De Doorn’ is an almost spiritual experience, even in the digital form. You can envisage the audience at the band’s shows investing totally in the experience. There are no half measures. I initially drew comparisons with fellow Belgians Weigedood and the US black metal titans Wolves in the Throne Room, both of whom captivate and mesmerise in the live arena.
The album opens with ‘Ogentroost’. A ten-minute plus movement, the shift from initial brooding atmospherics into the climatic screaming conclusion sees a sonic journey that rages, soars, dips and climbs in an at times frenzied state. The opening minutes are deep in scene setting, the deep breathing of a resting giant as the tension slowly winds, the strings and echoing solo guitar providing an eerie soundscape. Sung entirely in Flemish, the spoken word of frontman Colin H Van Eeckhout lingers as the first guitar chords finally crash into play, the harrowing screams of Van Eeckhout chilling to the marrow. Oathbreaker’s Caro Tanghe adds her vocals which mix in an intoxicating brew, but there is no clear path or destination. The flow is completely organic, and the option is simple: go with the flow as the song breaks into a dramatic middle section which intoxicates. A shift of tempo sees the pace slow, but the heaviness remains, the ghostly delivery of Tanghe providing a further textured layer to the climax.
The swirling segues into ‘De Dood In Bloei’ draws you deeper. The shortest track by several minutes, this is pure departure. Ambient sounds envelope without clear shape or form, gentle whispered words drop deliciously, loaded with emotion. The change to ‘De Evenmens’ is jarring. A crashing riff, smashing cymbals and more harrowed screaming vocals lead into a bone-crunching post metal movement, high on intensity and dramatic interplay. At this point the Flemish words are irrelevant, the intimacy of the feeling conveyed through the atmospheric sounds that resonate. A calmer pace ensues, almost doom-like in feel, but there is a tension that never ceases and halfway through the drama returns, soaring clean vocals emerge like figures from a mist before further screams conclude the song.
Penultimate track ‘Het Gloren’ clocks in at 11:31 but is surpassed in length by the final track ‘Voor Immer’. ‘Het Gloren’ picks up where ‘De Evenmens’ finishes, more gargantuan riffs, and the continued extreme delivery of Van Eeckhout jostling for position without ever threatening hostility. Halfway through everything changes. The screams and riffs cease. A rumbling of distant percussion, a gentle guitar and spoken word replace the crushing sound, providing brief respite. It remains dark and foreboding during ‘Voor Immer’, seismic charged bass notes rumble beneath a tremolo riff that slowly bursts into doom laden heaviness.
By now I’ve come to realise that Amanra aren’t about songs, they are about presenting an experience, one which the listener can draw their own conclusions and immerse themselves in. Closing one’s eyes, allowing yourself to submerge into the atmospheric content, this is all part of the ritual. ‘De Doorn’ is a voyage, a mysterious woven tapestry which takes inspiration from Flemish forms such as Kleinkunst, a folk-based musical wave driven by storytelling, and the passing of wisdom through generations.
I’m not sure I’m any closer to getting under the skin of this astonishing band but I certainly feel more aligned to their music and their ethos. It’s fascinating and intimidating, ferocious yet calming in equal parts. It’s a journey that I’d recommend you take. Soon.
