The group began releasing their dark Mass albums in 2003 and have been experimenting with both sound and live shows ever since. In 2013, the ensemble joined Neurot Records to release their fifth full-length album. The label was founded by Neurosis; a band that has been influential in Amenra's style and career.
Their origins were tied to traditional sludge with hardcore elements and shorter songs. They began incorporating post-metallisms into their overall sound with the release of Mass II, the first songs displaying this change of direction being 'From Birth to Grave. From Shadow to Light' and 'Ritual'. By the release of Mass III, they had completely embraced this new sound and composed longer songs.
Their 2021 record 'De Doorn', saw them temporarily interrupting their string of Mass albums because they felt this new record was not in line with what the Masses sound like and represent, De Doorn is different from those, yet still very Amenra-like. This is in part due to second guitarist Lennart's more active contribution to the writing process, something of which he had not done much in the past for some reason. He was feeling very distraught and affected due to Oathbreaker's hiatus (a band where he is the primary composer) so the rest of his Amenra mates wanted him to channel all those dark feelings into an album, an experiment that proved successful. This record itself is also different because it was exclusively composed for a string of special live performances and was only going to be a one-off affair, not an actual Amenra record; however, it turned out to be so good to them, that it eventually became their new record. The final and more distinctive aspect of the record is that it is their first sung entirely in Flemish, their native tongue, which very much fits their music. It was their Relapse Records debut since leaving Neurot Recordings.
Recurring themes in Amenra's music are the duality of birth and death, light and darkness, and pain and sacrifice. The band uses psychological and religious motives. Though calling himself agnostic, Van Eeckhout acknowledges the presence of spirituality and religion in the band's work. Amenra often collaborates with visual artists and choreographers, including Willy Vanderperre and Berlinde de Bruyckere.
Colin's clean vocals approach is very much inspired by the one and only Maynard James Keenan from Tool, something Amenra themselves do not try to deny as they have openly covered Tool song(s), specifically on their live acoustic album. Lead guitarist Mathieu is a self-taught musician and as such, many of Amenra's signature riffing and guitar techniques were devised by him alone, he had to figure them out on his own. Additionally, since Oathbreaker is on indefinite hiatus; their vocalist Caro Tanghe and Lennart's colleague, joined Amenra's roster in 2021 as a second vocalist, something that added a new dimension to Amenra's unique sound. She has collaborated with Amenra in the past so her addition was not that unexpected or out of place/nowhere.
Their style encompasses many aspects of post and non-post-influences and even though their music is not pioneering anything or creating new genres; it's still rather unique and uncomparable, proving to be very influential in the atmospheric and post-scenes, with even some 'copycats' springing around. They have a penchant for quiet clean guitar melodies passages wherein Colin's clean vocals are featured very prominently; sometimes singing, sometimes whispering intertwined with emotional and colossally heavy riffing sections wherein Colin screams at the top of his lungs using a quasi screamo-esque shriek that sounds very desperate and pained in nature. Their riffing style is comprised of semi-melodic sludge patterns, memorable and crushing in nature, very distinct and punctuated by Mathieu's own style.
Members:
Colin H. van Eeckhout (Kingdom) - vocals;
Mathieu J. Vandekerckhove (Kingdom) - guitar;
Lennart Bossu (Living Gate, Oathbreaker) - guitar;
Tim De Gieter (Doodseskader) - bass;
Bjorn J. Lebon - drums;
Caro Tanghe (Oathbreaker) - Vocals.
Former members:
Vincent F. Tetaert - guitar;
Kristof J. Mondy (RDS 220) - bass;
Maarten Kinet - bass;
Levy Seynaeve (Living Gate, Wiegedood) - bass.
Official Site
Bandcamp
A Solitary Reign
Amenra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bury me
To sleep tonight
Your touch divine
I saw distance in your eyes
He came to claim
What was his
And for years you lived
A solitary reign
I retraced
My steps to your embrace
I wanted you to stay
Yet you died away
Your touch divides
I see distance in
In your eyes
Please sing me to sleep tonight
And for years you lived
A solitary reign
Your touch divine
The distance in your eyes
You reside in me
The sacrifice
Like blood seeping through
Your old wounds
I am your old wound
You took your leave
A new life to lead
Torn from you
Inside of you
Mother mine
The most beautiful eyes I could look into
I now see distance in your eyes
You lived a solitary reign
And to all that ever mattered
To all I ever loved
A solitary reign
The song tells a story of a person who sees distance in the eyes of someone close to them and wants to be buried by them to sleep. The person reflects on the past where the person they knew had a solitary reign for years. They retrace their steps to the person’s embrace, hoping they could stay, but they die away. The person sings to be put to sleep, but there is a distance in the eyes, and the touch divides.
The story then takes a twist when the person says that the other resides in them and is the sacrifice. They acknowledge that their existence is like blood seeping through the old wounds of the other person, and they are the old wound that the other must bear. The other person took their leave to lead a new life, but they were torn from inside the person. The person addresses the other as “Mother mine” and admits that even though they had the most beautiful eyes, they now see distance in them, and they lived a solitary reign.
The song is a melancholic reflection of many themes, including loneliness, death, and loss. Amenra is known for their heavy and mystical music and their exploration of different emotions and themes.
Line by Line Meaning
I see distance in your eyes
I notice a feeling of detachment or remoteness in your gaze
Bury me
Put me to rest in the earth
To sleep tonight
For me to find peaceful slumber this evening
Your touch divine
The sensation of your skin against mine is holy or sacred
I saw distance in your eyes
I noticed a feeling of disconnection or disengagement in your stare
He came to claim
What was his
And for years you lived
A solitary reign
Someone arrived to take control of something that rightfully belonged to him, causing you to rule alone for a long time
I retraced
My steps to your embrace
I wanted you to stay
Yet you died away
I went back to the point where we were last together; I hoped you would stay longer, yet you left me again
Your touch divides
I see distance in
In your eyes
Please sing me to sleep tonight
Your touch creates a separation between us, and I detect a sense of aloofness in your gaze; please lull me to sleep with a song tonight
You reside in me
The sacrifice
You live on within me as the offering or tribute
Like blood seeping through
Your old wounds
I am your old wound
You took your leave
A new life to lead
Torn from you
Inside of you
Mother mine
I am a reminder of the emotional trauma you suffered, like fresh blood trickling from pain you thought had healed; you departed to start anew, but the pain remains within you, dear mother
The most beautiful eyes I could look into
I now see distance in your eyes
You lived a solitary reign
Your eyes, which I once regarded as exquisitely lovely, now seem reserved or detached; you ruled by yourself for a long time
And to all that ever mattered
To all I ever loved
A solitary reign
In the eyes of everyone and everything that held significance or affection for me, I was ruling alone
Writer(s): amenra
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.