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
Parabol
Amenra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This one, this form I hold now.
Embracing you, this reality here,
This one, this form I hold now, so
Wide eyed and hopeful.
Wide eyed and hopefully wild.
We barely remember what came before this precious moment,
This body holding me, reminding me that I am not alone in
This body makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion.
The opening lines of Amenra's song Parabol speak to the comforting and familiar nature of the present moment. The singer embraces their current reality, finding warmth and hope in it. The repetition of "this one, this form I hold now" emphasizes the singer's grounding in the present moment. The final line, "wide eyed and hopefully wild," suggests a sense of excitement and possibility.
The following stanza underscores the importance of being present in the moment. The singer asserts that they "barely remember what came before this precious moment," choosing to focus instead on the present. The phrase "hold on, stay inside" suggests that the singer is urging themselves to stay present and grounded. The singer finds solace in their physical body, which reminds them that they are not alone and that they are part of something larger than themselves. The assertion that "all this pain is an illusion" speaks to the idea that our suffering is often caused by our attachment to things that are impermanent.
Line by Line Meaning
So familiar and overwhelmingly warm
The present moment feels familiar and comforting
This one, this form I hold now.
The body I inhabit at this moment
Embracing you, this reality here,
Fully accepting the present situation
This one, this form I hold now, so
Continuing to emphasize the importance of the current physical form
Wide eyed and hopeful.
Optimistic and filled with wonder
Wide eyed and hopefully wild.
Uninhibited enthusiasm and excitement
We barely remember what came before this precious moment,
Acknowledging the fleeting nature of time
Choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside...
Deliberately deciding to focus on the present moment and not be distracted by outside forces
This body holding me, reminding me that I am not alone in
The physical body acting as a reminder of connection to a greater whole
This body makes me feel eternal. All this pain is an illusion.
The body provides a sense of continuity and transcendence, and pain is seen as temporary and fleeting.
Contributed by Skyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.