Well, what could one say that hasn‘t been said about Amenra? Probably nothing by now, because there has hardly been a modern-day Metal band that has a more devoted fan-base following the Belgian masters basically everywhere they go. The upcoming release of their next two EPs will not cause any decrease in their fans‘ affection for the band is back with what they do best: Follow the path they themselves have hewn into monolithic Blackened Post-Metal!

They follow their dedicated fans new music with roots in previous releases. It’s a bit like the infamous hunt for Easter eggs and it already starts with the cover of both records. Both have their base in Amenra’s Mass-series which oftentimes featured the skulls or remains of dead animals – indicating a certain kindred spirit to the ritualistic world of pre-Christian, Pagan society – when spirituality was less abstract and institutionalized but more connected to its surroundings and real-time events.

Musically, we get two EPs which only at first glance are very close to each other – but let’s take it one step at a time. With Fang and Claw is much shorter than its companion release, basically half as long with approximately 14 minutes compared to De Toorn’s roughly 26. That also implies that the two tracks on With Fang… are more to the point and yes, that is true, for they rely on direct impact without too much of an intro, at least not for Amenra standards. ”Forlorn” surely takes about 50 seconds but then the hounds are set upon us, and the Post-Metal gods give us exactly what we were hoping for: Colin is screaming as if he himself has to shake the foundations of the earth trying to line up the axis of our planet correctly. The guitar work delivered by Mathieu and Lennart is exceptional and even has a little bit of Post-Rock gravitas and splendor; those are the guiding lines throughout the track. When ”Salve Mater” starts and immediately pours tons of salt into the open wounds from which we suffer, reminding us that we need to stand this test and time in order to come out a different person at the other end – then the song is certainly a companion and rope to cling to in times of need, even if we have to hit the repeat button a lot for it has a somewhat radio-friendly length of only six minutes. This is by far the heaviest track on these two EPs and one might think whether Lennart’s love for OSDM (which he has also displayed with Living Gate) shines through a tiny bit. Listening to the amazing dynamics on this track one also witnesses the craftsmanship of drummer Bjorn who makes use of probably most parts of his kit here including some very fine, moody cymbal-touches in the calm break in the middle.

De Toorn on the other hand, connects more to their last full-length De Doorn and that not only because of the name. These tracks show Amenra deeply enamored with Dark Folk, moody Ambient Metal and obviously going full-effect on the other side of Colin’s vocals. Not only is he crafting amazingly atmospheric lyrical passages with the help of his Flemish mother tongue (also check out our interview with him about his Flemish roots!) but his delivery is surely on point. That he is able to twice turn himself into the narrator of two separate stories, similar in his storytelling and yet also distinctly different. ”Heden” has a very low-rumbling ambient opening (lasting for more than two-thirds of the track), whose low pulsating heartbeat first has to end before the riffs set in and we are given the chance of yet another perfect Amenra-moment. ”De Toorn (Talisman)” on the other side, has a more Dark Folk-base with some nearly sparkling clean guitars flowing through much of the song and only some moody contributions by the rhythm section accompaniment (again, perfect cymbals, Bjorn!) - the other thing that is shown here perfectly is Colin’s skills as a clean singer; even though he does not make use of it too often, but when he does, then it’s done to perfection – simple not over-performing and clearly meant to support the song and – most important – the song’s lyrics.

Why am I not talking too much about the latter? Because, as with so many Amenra songs, they are very much open to interpretation and can have a lot of different meanings for each of us. When the guitar is slowly ascending to the cathartic release at about 8:30 minutes you can surely witness what I like to call the Amenra-moment, when a whole crowd is moving at exactly the same time in exactly the same kind of slow-motion head-nod coming back in exactly the same way never bending its backs too much or too little. A truly amazing thing, when achieved to the fullest – and believe me, it has happened at every Amenra-show I have seen – it’s just hypnotic and in that sense they are the only ones ever to rival Neurosis who achieved the same effect but with very different means.

Amenra means so much to so many people, they unite a highly diverse fan-base through their music, their rituals, their spirituality – and with these two new EPs we all get what we have been yearning for. Thank you and please provide us with more food for thought and hypnosis for our shaking bodies.