Review: Amenra ‘De Toorn’ EP
Patience is something I struggle with and maybe that’s what draws me to Amenra. The band knows how to hold back and keep even one repetitive note interesting. Or how to use the same riff the entire song without seeming mundane. The new two-song EP De Toorn delivers on that front with long drawn-out songs that capture your attention.
Both songs begin at a snail’s pace, with Hedden focusing on the drums. The steady thumping heartbeat keeps the momentum for the droning swells behind. Reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s Speak To Me, the low heart rate is soothing but helps build tension for the inevitable break. Colin H. van Eeckhout utilizes his native Flemish language with soft spoken vocals that comprise much of the track but turn to screams as the music intensifies. The long build up is consistent with Oogentroost, Voor Immer and De Dood In Bloei off the previous album De Doorn which helps tie up loose ends.
This project was intended to close out a chapter in Amenra‘s history and finish where De Doorn started. Van Eeckhout states, ‘We came as close to our cultural heritage as we possibly could and offered the world a glance of where we truly hail from.’ The use of Flemish sets it apart from most of their previous work and puts a focus on the cultural background the EP is centered on. It’s a beautiful piece of art.
the calming sounds of the clean guitar will transport you before the crushing end will make you feel as if your bones are collapsing…
Although I draw comparisons to De Doorn, the opening of De Toorn (Talisman) reminded me of a slower A Solitary Reign. The clean tone with a touch of reverb is one of the best I’ve heard. I constantly strive to get a tone as close as I can to it as it’s a dark yet soothing sound, and even repeated notes sound ominous. Eight minutes of weaving spoken poetry with patient instruments sharpen your focus and pull you deep into the closing track before a moment of silence and a crashing wall of sound erupts through the speakers, leaving you breathless.
If you are new to Amenra, this may not be where you want to start in their discography but once you get hooked on this band (which you will), then the long drawn out intro’s will become welcoming, and the calming sounds of the clean guitar will transport you before the crushing end will make you feel as if your bones are collapsing. And then you’ll want to start it all again.
Label: Relapse Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Josh Schneider
