I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: April 5, 2019] Amenra

I had heard of Amenra, but I really didn’t know anything about them.

I had no idea that they were from Belgium, which I find weirdly exciting.  I also didn’t know that they’d been around for twenty years.  In that time they have released six albums: Mass I, Mass II, Mass III, Mass IIII, Mass V, and Mass VI.

They were founded by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove, (Belgian names are awesome).  In this incarnation, they are joined by drummer Bjorn Lebon, guitarist Lennart Bossu and bassist Levy Seynaeve.

I was running a few minutes late when I got to Union Transfer.  Amenra had just taken the stage, but I needed to use the restroom.  The good thing about metal is that it is loud, easily heard in the restroom.  The good thing about Amenra is that they started the show with a lengthy section of almost ambient music.  Over strummed guitar, van Eeckhout clacked two rods together.  His back was to the audience as the tension built.

There were minimal stage lights.  Rather, they projected black and white movies behind them.  I assume they were horror movies.  I didn’t really watch them that closely.  This was such an effective way of lighting the stage.  The whites of the movie were so bright that it lit up the whole stage (better than stage lights ever do).  But when the screen went dark (in whole or part), they were plunged into darkness.

I was standing in front of guitarist Vandekerckhove as he played his chords.  And then he started moving forward.  I knew something was about to happen and then… POW.

The band played about the loudest thing I’ve ever heard.

I have seen plenty of loud bands–bands whose whole purpose is to be loud.  And this was right up at the top.  van Eeckhout started screaming.  He wore a black T-shirt and faced away from the audience.  He bowed and lurched from the waist, distorting his arms and body as he belted out whatever he was saying/screaming.  Mass VI has songs in English, French and I assume Belgian, but it’s all about the intensity.

Throughout the night they played with this quiet/menacing sound that just exploded into a room-thumping wall.

About two-thirds of the way through the show, van Eeckhout took off his shirt to reveal the large black gallows tattooed on his back.  It is a simple and powerful image and represents the band quite well.  It also must have hurt a ton.

Amenra also had some amazingly pretty and delicate passages–I never would have guessed that van Eeckhout could sing like that.  In fact, at one point he faced us to sing the most delicate moment of the night.

But what I’ll remember is that wall of sound and a band that is totally into it.

I don’t really listen to a lot of music like this.  In fact I can’t really imagine sitting down and putting these records on.  But as a live experience it was utterly unforgettable.

SETLIST (about 35 minutes)

1. Boden                                              [from Mass V]
2. Razoreater                                       [from Mass IIII]
3. A Solitary Reign                               [from Mass VI]
4. Plus près de toi (Closer to You)       [from Mass VI]
5. Am Kreuz                                         [from Mass III]
6. Diaken                                              [from Mass VI]