Photographs by Amber Vanbossel and Stefaan Temmerman
Artefacts by Aline Gorsen and Jeroen de Ridder
Interview with Colin H. van Eeckhout
Talk to us about the paths Amenra has walked between De Doorn and De Toorn, and the Mass series and With Fang and Claw. Are these two new EPs a kind of reset for Amenra—omens of an ending of an era and the opening of a new portal? Or are they a path back to the roots of Amenra?
Both, I would say. We have been around for more than two decades now, and we’ve started to look back as much as we look ahead. As we were writing these last years, we realized that we were, in ways, torn between where we are now, who we have become, and where we come from. We are proud and immensely grateful to still be here today, surrounded and supported by thousands of kind and kindred followers.
De Doorn and De Toorn are rooted in our own language and soil, ever close to us and our people. We take our time to oversee it all in introspective silence. The sacred and the profane. Embrace the fact that we allowed ourselves to be freer than before, to write whatever flows and comes through us. Disregarding outer expectations and assumptions. It was extremely interesting writing and exploring these songs. As an artist, you always aim to excel, but most important is being truthful in the moment. Always.
Pre-order: AMENRA De Toorn & With Fang And Claw out March 28th via Relapse Records
We see it as a long pilgrimage, with every stop being necessary and equally as important as the previous or the next.
I believe that With Fang And Claw is the preface of our second breath as a band. Writing album after album with AMENRA, and multiple side and solo projects, is a challenge for all of us. It doesn’t get easier. It only gets harder. Mathieu took a step back as songwriter for a few years after having 5 albums under his belt, and suffered from writer’s block for quite a while. Writing albums for Absent in Body, Skemer, and Syndrome was possible, but the inspiration for yet another RA song was absent. He’s now found himself a new well to drink from, and is back amongst us on the frontline. Trauma always brings us closer to each other, pain will always be the catalyst.
There is so much symbolism in your video for “Heden,” directed by Diana Lungu, that it’s hard to articulate the right questions about it! We’re watching a Church of Ra ritual, and religious symbolism has always played a big part in the art Amenra creates as a collective. We’re living in times of transition from strict organized religious codes of conduct to a society that’s opening to more individualistic expression and community based on shared humanity rather than religious or cultural practices. What’s the Church of Ra’s role in transitory times like this?
There is so much in there that it becomes almost irrelevant. You know, with AMENRA, we always like to leave literal content and direction open. What it means to us does not necessarily mean it coincides with what the listener needs or gets out of it. We don’t want to push anyone in a certain direction. We want to trigger, touch someone, set something in motion.
We surrounded ourselves with people we love: invited friends from the past whom we hadn’t seen in years; invited newly acquired friends; some of our sons are in there; our partners — everyone sacrificed time and effort for our sake. It is and was humbling to have 30 people lovingly contribute to a creation. You are watching a ritual of Mercy.
Religion and Spirituality have always been important in our trajectory. We questioned existing religious patterns around us, and tried to deconstruct them into meaningful vehicles for ourselves. Trauma and despair urged us to do so. I think it remains important, and more important than ever, to not put these different forms of beliefs head to head against each other, but next to each another. It is humanity’s attempt to understand Life and death. In “Heden” (meaning “contemporaneity”), we replace our culturally-imposed religion with another: Ours. We celebrate Nature, make of its creations our talismans and symbols.
I also want to ask about the roles of the women and men in “Heden.” We see a group of men worshipping, handing out texts, and communicating silently. There are only two women in this video, one dancing wildly, pregnant, wielding weapons, bleeding and dying, and the other is at the center of the ceremony, with an otherworldly goddess appearance, speaking to her congregation. The men are both worshipping the women and sacrificing and stealing their creations, the dancer’s life and the life of her baby. The women are “loud,” they’re speaking and they’re dancing, and the men are silent. Talk to us about what all this means, what Amenra’s message is with this song and video.
I believe it rather clear this time around 🙂
We have always worked with Balance, and the importance of the Female influence in the mainly masculine scene we operate in. AMENRA always held and holds being vulnerable and powerful at once in high regard. They are equally important in maintaining that Balance. There is a time and place for both, and it is important to allow them both in. I believe and hope we are the last Flemish generation of men that comes from a predominantly patriarchal system, and we believe it is more than time to stand down or step aside and welcome our equals more than ever. The world seems to have taken a step back again in the last years and months, and it is sad and worrying to see it happening.
Another aspect of this video is that the procession being led by the Mother is young. We also believe that the youth is our future and we need to let them lead the way, supported by the acquired wisdom of elders.
The importance of being humble, and being caring for your equals and brothers is also something that is highlighted.
The brotherhood we have built through the years means a lot to us all, we cherish it and AMENRA as our child. We have been together for more than half of our lives
Why was “Heden” the first single you shared from these releases, and what does it tell us to expect from Amenra moving forward?
It quickly dawned to us that “Heden” was the pivotal song of the album, where new and old AMENRA came together. It was the first song we had written for the DE DOORN and DE TOORN “project,” and at first we wanted to release it last. Visually, it also ties both albums and artwork together, symbolizing us now. We realized it was important to set a firm first step towards our future together.
We are currently writing what will become our MASS VII album.
Photos by Amber Vanbossel
Behind the Scenes
Photos by Stefaan Temmerman
