NEWS FOR AMEN RA
Amenra present video for their Townes Van Zandt cover „Kathleen“
The new video for „Kathleen“ is out now! It’s the first single by Amenra of the upcoming album „Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III“ featuring Amenra, Cave In and Marissa Nadler, which will be released on April 22nd. „Kathleen“ will officially drop tomorrow.
With „Kathleen“ the Belgian post/sludge metal collective Amenra give a first teaser of the upcoming album „Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III“. On the album Amenra will cover a total of 3 tracks by Townes Van Zandt.
While the original song is decorated with country-esque strings expressing something between longing and lament, Amenra have created a version where the strings are much more reminiscent of the atmosphere at a funeral, the Van Zandt-typical fingerpicking is being more emphasized and singer Colin H. van Eeckhout intones the lyrics with a bright voice on the fine line between hope and despair.
Amenra reduce their familiar sludge metal sound to vocals and acoustic guitar in the three songs selected to pay tribute to the tortured soul at the center of Van Zandt’s work.
„The sadness and despair in his songs are unparalleled,“ says guitarist Lennart Bossu. „We recorded the songs with Gilles Demolder, in his little studio, where he added keys and atmospheres to „Kathleen“ Bossu continues. „After working a little bit on tempos and composition, we surrendered to the songs, and tried to get as close to Townes‘ original intention as we could.“
Check out the video to „Kathleen“ here:
April 14, 2022 in AMEN RA&AMEN RA&TOWNES VAN ZANDT&Townes Van Zandt&V.A. -SONGS OF TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Amenra – Live II available on Bandcamp on the 18th of December!
On Friday december 18th 2020 we will release the Amenra Live II album online for the first time on Bandcamp only. The online release of the album on all streamingplattforms, etc. will follow in february 2021.
The album was recorded at AB, Brussels (Tracks 1-6) 22.12.2012 & De Kreun, Kortrijk (Tracks 7-10) 10.02.2013 by Hein Devos
Tracklist:
1. The Pain It Is Shapeless
2. Razoreater
3. Aorte
4. Boden
5. Nowena 9I10
6. Silver Needle, Golden Nail
7. Dearborn And Buried
8. A mon âme
9. Terziele. Am Kreuz
RASA by CHVE
Before CHVE will join Scott Kelly for their up- comming European tour in January there will be some releases and more dates to experience the world of CHVE. Enjoy!
The debut solo album by singer and multi-instrumentalist CHVE (Amenra, Sembler Deah, Harlowe, Kingdom) is set for an December 18th release.
Colin H. Van Eeckhout is best know when he is surrounded by kindred spirits, but now he steps into the limelight all on his own. This first solo album was preluded by a split 7” he released together with Nate Hall. In the meantime however, CHVE crafted his music and transformed it into a whole unique entity. In stead of the folkish singer/songwriter track he premiered back in 2012/2015, CHVE now solely makes use of a hurdy gurdy and his voice as instruments to dig deep within his own self. This is CHVE on his most vulnerable. Just a man, his thoughts, scars and memories, with his voice and his instrument. The album is magnificently produced by Dehn Sorah (Treha Sektori, Sembler Deah), and brings long soundscapes capturing in ambient and droning sounds what lies beyond what can be grasped by words. CHVE started to build his album out of an empty void. He built layer upon layer, and rebuilt and reconstructed to complete his universe called RASA. The album ended up somewhere between folk, drone and ritual. But above all, the album is a conquest, a meditation and it offers an inward journey, between grief and tears. Watch the teaser film HERE. The album is now available to PRE-ORDER HERE for a scheduled release of DECEMBER 18th. The album will be available on vinyl and CD. 
CHVE Live (more TBA) w/ Ephameron – 07/10 – De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam NL (concert+live illustration) – 17/10 – cc Ter Dilft, Bornem BE (concert+live illustration) – 18/11 – Universiteitsbibliotheek, Leuven BE (concert+live illustration) Q&A – onstage with – 23/10 – Huis23 (Ancienne Belgique), Brussel BE
AMENRA SCHEDULED FOR TWO APPEARANCES AT ROADBURN; TOUR DATES, FURTHER PROJECTS AND OTHER INFO ANNOUNCED
Today we announce the incredible news that the prolific AmenRa shall be performing twice at the renowned Roadburn Festival. With a sonic arsenal behind them that covers a broad spectrum of emotive intricacies, AmenRa are perfectly placed to showcase their diversity at Roadburn 2016. The Belgian band will be playing an acoustic set, with an expanded band of musicians, immediately before Neurosis, on the Saturday, and again will take to the main stage on Sunday night to play an electric set. AmenRa are renowned for the intensity of their live performances; often brooding, always evocative. Over the course of five full-length albums, and numerous split releases, AmenRa have carved themselves a nook in the affections of fans over the past twelve years. Their rhythmic – tribal even – nihilistic bludgeoning interspersed with delicate twists has cemented them as a firm favourite with fans of sludge, doom, drone and everything in between. In 2009 when the band recorded an acoustic EP, entitled Afterlife, and played select shows with this material, they retained their unique atmospherics, but introduced a lighter yet still deeply personal element to their output. AmenRa mastermind Colin H Van Eeckhout explains the motivation behind the EP as “borne out of the idea that we wanted to be able to counsel, speak to and guide our (grand) children long after we are gone”. The performances at Roadburn are currently the only planned live outings for AmenRa in 2016, as they intend to dedicate much of the year to simultaneously writing both a second acoustic offering – this time a full-length release – and the follow up to latest album, Mass V. The band are also scheduled to perform at a series of European dates this autumn, including a date at Amplifest, as well as performances in France and the UK. A band like no other, the sounds of AmenRa are raw, honest and sincere, which often provides a helpful guide to listeners when facing the tribulations of life. With that being said, their live presence is simultaneously visceral yet ethereal, crushing yet cathartic, making these dates not to be missed. The full list of dates can be found below:
AMENRA tour dates:
SUN 20/09: AMPLIFEST, PORTO PO
THU 1/10: DIVAN DU MONDE, PARIS FR
FRI 2/10: L’ASTROLABE, ORLEANS FR
FRI 6/11: BODEGA SOCIAL CLUB, NOTTINGHAM UK
SAT 7/11: DAMNATION FEST, LEEDS UK
SUN 8/11: HEAVEN, LONDON UK
SAT 16/04: ROADBURN FESTVAL, TILBURG NL
SAT 17/04: ROADBURN FESTVAL, TILBURG NL
In addition to writing the follow-up to MASS V – MASS VI – the band are also writing their first acoustic full album, in addition to working on film-scores and music for theatre and contemporary dance performances. Always fully engaged with true creative output, the band continues to work on artwork and visuals to accompany their forthcoming releases too. Outside of AmenRa itself, the band further immerse themselves within various sonic endeavours. Comprising of members from AmenRa, Oathbreaker, Hessian and The Black Heart Rebellion, Harlowe is the remnant of several interesting and great musicians who collided at some point in time, leaving us a mesmerizing acoustic album to be released on 28th September. Mastered by Chris Common (Chelsea Wolfe, Pelican, Palms, Le Butcherettes), further information about the collaboration/pre-order info can be found via Consouling Sounds and you can watch a video of the group at this link. Colin H. van Eeckhout’s 2012 7” split with Nate Hall (US Christmas) has further been revamped and shall too be re-released on the 28th September via Consouling Sounds. This new edition comes with a CHVE ft. Claudia Crobatia cover of Mark Lanegan’s “Bombed”. Further information and pre-orders can be found through Consouling. CHVE will also be releasing his first full length solo album, RASA, via Consouling Sounds, in December. CHVE will also be performing live this autumn alongside Syndrome (featuring fellow AmenRa bandmate Mathieu Vandekerckhove) and Ephameron – the full list of dates can be found at the top of this page. http://www.churchofra.com http://www.ritualofra.com http://www.facebook.com/churchofra http://consouling.be/ http://www.neurotrecordings.com http://www.facebook.com/neurotrecordings
Amenra – LIVE II
Dear friends, We are proud to announce our newest release: Amenra – LIVE II is the second live recording of AMENRA recorded at AB, Brussels (Tracks 1-6) on December 22th, 2012 & De Kreun, Kortrijk (Tracks 7-10) on February 10th, 2013 by Hein Devos. Mixed and mastered by Billy Anderson (EyeHateGod, Sleep, Fantomas, Mr. Bungle) The record includes a song featuring Scott Kelly of Neurosis who played with Amenra in Kortrijk. „The Church of Ra is a place where concepts come to life, a place where visions are frequent and hard work is in abundance. Amenra has been in front of everyone with their hard fought visionary music for many years now. Bringing a new approach, a Family, a truly revolutionary plan of attack to the world of underground music. Heavy, yes, Intense, beyond, but more then all of that it comes back to the tireless dedication and ceaselessly uncompromising sound that comes from these men. I had the honor of not only being in attendance at this show but performing with the band for one song and I can tell you that what you hold in your hands is a testament to all that I have spoken to above. 1000 people in attendance, the most incredible visual presentation I have ever seen in my life, and a band that is at the top of their game right now, recorded in perfect quality. Amenra is among you do not miss them because as all things in our lifetimes the expiration is unknown. Their work will stand the test of eternity, this recording captures a mythical night, with a magical band.“ The tracklist 1 The Pain It Is Shapeless 2 Razoreater 3 Aorte 4 Boden 5 Nowena I 9.10 ft. Scott Kelly 6 Silver Needle Golden Nail 7 Dearborn and Buried 8 A Mon Âme 9 Terziele / Am Kreuz The record comes in beautiful screen-printed cover, hand-printed by Fabian Lauer of serigrafie-lauer.de incl a poster and sticker. For more details: Amenra – Live II. Now exclusively available at My Proud Mountain webshop, in stores from May 1st, 2015.
2x LP: http://bit.ly/1DPwV0M
Download: http://bit.ly/1NxP9Zn
