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| (Poster design by Valentijn Goethals/ Tomas Lootens/Fraiskette Art by Aline Gorsen) |
Following the release of Alive - AMENRA’s live acoustic album recorded at Ancienne Belgique (Brussels, BE) - the band will, for the first time, dedicate a full tour to their acoustic sounds by wandering these breathtakingly solemn sonic invocations across Europe during February 2017.
Entirely stripped back from their electric mass, these shows offer AMENRA at their most vulnerable yet an overwhelming sense of beauty, dark tranquillity and mindful rest blooms in their acoustic congregations, as those who have already witnessed shall attest to. The first round of dates are listed below, having experienced this at Roadburn earlier this year, we implore you to join AMENRA on these occasions:
AMENRA ALIVE ACOUSTIC DATES 2017
17/02 - Oberhausen DE, Drucklufthaus
18/02 - Berlin DE, Lido
19/02 - Gdansk PL, B90
20/02 - Warsaw PL, Progresja
21/02 - Wroclaw PL, Firlej
22/02 - Prague CZ, Futurum
23/02 - Innsbruck AU, PMK
24/02 - Milan IT, Santeria Social Club
25/02 - Lausanne CH, Les Docks
26/02 - Karlsruhe DE, Jubez
17/03 - Leeuwarden NL, Neushoorn
18/03 - Eindhoven NL, Effenaar
19/03 - Utrecht NL, Tivoli
Alive was initially released in April at Roadburn Festival 2016, where the band adorned the Tilburg masses with an acoustic set of which you can now watch in its entirety. The release also comes seven years since AMENRA’s first acoustic release – 2009’s Afterlife EP. A counterpoint to the band's Mass series, Alive features brand new compositions and cover songs, as well as appearances from special guests and additional musicians. Mastered by Frederic Alstadt, AMENRA show that heaviness and darkness does not always require significant amplification but can be found in our own mindfulness, reflectiveness and an honesty to the self.
In addition to the full Roadburn acoustic set linked above, you can further get a taste of AMENRA’s acoustic guidance with the video for the stripped version of Mass IIII’s ‘Razoreater’, an eight-minute insight into a 2015 acoustic show at Saint-Jean Church (Fribourg, CH) and a cover of Flemish folk artist’s Zjef Vanuytsel’s “Het Dorp”.
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| (photo credit: Eric Luyten) |
AMENRA are ever prolific, expanding their sonics into the collective that is the Church of Ra. Outside of AMENRA itself, vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout has a new live solo release, 10910, incoming November 11th with pre-orders going live on October 3rd via Consouling Sounds. Inspired by his latest studio release, RASA, CHVE found these tracks manifested organically and distinctively once on stage. 10910 was recorded in one take during a busy Saturday afternoon in Ghent (BE), immediately being cut to vinyl afterwards. Mixed by Aaron Harris (ISIS, Palms etc.), mastered by Frederik Dejongh (CHVE, The Black Heart Rebellion, Syndrome, etc.) and the visual art direction comes from a collaboration between CHVE and Tine Guns. You can catch CHVE live during November, will the full list of dates being found at CHVE’s official Facebook page.
Guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove has also recently released a new LP under his solo moniker Syndrome, entitled Forever and A Day aptly following his 2012 release Now and Forever (both via Consouling Sounds). His instrumental, intricate and introspective journey continues with this new release, consisting again of one song that taps in meditative yet dark drones, ambience and melody. Syndrome shall lend support to a handful of dates on the November Alcest/Mono European tour in addition to solo shows, with a full list at his official Facebook page.
Fellow guitarist Lennart Bossu has further seen a new record break dawn of day with the hardcore/black metal crossover outfit Oathbreaker. The highly anticipated Rheia is enticingly unique and takes a great leap forward for the quartet with its concoction of seething sonic twistings, melodic hummings and impenetrable atmospheres, out now via Deathwish Inc. The band are currently supporting Skeleton Witch across the US whilst the Rheia release tour travels across Europe this November/December with Wife in support – all dates can be found at the Deathwish Inc. website.
For a more detailed round up of all this news, please check out the links below, and enjoy the bounty that these talented musicians bring, time and time again...
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