acoustic / alternative / sludge

If this was any other AmenRa release, I probably wouldn't have started this review today. Today, I don't feel so good, at least not well enough to face a massive amount of drones, screams, fuzz and resonance. A virus or some bacteria are keeping me away from musical brutality today, giving me a headache, a waterfall of snot and a sore throat. Yet, this is no ordinary AmenRa release, not in the crushing and fierce way most people know these guys.

In 2009, AmenRa released the acoustic ep 'Afterlive',  which showed a completely different side of the band. Five years later, they played a number of acoustic sets, reinterpreting their own songs in an intimate setting. The performances were recorded on tape, to be released by Consouling Sounds. On this album, you can also find collaborations with Belgian poet Sofie Verdoodt and two amazing cover versions.

One of those cover versions is the gloomy 'Parabol', originally a Tool song. It's  a chilling version which reminds me a bit of Colin's (vocals) solo work in CHVE. However, the cover I was most looking forward to, is their rendition of 'Het Dorp' by Belgian singer/songwriter Zjef Vanuytsel who passed away last December. This cover is a true tribute to Vanuytsel where AmenRa perfectly captured the original atmosphere of the "kleinkunst" song. This is a stunning tearjerker.

The other tracks aren't any less interesting by the way. Even in an acoustic setting, AmenRa manage to create a dark, heavy and immersive atmosphere. 'Buiten Datum', another Dutch song (or poem), is one of my favorites here It reminds me a bit of some of Tiamat's best works or Anathema's emotional ballads. 'Wear My Crown' is another brilliant piece of music, another highlight on this album.

In all, this is a beautiful album, showing how talented the guys from AmenRa really are. Here and there I'm even reminded of Neil Young, certainly in the song 'Aorte'. I never thought a sludge metal band would remind me of Neil Young or Tom Petty or even Johnny Cash. But then again, this ain't no sludge album, this is a testament about how talented, innovative and creative Belgian artists really are. So check it out, even if you're not an AmenRa fan. This is top level musicianship...


Serge

folk / acoustic

​After all the musical violence I've been through today, I needed something calm and soothing.  So when I noticed this 'soundtrack' in my downloads folder, I didn't hesitate.  After all, beautiful things have been done with acoustic guitars over the past few hundred years or so.  Besides, when the artists mentions ambient, drones and noise in his review submission I usually get quite interested.  

Jonathan Fraser is a musician from Huntington Beach, California, mainly experienced in guitar.  In 2009 he started working on this solo project an several releases have seen the light of day ever since.  This soundtrack for an imaginary giallo film is a gloomy, melancholic piece of work.  The term "giallo" is used to refer to a particular style of Italian-produced murder mystery film which often includes elements of horror fiction and eroticism (according to Wikipedia).  So yes, it fits quite well with this type of movies.

While the album opens with an eerie intro, indeed reminding me of old horror b-movie soundtracks, most of the album constists of acoustic guitar sounds.  These often nugde towards folk music but also incorporate some influences from jazz and post-rock.  Upon these strums, sometimes layers of soundscapes grow, enhancing the melancholic atmosphere.  On other occasions vocal samples, flutes or other instruments are being used, adding a lot of variation to the album.  The variation is quite welcome actually since this album is almost two hours long.

Although there's very few percussion elements, most of the songs have a clear, easy-to-tap-along rhythm.  The rhythm often gains a repetitive, hypnotic element which is quite interesting if you ask me.  It makes the whole enjoyable for the entire duration, especially when an array of different instruments alternate with the guitars.  So if you like acoustic guitar music in the vein of Nick Drake, Rodrigo y Gabriela or Andrés Segovia you might want to check it out, although I think in that case you won't like the black metal version of 'The Dance Arrested' at the end.


Serge