Amenra

Amenra was formed in 1999 in the West Flanders city of Kortrijk. It was founded by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout, lead guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove and bassist Kristof Mondy. The three had been in the hardcore punk band Spineless that split up in 1999 and wanted to create music with more "heart and soul".The group released their debut studio album Mass I in 2003. Van Eeckhout suggested in 2017 that each Mass is created out of necessity to reflect on a certain experience or phase in the band members' lives and thus they never know which album will be their last. The label was founded by Neurosis; a band that has been influential in Amenra's style and career. Produced by Billy Anderson, Mass V has received moderately positive reviews from critics. Amenra's fourth album Mass VI was released in 2017 and became the band's first to enter the Belgian Album Chart, at No. 19. For the band's fifth album De Doorn, released in 2021, Oathbreaker lead singer Caro Tanghe contributed as an additional vocalist. De Doorn entered the Belgian Album Chart at number three, behind only Camille Dhont and Olivia Rodrigo. It was the band's first album on the American label Relapse Records. It was also the band's first album to feature lyrics sung entirely in Dutch, specifically the Flemish dialect. In August 2021, professional wrestler Malakai Black began using Amenra's song "Ogentroost" as his entrance theme in All Elite Wrestling. On 28 March 2025, Amenra released two EPs, De Toorn and Of Fang and Claw, on Relapse Records. From 26 to 30 March 2025, Amenra played five consecutive sold-out shows at the 2,000-capacity Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. == Style ==

Remfry Dedman of The Independent wrote that the band's "avant-garde post-metal" music "push[es] the boundaries of extreme music by being heavy in practically every conceivable way; sonically, emotionally and spiritually." Amenra's live shows are known for their intensity and heavy themes. It has been said that "An Amenra concert has an emotional charge that is just as heavy as a funeral." Though calling himself agnostic, Colin H. van Eeckhout acknowledges the presence of spirituality and religion in the band's work. Shortly before the release of Mass VI, he wrote for The Independent: and Berlinde De Bruyckere. == Church of Ra ==

Around the release of Mass III in 2005, Amenra founded a collective of like-minded artists named Church of Ra. It includes friends who share a DIY ethic, collaborating on various artistic projects. In a 2014 interview, van Eeckhout traced the development of the collective: We started working together in different projects with Amenra and sideprojects Kingdom [including van Eeckhout and Vandekerckhove], Syndrome [Vandekerckhove's solo project], etc. When Lennart Bossu [of the band Firestone] (guitars) and Levy Seynaeve [of the band Black Haven] (bass) joined Amenra, Oathbreaker [including Bossu] and Hessian [Seynaeve] got formed. We worked together with Tomas Lootens and Valentijn Goethals from Webecameaware for layouts artwork etc, they are also in The Black Heart Rebellion. Treha Sektori from Paris also works with us a lot. I started talking to him in 2009, and soon thereafter we formed Sembler Deah [van Eeckhout, Vandekerckhove]. New projects CHVE [van Eeckhout's solo project], Harlowe [van Eeckhout, Bossu], Caan [van Eeckhout, Vandekerckhove], Darak [van Eeckhout, Vandekerckhove], Wiegedood [Oathbreaker members] are being formed. Through the years photographers like Stefaan Temmerman, Jeroen Mylle, Thomas Sweertvaegher worked with us as well, dancer choreographer Thomas Steyaert, visual artist/graphic designer Tine Guns and so much more. One recurring musician in the collective is Tim Bryon, the drummer of Kingdom, Hessian, and the Black Heart Rebellion. In 2015, Vandekerckhove formed Absent in Body with Scott Kelly of Neurosis, joined in 2016 by van Eeckhout; they released one single, "The Abyss Stares Back – Vol. V", in 2017. In 2020, van Eeckhout and Bossu released the single "A Faint Young Sun" with techno DJ Gianmarco Cellini, as Eyes of Another. In 2021, Caro Tanghe of Oathbreaker joined Amenra and contributed vocals to the album De Doorn. == Members ==

Current members • Colin H. van Eeckhout – lead vocals (1999–present) • Mathieu J. Vandekerckhove – lead guitar (1999–present) • Bjorn J. Lebon – drums (1999–present) • Lennart Bossu – rhythm guitar (2008–present) • Amy Tung Barrysmith – bass (2025–present; touring musician 2024) Former members • Kristof J. Mondy – bass (1999–2006) (touring member 2009) • Vincent F. Tetaert – rhythm guitar (2003–2008) • Maarten Kinet – bass (2006–2012) (touring member 2014, 2024) • Levy Seynaeve – bass (2012–2020) • Tim De Gieter – bass, backing vocals (2020–2024; touring musician 2017–2020) • Caro Tanghe – vocals (2021; touring musician 2009, 2012) Former touring musicians • Kristof J. Mondy – bass (2009) • Gilles Demolder – rhythm guitar (2009) • Thomas Vandingenen – percussion (2009) • Maarten Kinet – bass (2014, 2024) • Femke de Beleyr – violin (2014, 2024) • Sofie Verdoodt – backing vocals (2014) • Tim De Gieter – bass (2017–2020) • Amy Tung Barrysmith – bass (2024) Timeline == Discography ==

Studio albums • Mass III (2005) • Mass IIII (2008) • Mass V (2012) • Mass VI (2017) • De Doorn (2021) • Skunk (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2024) EPs • Mass I: Prayer I-VI (2003) • Prayers 9+10 (2004) • Mass II: Sermons (2005) • Afterlife (2009) • Het Dorp / De Zotte Morgen (2020) • De Toorn (2025) • With Fang and Claw (2025) Live albums • Live (2012) • Live II (2014) • Alive (2016) • Mass VI Live (2020) • Acoustic Live (Vivid) (2020) • Live at Dunk!2021 (2022) Remixed albums • De Doorn (Version 2) (2022) Splits • Vuur / Amenra 7" (2004) • Vuur / Amenra / Gameness / Gantz CD (2004) • Amenra / Hitch 7" (2007) • Amenra / Hive Destruction 10" (2011) • Amenra / The Black Heart Rebellion 12" (2011) • Amenra / Oathbreaker 7" (2011) • Amenra / Hessian 7" (2012) • Amenra / Madensuyu 10" (2014) • Amenra / VVOVNDS 12" (2014) • Amenra / Eleanora 10" (2014) • Amenra / Treha Sektori 10" (2014) • Amenra / Sofie Verdoodt 7" (2015) • Amenra / Raketkanon 7" (2017) • Songs of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III" (Amenra, Marissa Nadler & Cave In) (2022) Compilations • The Cradle: Demos (2019) • A Flood of Light: Soundtrack (2020) DVDs • Mass III (Hypertension Records pre-order special) (2005) • Church of Ra (2009) • 23.10 (2009) • 01.06 (Fortarock 2013) (2013) • 22.12 (Ancienne Belgique 2012) (2013) Singles and music videos • "Nowena 9|10" (2012) • "Boden" (2012) • "Amonâme" (2014) • "Charon" (2016) • "Children of the Eye" (2017) • "A Solitary Reign" (2017) • "Trahn" (2020) • "The Summoning" (with Kreng) (2020) • "Song to the Siren" (Tim Buckley cover) (2021) • "De Evenmens" (2021) • "Voor Immer" (2021) • "Day is Done" (2021) (Nick Drake cover) (2021) • "Roads" (2022) (Portishead cover) (2022) • "Forlorn" (2025) • "Heden" (2025) • "De Toorn (Talisman)" (2025) • "Salve Mater" (2025) == Books ==

• Church of Ra (2008) == References ==