“There is no more wretched thing in the world than the endless repetition of suffering. The agony, like a dark companion, lingers, darkens the soul, and wraps itself in the very core of our existence.” – Charles Baudelaire

Amenra return with two EPs that highlight the band’s career as one of the most compelling and unequivocally vital entities in extreme music. Titled “De Toorn” and “With Fang and Claw” (out March 28), each of these EPs have distinct soundscapes, songwriting approaches, and emotional weight. The result is a two part journey through Amenra‘s raw, visceral beginnings, and a look into the band’s future as one of the most enthralling and cinematic experiences in the genre.

Amenra now share ‘Forlorn,’ the opening track from “With Fang and Claw”. A stunning short film by artist Amorphokyria who not only stars in the video, but also directed it from Tbilisi, Georgia while the crew and dancers protested their government in between shooting — day and night. 

This video, born from the visceral intensity of Amenra’s music, was initially conceived as a choreographed meditation on the cyclical nature of life and death. Symbolised by a female figure bound to the soil, tethered by the weight of existence. Her hair, bound to the earth, becomes a metaphor for the inescapable suffering woven into the fabric of our world… Her impulsions is not one of freedom, but of a body contorted by the relentless agony of life.

Entombed within the Earth, a graveyard of memories, a womb of sorrow, a reflection of the ever-present birth canal that constantly gives rise to life only to return it to decay. This cyclical rebirth is violent, demanding sacrifice, sustaining only through suffering. As the piece evolved, the initially intended choreography began to fragment, reflecting the broader narrative of disintegration. The visual structure of the film shifted to incorporate moving canvases — layers of symbolic imagery. These canvases, shifting between birth and burial echoes the painful realities of today’s fractured world…

(c) Marcel Melin

Vocalist Colin Van Eeckhout shares, 

“‘With Fang and Claw’ explores our earlier work, and merges with our contemporary being, setting the direction to what will soon become our MASS VII.”  

He continues, 

“‘Forlorn’ made me contemplate our communal past. I reached back and looked at everything we have lived together, how we stayed together through thick and thin. I cherish every single moment we have still. We write it all down, record almost everything that slowly pours out of us. And in due time, we and all will disappear, until there is nothing left of us.”

(c) Marcel Melin

Guitarist Lennart Bossu adds:

“A song often starts as the vision of one person. But with ‘Forlorn,’ Mathieu and I created something that felt equally ours – effortless, natural. Some songs take time to take shape, to find their true form. But this one clicked instantly. Just weeks later, we were already in the studio, capturing what had come to life.”

Recorded in a single session at the same studio in the Belgian Ardennes where the band’s massive “Mass VI” was recorded with Seth Manchester (Machines With Magnets), both EPs herald a new era for Amenra. 

“Pain is the eternal struggle of existence. The catharsis of the spirit is not achieved without first enduring the raw, fleshy torment of the body.” – Hermann Nitsch

‘Forlorn’ credits:

Directed by Amorphokyria
DOP : Roland De Middel
Art director: Papuna Papaskiri
Concept Art: Amorphokyria
Line Producer: Kato Kalatozishvili
Producer: Amorphokyria

1st AD: Elene Grdzelidze
Production Coordinator: Lucrezia
PA: Aleksandre Sanadze (Kata)
Contributor artist & second unit cinematography: Zaza Beridze

1st AC & focus puller: Saba Tetradze
2nd AC & data wrangler: Imeda Tetradze

Gaffer: Tsotne Marsagishvili
Light & Grip: Giorgi Marsagishvili, Davit Sagrishvili, Giorgi Lomidze Driver-Gela Dodashvili

Set dressers: Rati Zhvania, Lasha Zhvania, Dato Giorgashvili
Driver: Gela Giorgashvili

MU artist: Nanuka Lavrelashvili
MU assistant: Anastasia Jashi
Costumes: Amorphokyria & Lucrezia

Performers: Natia Chikvadze, Xosilita, Daphné de Poulpiquet du Halgouet, Andro Kelaptrishvili, Amorphokyria

Set Photography: Lucrezia

Edit & Color: Giorgi Shakarishvili
Color Assistant: Deme Tsuladze

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