Album pick, August 2026
After spending most of my summer abroad and having finally returned back to Belgium, even if it is only for a little while, I thought it would be the ideal opportunity to pick a Belgian band for this month.
Since, by now, my taste in music should be quite clear, you should be able to guess which album I am picking for this month! If not this is your opportunity to close a gap in your musical knowledge. My pick for this month is “De Doorn” by Amenra, and specifically the “Alternate Mix”.
Album cover
I think (and hope) that I don’t have to introduce Amenra. This band is one of the largest and most famous bands in the Belgian (doom) metal scene.
“De Doorn” is the first album after the infamous “Mass” series of albums, this is also the first album that is sung entirely in Dutch. Frontman Colin, discovered that Dutch (his native language), gave him more freedom. He has said himself that it allowed him to go deeper, use words with multiple meanings and it allowed him to be more poetic.
This is also what attracts me so much in this album, the way similar sounding words are used in rhymes, yet these words have entirely different meanings. Two lines sound nearly identical, yet have completely opposite meanings. Creating a very harsh contrast, in both the words and the music!
Why did I specifically choose the “Alternate Mix”? The original mix has a balanced sound, which is more suited for an album. The alternate mix is much more a real representation of their live performances. The entire mix is on the edge of breaking apart. This only adds to the contrast and tension of this album and its contents.
The album isn’t shy about taking its time to get going, but once the dam finally breaks, the sound is very heavy and you just have to let it roll over you. In strategic places, Amenra has left spaces to catch your breath, before diving back into the deep end!
Other than that I won’t spoil too much about the album, you just have to listen to the album. However, I can say that it is best to play this album a bit louder and with decent speakers or headphones. There is so much hidden in the sound and voices, that is completely lost on average speakers.
If you have a chance, you should definitely take a moment to read through the lyrics. Translating the lyrics into english, however, looses a lot of these double meanings and contrasting words…
If I had to pick a single track to choose as my favourite, I would have to pick “De Evenmens”; this is also the only track where they immediately get going. There is no slow ramp-up. As soon as the track starts, it is ready to roll over you.