Hi! What inspired the themes behind “Reclamation: Part 1,” and how do they differ from previous albums?
Thematically the lyrics still pertain to many of the same subjects we’ve always touched on – with the introduction of mysticism. Part 1 covers religion and spirituality, existentialism, and also a new subject, War.
What message or tone does “Reverie” set for the rest of the album, and how does it reflect the band’s growth?
I think Reverie was the first time on a full-length record, I set to not emulate per se, but write a song with a specific call back to a previous album, like a companion song. I don’t think I’ve ever had the ability to not recreate or mimic a song before, but still audibly link something so spiritually, in music. To me, as the main songwriter for that song in particular, that felt like growth. It also felt like growth in the writing process of the vocals. It doesn’t have a tenor 1, tenor 2 style note chorus, we focused on the lower range of my vocals which don’t generally get performed often.
Can you share about collaborating with Eric Wing on “Reverie” and how his contribution shaped the song?
Eric is a close friend. They’ve contributed previously on our split with Adora Vivos in 2020 on the song “Leaves Will Grow Anew”. We sent Eric the song with vocals demoed for their part, and then let them take it from there. Performance was 10/10, but we wouldn’t expect anything less from Eric.
How does “Reclamation: Part 1” build upon the foundation laid by “Abreaction”?
Reclamation as a whole expands upon many of the musical aspects of Abreaction. With Abreaction, we set out to complete an album that had the flavor of our previous work with a dash of realism – in that, we wanted it to sound like we do live. We took some of the recipe with us for Reclamation Part 1 (and 2), but didn’t want to limit ourselves either. Very happy to work with our guitar idol, friend and previous producer, Antoine Dufour as well.
Could you elaborate on the recurring themes of nature, dreams, and confidence in the album’s lyrics?
We generally choose these topics when writing lyrics because they’re of so much importance to our lives, and because I don’t attempt to write specifically messaged lyrics. Music is a language that transcends language, culture, race, religions, and therefore I want everyone to find their own meaning in our songs.
What musical progression and experimentation can listeners expect in “Reclamation: Part 1”?
Part 1 will have a sense of familiarity for previous listeners of this band, overall. There are certainly parts of songs where we experimented using more clean guitars, more clean vocals, more acoustic guitars, or focused on performance rather than continuing to add layers.
Where does Amiensus see itself fitting into the progressive black metal scene?
I’m not really sure. We have a group of friends in other bands, and that’s just what they are, friends of ours. Reclamation as the title was chosen however as a proclamation that we are still here, and still creating.
Can you share any specific influences that shaped the sound and direction of “Reclamation: Part 1”
We had an explosion of creative influence during COVID- shortly before and following when our 3rd LP, Abreaction, was finished and released. I think having time to reflect on what by 2020 was already a decade of existence as Amiensus, and with more time on our hands due to the pandemic, was what resulted in such a large project in Reclamation.
What can listeners anticipate from subsequent releases in this series after “Reclamation: Part 1”?
Part 2 will sonically follow in some ways and have connections to Part 1… But explore some of the heavier elements of Amiensus, as well as feature another guest artist on a track.
What’s next for Amiensus? Thank you for your time!
Part 2 of Reclamation will be out in 2024 as well… and then we’ll embark on creating LP 5 along with several other smaller EP’s perhaps… quite a bit of material to explore and release.
www.instagram.com/amiensus
www.amiensus.bandcamp.com
www.m-theoryaudio.com
If you really would like to support Antichrist, you can just Share our article.
You can also support Antichrist by sending a couple bucks to cover some webhosting expenses. =>> PayPal
