Band: Summoning
Genre: Epic Black Metal
Discography: "Lugburz" (1995), "Minas Morgul" (1995), "Dol Guldur" (1996), "Nightshade Forests" (EP, 1997), "Stronghold" (1999), "Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame" (2001), "Lost Tales" (EP, 2003), "Oath Bound" (2006).
Originality does not come often in the metal scene. Although you can hear a lot of good albums, the sensation of "that´s been done before" always is present. So when I first heard the austrian band Summoning, it hit me right in the face with its totally innovative music and grandiose atmosphere. I was even more impressed when i found out that there were only two guys listed as the band members, they called themselves Protector (Richard Lederer: Vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming) and Silenius (Michael Gregor: Vocals, keyboards, bass).
Summoning´s music is so original that I can not think of a sound-alike to compare them with. They play Epic Black Metal, although that label does not tell much about the dimension of what we are talking about. The first rarity about Summoning´s music is that it is not guitar-driven as metal usually is. The keyboards are omnipresent and majestic. They carried almost all the melodic weight and the epic feeling that emanates from every note. The guitar and bass are use only for background and rhythm purpose except for some occasions when the guitar takes the lead with a main melody or interlude.
The percussion (no conventional metal drumming can be found in here) diserves a paragraph of its own. The drums are programmed and they are low tempo, varied and extremely epic and original. There are no use of common formulas and they create the strong feeling in the listener that he/she is experiencing something completely new and out of the ordinary.
The vocals are of different varieties as the music requieres them to be. There are typical black metal grunts, chorus, talked passages, female clean vocals, epic clean male vocals, etc. The lyrics tell tales of battles, wizards, heroes and other fantastic and magic themes (some of them are based in Tolkien´s "Lord Of The Rings").
All of Summoning´s albums are very good (except for Lugburz, in wich the music is more orientated to early black metal) but in my opinion the band reached their pick of innovation and creativity in the perfect and awesome "Stronghold", a personal favorite and sure candidate of best metal album of all times.
A great and unique band indeed.
Download Summoning´s discography here
Song: "Like Some Snow-White Marble Eyes" from "Stronghold"
How countless they congregate
O'er our tumultuous snow
Which flows in shapes as tall as trees
When wintry winds do blow
As if with keenness for our fate
Our faltering few steps on
To white rest, and a place of rest
Invisible at dawn
And yet with neither love nor hate
Those stars like some snow-white
Morgoth snow-white marble eyes
Without the gift of sight
Upon this star I fixed my eye
All over the wide land
My horse moved on, hoof after hoof
He raised and never stopped
When down behind the cottage roof
At once the planet dropped
