When it comes to ‘our kind’ of Music, the presence of J.R.R. Tolkien has been a constant element. Long before the current hype, caused by the Lord Of The Rings-motion picture trilogy (and now The Hobbit), ‘we’ extracted tolkienish elements into ‘our’ sonic experiments. Bands and projects were named after beings, entities, places, histories etc. from the many stories by this famous fantasy writer, and so were ‘artist names’. Several bands, however, not just used those names to label themselves or their project. They did use Tolkien as lyrical influence for their hymns. Titles of songs and albums were Tolkien-inspired, but the whole textual concept was based on one of the many stories ever written by this Englishman.
The Austrian duo Summoning, for example, is a project that has its lyrical source based on Tolkien’s mythic / mystic / magic / majestic oeuvre. Their first album, released in 1995, was called Lugburz, so one cannot deny that this ‘band’ was tolkienish-active long before the hype. Pro-active visionaries, if you want to.
Summoning, by the way, consists of two guys, Protector and Silenius, who are, or were, involved with several other exceptional aural presences: Abigor, WeltenBrand, Whispers In The Shadows, Sanguis Et Cinis, Kreuzweg Ost, Mirkwood, Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, Amestigon, Ice Ages, Grabesmond, Pazuzu and so on. …indeed, all of them dwelling within the deepest and most obscure spheres of Music, i.e. Symphonic and Nordic Black Metal, Dark Electro, Gothic, Goth Rock, Industrial and the likes. But probably Summoning is their best known outlet to ‘the masses’. As mentioned before, their first full length was released in 1995 through Austrian label Napalm Records, which, by the way, was intensively Black Metal-based during the nineties (think: Amestigon and Abigor, Malignant Eternal, Heidenreich, Morgul, Setherial, In Battle, Diabolicum etc.). A handful of other recordings followed (with Dol Guldur and, especially, Minas Morgul as two of my all-time favourite releases ever!), but unfortunately the duo split up and stopped most existing musical activities to concentrate on others, on new ones.
But praise the One, Iluvatar the Great, without whom… No, just kidding, but can you imagine my enthusiasm? Finally a new Summoning-recording available to please and satisfy my ear drums! And what’s more: I was little disappointed by the evolution as from Stronghold (just a little, for Summoning are unique), but with Old Mornings Dawn Silenius and Protector sort of combine the elements from the earlier years (with exception of the material up to Lugburz, which was much rawer and intensively Abigor-oriented) with the progression they made as from the end of the nineties.
The eight tracks clock more than an hour and sound like some symbiosis of this project’s all-time existence. But especially Minas Morgul and Dol Guldur come to mind, and as you are a smart one, you will feel a subtle hint of enthusiasm by undersigned, not?...!
Old Mornings Dawn opens with the intro Evernight, which rather typifies in sound and performance. As from Flammifer on, you’ll experience the beauty created by this duo, unrivalled and unmatched throughout Music’s history, assembling all former creativity’s superiority by Summoning. …damn, I’m not able to express my gratitude and wonder…
Believe me, if I say that Summoning are BACK! I can list up tens of bands that are inspired by these two Alpine sickos, but after two decades they still prove to be the ultimate masters of Tolkienish Black Symphonics!
Unconditional respect!!!