Starting a new post about this amazing epic/atmospheric black metal band from Austria. Please stay on topic.

"Summoning was formed somewhere in 1993 by Silenius (Michael Gregor), Protector (Richard Lederer) and Trifixion (Alexander Trondl) who met in the sort of pub, where they used to drink. Before his activities in Summoning, Protector was playing drums in a kind of progressive thrash/death metal band "Marlignom", that nearly got a record deal at Peaceville, but in that time the band broke up. His very first musical experience was a rock band (he was 15 years old then ) and a four year study of drums in the music school. The musical experience of Silenius was a doom metal band "Shadow Vale"(at 16 years old) and few years in music school studying piano. Before Summoning, Silenius was making music, together with Pazuzu (Ray Wells) in a band Cromm (They made some demos that sounded like Abruptum, but never released anything else). Trifixion played in Pervertum.

The demos sold quite well in a record shop in Vienna, called "Why not". Some times later Silenius got in contact with T.T.(Thomas Tannenberger), who made an interview with Summoning for the local fanzine TAUB (which was the first Summoning interview).They talked a lot and T.T. told that he wanted to form a band of his own, and gave Silenius a tape with some riffs. That was the birth of Abigor. They kept contact and later Silenius replaced Rune (now singer of Amestigon) and did all vocals for all Abigor releases (except the demos) as a permanent Abigor member. As they recorded the first Abigor album("Verw'stung") for the young Napalm Records label, Silenius got in contact with Max from Napalm. They handled a deal with Summoning and soon Summoning's debut "Lugburz" was released on Napalm. That time Summoning members were: Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass; Protector - keyboards, guitar; Trifixion - drums; And Pazuzu made some additional vocals and wrote some lyrics (he also was singing in DM way on demos). 1995 was a very creative year for Silenius and Protector, and gave lots of practising experience for them. They were involved in the following bands and projects, and made these releases: Summoning "Lugburz", "Minas Morgul"; Pazuzu "And all was silent"; Grabesmond - demo (There was also P.K. in it); Die Verbannten Kinder Evas "Die Verbannten Kinder Evas" ; Abigor "Nachthymnen"; Ice Ages "Strike the Ground"; Weltenbrand "Das Nachtvolk"; Sanguis et Cinis "Schicksal"

After they recorded "Lugburz", they kicked out Trifixion, who turned out to be a commercial thinking asshole. Guys did not want to get a new drummer and so they continued working with medieval and bombastic keyboard percussion sounds. The result can be heard on "Minas Morgul". So the band then consisted of: Protector - vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum-programming; Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass.

As "Lugburz", an exercise in raw, Abigor-style black metal, was a "first try", and was totally different from all future material, its follow-up "Minas Morgul" was "the crown" of Summoning creation. It opened new horizons for Summoning and for BM music in general. The album was totally inspired by Tolkien themes (as all their later stuff), and was a magnificent epic/ambient BM. "Minas Morgul" contained much of the material from old demos (of course it was made in a very different way).

The next greatest album "Dol Guldur", came to light at 1996. "Dol Guldur" continued "Minas Morgul" musical and lyrical wise, and surely was the a progression in Summoning creativity. On "Dol Guldur" the music from Protector's dark/EBM project Ice Ages also can be heard ("Over Old Hills" theme is taken from "Trapped and Scared" Ice Ages song).

After this album, Summoning stopped their activity, till 1999.They also stopped their work in almost all other bands.

After a long silence, Summoning exploded with new album "Stronghold" in May 1999, forcing everybody to open their eyes and clean their ears. Album was recorded in "Nachtschatten studio" which is the home-studio of Protector, and was engineered and mixed by members of band themselves.
"Stronghold" surely showed some new ways in Summoning musical experience. On the new album, guest-singer Tania, who has also replaced Julia in Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, appeared in a song "Where hope and daylight dies", which was surely a new step for Summoning.Silenius left Abigor (Vocalist from Heidenreich replaced him) due to the lack of interest and style change, and started to work on the new industrial project Kreuzweg Ost (which is near to be released on Napalm) together with Martin Schrienk from Pungent Stench. Protector left "Whispers in the Shadows", after a new album "November", and recorded a new album "In Darkness let me dwell" with Die Verbannten Kinder Eva's (it was released at 22 of Nov.).

In the year 2001 the follow up "Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame" was released. This release was a kind of combination between the old and new style of Summoning. That means that the keyboard lines had been more epic and polyphonic again while the more complex and melodic guitar-style was more close to Stronghold. This time the band used more spoken-word samples to bring a more dramaturgic style to the songs and for the first time the band works with clear vocal choires on the finishing song of the album called "Farwell". The lyrical concept again was totally based on Tolkiens middle earth concept, but for the first time it was combined with some lyrics from another great fantasy author namely "Michael Moorcock". "

Ah...what a glorious band!

There are two kinds of Summoning albums - Ones that exude Perfection and ones that come damn near close to it.
Personally my favourite is the uber-epic Minas Morgul. I even love that little interlude, Orthanc I'd even venture to say that the drum machine utilized by them fits the music perfectly. I have to agree that Dol Guldur was a perfect album as well. And the three tracks on Nightshade Forests are just brilliant as well. (I'm particularly fond of Kortirion Among The Trees).
To be honest, I'm not too much of a fan of the post-Stronghold albums, even though I listen to those three quite a lot. It's just that I admire the earlier works more, for whatever reason.

Hail Summoning

Aye, hail Summoning!
Dul Guldur, is in my opinion their strongest album, but i appreciate their latest releases just as much. Then again, i dont really listen to their newer albums when wanting to listen to black metal - the ambience, atmosphere and epic-ness just hit that spot.

Also, for those who used to get the error on the band webpage, the band has a new one (same site, different layout).

Sorry, but I really don't see why so many people think that this band is great and special. Their brand of BM has been done to death by so many other bands and totally boring and bland imo. Also what's this with them singing in so-called Orcish (or whatever it is) there is no such langauge as Orcish. I know Tolkien thought up a copuple of words in this make believe language but it is NOT a lnaguage since there are no extensive grammar rules or even an extensive vocab.
But back to the music. To me this is truly one of the most boring bm/ambient bm bands ever to surface on the face of the earth.

Tolkien did actually create the language Orchish, as well as Elven. He once did a speech and said the entire thing in Elf o.O
Your opinion on the band is obviously negative, but it is an opinionated response nevertheless. Mind telling me some bands that "have done their style to death"?

Well I do like them too.But mostly their albums ''Minas Morgul'' and ''Dol Guldur'', it has a feeling I didn't find on other bands.Something majestic and hypnotizing.

I liked them until Stronghold,after this album they became more ambient and while i don't have a problem with that i liked them more in their first period

I think "Oath Bound" is their best album, it's incredibly fresh and blisful. The melodic game is perfect, the instrumental part outstanding... I also like the more raw beginnings with albums like Lugburz and Minas Morgul... yeas, great band. They had lived a progression, I respect them a lot.

Written by ^Necrolust^ on 17.05.2006 at 11:42

Well I do like them too.But mostly their albums ''Minas Morgul'' and ''Dol Guldur'', it has a feeling I didn't find on other bands.Something majestic and hypnotizing.

I totally agree with you here. Summoning make music unparalleled by other melodic black metal bands. It's just so damn epic.

Its good to see there are other people that appreciate their recent releases too!

Summoning are one of the first Black Metal bands i heard to and immediately liked them there music is damn atmospheric and epic and the whole tolkein inspiration in there albums just adds to the spark of theis great band.
Oath Bound there latest release was damn good and probably there best along with Dol Guldur.

Strange.... i didnt even put that title there.

Written by [user id=5399] on 06.06.2006 at 12:14

Strange.... i didnt even put that title there.

I was the one who changed the title, first of all because we should have less "unsorted" threads (like the "band" label, or none at all) and second, I thought it fits better, from what I've heard of Summoning.
I brought it back to normal, sorry

No problem, they do have melodic touches to their music anyway

Minas Morgul and Stronghold are Summoning's best albums. Very atmospheric and somewhat beautiful.I hoping to buy their new album as soon as I get more money.

Changed title to Epic Black Metal. Atmospheric Black Metal doesnt fit.

I bought their latest release, Oath Bound, 3 days ago. I had never listened to such great ambiant/epic music. Totally a slap in the face. The song "Land of the Dead" is a masterpiece. I'm gonna buy some others CD's of them. Any suggestions? Stuff like Oath Bound!!

Stronghold or Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame are the closest to Oath Bound, mostly the latter though. Great songs on both of those albums.

I just got into these guys about 2 months ago, and I am not disappointed at all, such an amazing sound. I cannot get "Land of the dead" out of my head, I think I have played it 450 times by last count on media player....

Great band no doubt about that. The best albums for me are Minas Morgual and Stronghold. I don't like Lugburz and Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame... I don't know they didn't sound very good... for me that is. Anyway a great and unique band. I haven't heard any other band who makes this kind of music.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.05.2006 at 10:23

Sorry, but I really don't see why so many people think that this band is great and special. Their brand of BM has been done to death by so many other bands and totally boring and bland imo. Also what's this with them singing in so-called Orcish (or whatever it is) there is no such langauge as Orcish. I know Tolkien thought up a copuple of words in this make believe language but it is NOT a lnaguage since there are no extensive grammar rules or even an extensive vocab.
But back to the music. To me this is truly one of the most boring bm/ambient bm bands ever to surface on the face of the earth.

Why don't you shove your unbiased and wonderfully smart opinion up your arse and see if it's clever enough to find its way back out. Seriously, your post is top-notch flaming to me.

I have heard hepas about this band but im still yet to know what Epic BM is?? And i have heard alot about their album Stronghold and really want to hear it but my local CD store can not get ahold of it would anyone recomened another album that is better?
matt

Written by Throne of Rats on 08.07.2006 at 12:12

I have heard hepas about this band but im still yet to know what Epic BM is?? And i have heard alot about their album Stronghold and really want to hear it but my local CD store can not get ahold of it would anyone recomened another album that is better?
matt

Try Minas Morgul... their very best IMHO, though whatever you might pick it's pure excellence....

"Why don't you shove your unbiased and wonderfully smart opinion up your arse and see if it's clever enough to find its way back out. Seriously, your post is top-notch flaming to me. "

He is entitled to his opinion.

Some call it opinion, some call it bashing.

Thanks Tyrant of Souls

I got into this band with the mighty Dol Guldur, I immediately loved this band's stuff. I'm downloading Minas Morgul now.

"Some call it opinion, some call it bashing. "

Dont worry, we can say the same thing about his fave bands

The only CD I could find of Summoning was Minas Morgul. What do you guys think of this album?

Written by Throne of Rats on 10.07.2006 at 13:03

The only CD I could find of Summoning was Minas Morgul. What do you guys think of this album?

A masterpiece... Their very best IMO and one of my TOP 5 of all times....