Summoning

Summoning is an epic/atmospheric black metal band from Vienna, Austria. Their style has been described as Tolkien black metal - not without reason, for the lyrics on most of the albums they have published yet deal with the mythological world of J. R. R. Tolkien. The notable exception being Stronghold, which takes its lyrical content from many of Tolkien's poems rather than directly from his novels.

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 "old fashioned" thrash/death metal band Marlignom, that nearly got a record deal at Peaceville Records, 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 (Raymond Wells) in a band Cromm (They made some demos that sounded like Abruptum, but never released anything else). Trifixion played in Pervertum.

Summoning made 2 demos (Upon the Viking's stallion and Anno Mortiri Domini), promo tape for Minas Morgul and one or two tape samplers with Pazuzu and Cromm. Nearly all songs from demos were never released after or took place on CDs in a very different version.

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 the 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 ("VerwÝstung") 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 crew was: Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass; Protector - keyboards, guitar; Trifixion - drums; 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 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 Evas (it was released at 22 of November).

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 Farewell. 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.

2006 saw the release of Oath Bound, which consisted of all new material. The long break between the latest two albums was due to struggles in the band members personal lives, along with lack of ideas. This album featured a "relaxed arpeggio style" guitar sound, which the gave a more epic feeling to the sound. They also had better equipment available to them for this album and were able to create greater choir vocals than they had done before. A mini CD is expected to be released in 2007 containing at least one song which didn't make it onto Oath Bound due to size issues. However, Protector prefers a new full-cd, but that depends on Silenius' inspiration, for it is his duty to start a new song.