Endura (band)

Endura
Also known as AbRAXAS
Genres Dark ambient, death ambient
Years active 1993 (1993)–1999
Associated acts Ontario Blue
Past members
Stephen Pennick, Christopher Walton

Endura (sometimes written Endvra) was a dark ambient band that was active during the 1990s.[1] The band had only two members, Stephen Pennick and Christopher Walton. The name of the band comes from the Cathars' practice of ritualistic fasting to speed death.[2]

Contents

History

Pennick and Walton met in early 1993.[3]

Walton was "once chased out of France"[3] after showing videos of hardcore violence and pornography at an industrial music festival.[3] He has referred to himself as a misanthrope.[3]

Style

Endura mixes elements of ambient music with tribal rhythms, chants, moans, and sounds effects such as rattling chains and echoes. Their style has been described as "combining synthesizers reminiscent of Tangerine Dream with (un)healthy doses of Aleister Crowley, H.P. Lovecraft, and psychedelic drugs",[2] "absolutely haunting and dark",[4] or simply "Neoclassical".[5] Walton has stated that Pennick has more melodic talent while Walton himself is more conceptual.[3]

Partial discography

Year Title Label Notes
1994 Hexe[6] Enlightenment Communications as AbRAXAS, cassette only
1994 Dreams Of Dark Waters[6] Nature & Art
1995 Dark Projections From An Ancient Nature[6] Psychotic Reactions cassette only
1996 The Dark Is Light Enough[6] Allegoria
1996 Liber Leviathan[6] Aesthetic Death
1996 Black Eden[6][7] Red Stream
1996 Ard Inn Ar[6] Old Europa Cafe cassette only
1997 Great God Pan[6][8] Misanthropy Records/Elfenblut
1998 The Watcher[7] Red Stream
1999 Elder Signs[7] Red Stream double CD set

References

  1. ^ "Endura on iTunes". http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/endura/id252864219. Retrieved March 20, 2010. 
  2. ^ a b Hensley, Chad. "Interview with Endura". Esoterra Magazine. http://www.esoterra.org/endura.htm. Retrieved March 19, 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c d e Southgate, Troy. "Christopher Walton of Endura". Synthesis.com. http://www.rosenoire.org/interviews/endura.php. Retrieved March 19, 2010. 
  4. ^ "Black Eden Review". Sea of Tranquility. January 1, 2004. http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=1641. Retrieved March 20, 2010. 
  5. ^ Chedsey, John (June 2000). "Great God Pan Review". http://www.ssmt-reviews.com/artist/endura.html. Retrieved March 20, 2010. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Endura Discography". Flux Europa. November 11, 1997. http://www.fluxeuropa.com/endura-discography.htm. Retrieved March 19, 2010. 
  7. ^ a b c "Red Stream Endura Discography". Red Stream Inc.. http://www.redstream.org/Endura_Discography.php. Retrieved March 19, 2010. 
  8. ^ "Endura Discography : Great God Pan". billboard.com. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/endura/great-god-pan/274146. Retrieved March 20, 2010.