Vienna based screamo / post hardcore band NAVRÉ and Chemnitz, Germany’s metallic hardcore / 90s metalcore act ETERNAL RED have teamed up for an amazing new split release, which we’re super stoked to premiere, along with Navré’s “Another Trip” vide premiere, and lots of interesting insights from both bands! Play the two-faced hard-hitter below and leave your thoughts in the comments section or our social media channels!
Navré is based in Vienna and was formed by members of different bands of the city’s DIY scene such as Youth (emo alt punk) or The Weight of Water (screamo / post hardcore). Chemnitz based Eternal Red released their demo in 2017 and a follow-up EP one year later. Some of the members also play in an emo / post punk band called FEALE.
Both bands met through playing shows together and the idea of doing a split came really naturally, as both thought it would be an interesting mix: even though the bands do play very different styles of music, it’s coming from the same background; with a shared attitude and motivation.
Tapes to be released later on through Stray Records.
Navré has been an idea long before it turned into an actual band. After a few member changes, it found its final line-up in the summer of 2019. With members from different (ex-)bands such as Youth, The Weight of Water or Knifelong, Navré aims at combining various facets of Indie, Alternative, Post-Hardcore and Screamo without limiting themselves by any genre-boundaries.
With their music and lyrical content the band attempts to tell complex stories while keeping the songs rather short and straightforward; energetic and moving. Through its members’ different musical backgrounds the band’s influences are rather extensive, including Arabic music as much as Experimental Indie, Post-Rock or Youth Crew HC. Navré is both an outlet for emotions, fears and doubts as much as it (hopefully) functions as a source of comfort and encouragement.
Track by track commentary:
“Another Trip” deals with being emotionally drained and struggling to find positivity in the ordinary. It’s about the state of being unable to find (immediate) answers on your own, the need for a helping hand and the blind and naive trust in anyone (or anything) offering it. It’s about the increasing difficulty of finding strength to achieve the longed for change on your own and eventually arriving at an understanding that there are simply no definite answers on specific topic matters and there is no such thing as permanence.
Lyrically, “Late Night Drives” is basically a collection of thoughts, fears and considerations about death and the afterlife. The music tries to underline the lyrical content through starting off rather quietly, turning into something driving, cutting it down again and eventually ending in complete chaos and noise. It aims at emphasizing the often romanticized thoughts of a possible afterlife, which tend to turn into endless thought processes caused by doubt. While we hope for simple answers, there’s always the lack of belief in any otherworldly entity or life and in return, the weight of finding a way to accept and live with a non-religious concept of death.
Somewhere between Dark Hardcore, Metalcore and Noise you will find the Chemnitz (Germany) based 4-piece Eternal Red. After their Debut-EP „The Blooming“ they now return with two new songs on a split EP with Navré.
Always trying to find a better sound the new songs ‚Recreate/Mutate‘ and „Sixty-Four” remind of Bands like Code Orange and Vein, but never lose pace or intensity between hard breakdowns, fast noise parts and dissonant tunes. The new release takes up the theme from the 2018 release but focusses on harder breaks and more aggressive vocals while keeping it short and diverse in contradiction to the monotony of modern hardcore.
Asked about their take on the current pandemic situation and its impact on touring and DIY community, ETERNAL RED offered the following commentary:
“We’d love to play a short tour together, but who knows when that will be possible again. We do not want to be a risk or cause any damage; we want our shows to be a safe place, for everyone. Seeing bands from other ‚scenes‘ playing shows as they do have the (financial) means either through fundings or municipal support (to simply create new or adapt venues which adhere to COVID-19 regulations) can be a bit frustrating. But it’s not necessarily jealousy rather than sadness of missing the intimacy and communal feeling of DIY shows that arises. However, it’s great to see that there are more and more collectives finding ways to set up small shows without taking irrational risks. Unfortunately, there are numerous negative examples, too (Summer Punk Party, etc.). Winter will probably raise even more challenges as outdoor/open-air shows are no longer possible but let’s be positive and just try to find ways together. That’s the DIY spirit anyways – taking things in your own hands, rather it’s out of necessity (as it is the case right now) or, of course, independence. Let’s do it together. Let’s look out for each other. Stay safe and hopefully see you in a basement one day.
Eternal Red is based in Chemnitz DIY-Spot Number One, the AC17, where the members have been involved in the local DIY-hardcore scene for a couple of years. They’ve been putting up shows for bands like Hexis, Kids Insane, Swain, Ostraca, Pacino and many more in their small practice space. Due to the size of the room the border between audience and band is very thin, which creates a very intimate atmosphere and special experience if the room is packed. Unfortunately, under the given circumstances they will have to wait a little longer to host another show :(“
