"Natheless between Pegana and the Earth flutter ten
thousand thousand prayers that beat their wings against the
face of Death, and never for one of them hath the hand of the
Striker been stayed, nor yet have tarried the feet of the
Relentless One."
Lord Dunsany, from 'The Sayings of Limpang-Tung'
History/Philosophy
The source of inspiration for the music played in Endymion is a combination of very traditional factors: One, a love for the dark melodicism of older metal bands - a concentration on creating a mood and atmosphere primarily through the guitars, without accessory embellishments. Two, an instinctive attraction towards the myths and religious beliefs of ancient civilizations. Three, a conviction that music that seeks to communicate the ideas of isolation, loss, mourning, grief, and desolation must be played slow and in a measured cadence to most effectively convey these principles of provocation.
The concept of Endymion was first created in the Autumn of 1997, even though much of the music on the first demo tape Somnus Perpetua is actually from much earlier. At that time I decided that out of all the music I was playing I mainly wanted to concentrate on a band that embraced the undeniably dark and morbid sides of life, and play the music in such a way that the project would be a constant inspiration for me. Why not a death metal band? I really do not feel that death metal, as a style, can continue to advance in any way that would be stimulating to me. Why not a black metal band? While a lot of the black metal bands in the scene today play a beautiful form of modern music that has a lot of room for progression and an unavoidable ability to entrance the listener, I do not feel that black metal, as a mode of expression, can ever escape the internal limitations of a concentration on sheer speed for the sake of speed. So then, why doom metal? Because doom metal, as a style, is a musical territory that is still relatively unexplored. It is a mode of metal music that has greater room for expansion and a smaller number of limitations than any of the others. It is also technically the oldest of all the different disciplines of metal. If I have to label the music of Endymion, then I would rather place it in a category that is not as constricted as the others. One that, hopefully, it will be easier to break out of later.
Why the name of Endymion? The Greek and Roman myths have always been a constant source of inspiration for me, as they have been for so many others. I decided to choose a name that would be representative of a series of themes that my music usually concentrates on: the anguish of loss, abandonment, the emotions of mourning, and the most vitriolic ironies of life. The story of Endymion and Selene has always fascinated me. Somnus Perpetua, the first demo, is a series of songs based, for the most part, on that cycle of myths. Read more about Endymion here and here.
Why is all the music played by one person? Since leaving Denton, Texas and my last band, PMT, I simply could not find any others in the scene here in Austin that shared the same ideas about music that I have. I felt that instead of continuing to waste time in a futile search for other musicians I should advance carefully on my own and bring Endymion to light right now. Why not? Hopefully in the future I will be able to continue the band with other committed artists, but until then I am perfectly happy keeping this as a one-man project.
What are the influences behind Endymion? The influences that I think are very evident in the music (as is to be expected, maybe, at first) are my favorite bands in the doom metal scene: Disembowelment (first and foremost), My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost (well, the first two albums), Winter, and Skepticism. I also think I draw a lot of inspiration from bands like Emperor, Dark Throne, Amorphis, and Incantation...but of course, my main influence remains Black Sabbath. They created this music, and I am joined with all other metal bands playing right now in trying to decipher the messages they left behind while expanding the trail they blazed for us. However, I feel I must say that after the first demo materal, I plan to take Endymion in directions that will leave all the influences behind. I am committed to the progression and exploration of this form of music.
U. Amtey
October 24, 1998
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