This page is about the ''racism'' that is clear and ever-present in [[Tolkien]]'s published works. There are several very subtle racist elements as well as various clear racist themes. This page is here just to point out these things, not to judge Tolkien himself as a racist.
==[[Evil Men]]==
One of the clear racist elements in the Tolkien universe is the noticeable fact that all of the evil forces are the dark-skinned African and Asian influenced peoples of [[Easterlings]] and [[Southrons]]. The Easterlings are usually depicted as a Mongolian and Middle-eastern culture and are always aligned with [[Morgoth]] or [[Sauron]] with the single exception of [[Bór]]. A clear racist mention is the title "The Black" of [[Ulfang The Black]], who was an Easterling. The Easterlings are often described as being of fairly dark skin complexion, swarthy and exceedingly cruel. The [[Southrons]] (or [[Haradrim]] however, are clearly depicted mainly as African soldiers with some Indian influences such as fighting on [[Mumakil|elephant]]-back. They are clearly stated to be black-skinned and cruel, evil, and uncompromising. They often have many piercings, tattoos and scarifications, just like many African tribes.
==[[Orcs]]==
The racist element present in orcs is not quite as plain and clear as the evil men, though it is present. The main racism in orcs is that they are always depicted as black-skinned, though this may be due to their filthiness. Orcs also often resemble monkeys (black people resembling monkeys being a main racist claim). [[Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings]] depicts the orcs as of a dark skin complexion, but again this may be due just to the fact that they are covered with filth. Another possible offensive theme present in orcs (though not necessarily racist), is the fact that when the orcs talk, they often use the same phrases and accents that the English working-class is known to use.
==Good Side==
All of the good men and elves are all always very fair and white. The men of [[Rohan]] are clearly modeled after the [[Norse]], and the men of [[Gondor]] and the [[Elves]] are just general Europeans. The single good non-white person was again; [[Bór]]. The entire Tolkien universe is the white West versus the non-white rest of the continent, which is an allegory to the white Europeans versus the non-white Africa and Asia.
==References==
* [[The Lord of the Rings]]
* [[The Silmarillion]]
* [[The History of Middle-earth]]

Summoning

2008-04-07T18:03:24Z

TheOneCleanHippy:

{{Infobox musical artist
|Name = Summoning
|Img =
|Img_capt =
|Img_size =
|Background = group_or_band
|Alias =
|Origin = [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]
|Genre = [[Black metal]], [[Avant-garde metal]], [[Ambient music]]
|Years_active = 1993 - present
|Label = [[Napalm Records|Napalm]]
|Associated_acts = [[Abigor]], [[Die Verbannten Kinder Evas]], [[Kreuzweg Ost]], [[Ice Ages (band)|Ice Ages]], [[Pazuzu (band)|Pazuzu]], [[Mirkwood (band)|Mirkwood]], [[Grabesmond]], [[Amestigon]]
|URL = http://www.summoning.info/
|Current_members = Protector (Richard Lederer) Silenius (Michael Gregor)
|Past_members = Trifixion (Alexander Trondl) Pazuzu (Raymond Wells) 
}}

'''Summoning''' is an [[Austria]]n [[Experimental music|experimental]] [[symphonic metal|atmospheric]] [[black metal]] band. Their style has been described as 'Tolkien Metal', by some, because the lyrics on most of the albums they have released deal with the mythological world created by [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], [[Middle-earth]]. A notable exception to this is the album ''[[Stronghold (album)|Stronghold]]''.

==Biography==
Summoning was formed sometime in [[1993]] by Silenius (Michael Gregor), Protector (Richard Lederer) and Trifixion (Alexander Trondl). Before creating Summoning, Protector was playing drums in a kind of "old fashioned" thrash/death metal band ''Marlignom''<ref>[http://heavymetal.about.com/od/interviews/a/summoningintie_2.htm Second page of About.com interview with Summoning] </ref> and had embarked on a four year study of drums in music school. Silenius was in a [[doom metal]] band ''Shadow Vale'' (at 16 years old) and had a few years in music school studying piano. Before Summoning, Silenius was making music, together with [[Pazuzu (band)|Pazuzu]] (Ray Wells) in a band ''Cromm''. Trifixion played in the band ''Pervertum''.

Summoning recorded two demos (''Upon the Viking's Stallion'' and ''Anno Mortiri Domini''), as well as a split with the Austrian band Pazuzu (''The Urilia Text'') and a five-track promo tape for ''[[Lugburz (album)|Lugburz]]''. Nearly all songs from the 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 time later Silenius got in contact with T.T. (Thomas Tannenberger), eventually leading to the birth of [[Abigor]]. Silenius ended up doing all vocals for Abigor releases (except the demos) as a permanent member until 1999. The first Abigor album was recorded for the young Napalm Records label, which led to Silenius managing to get a deal from Napalm for Summoning's debut ''[[Lugburz (album)|Lugburz]]'' in 1995. At that time the members of Summoning were: Silenius - vocals, keyboards, bass; Protector - vocals, keyboards, guitar; Trifixion - drums (his last release with the band); Pazuzu lent some additional vocals and wrote some of the lyrics. ''[[Lugburz (album)|Lugburz]]'' was more traditional [[black metal]] and very different from the band's later releases that would follow.

The band continued as a duo after the departure of Trifixion, releasing ''[[Minas Morgul (album)|Minas Morgul]]'' in 1995. This was the band's first release in their new style, an epic and atmospheric style utilizing guitar purely as a background instrument and synth almost as a lead, using re-recorded early songs. ''[[Dol Guldur (album)|Dol Guldur]]'', in 1996, continued this style and saw an influence from Protector's darkwave project ''Ice Ages''. It also credits [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] for lyrics. In 1997, the ''[[Nightshade Forests]]'' EP was released, and has since been included on the recent Dol Guldur pressings . After this, the band ceased all work for nearly two years, and also stopped work with many of their other music projects. But in 1999, Summoning returned with ''[[Stronghold (album)|Stronghold]]'' which, while still in the classic Summoning style, focused more on guitar work to create melodic lines rather than keyboards and synthesizers than in previous releases.

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, with the keyboard lines being more [[Epic metal|epic]] and [[polyphonic]] while the guitars bore a similarity with the more complex and rock-esque guitar-style from ''[[Stronghold]]''<ref>[http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles/chats/1-782_summoning.aspx Chronicals of Chaos interview]</ref>. This time the band used more spoken-word samples to bring a more dramatic style to the songs and for the first time the band works with clear vocal choirs on the song ''Farewell''. The lyrical concept again was totally based on Tolkien's Middle-Earth, but for the first time it was combined with some inspiration from [[Michael Moorcock]]'s fantasy writings. In 2003, they released the ''[[Lost Tales (EP)|Lost Tales]]'' EP, which consisted of leftovers from the ''[[Dol Guldur (album)|Dol Guldur]]'' sessions.

[[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. <ref>[http://heavymetal.about.com/od/interviews/a/summoningintie.htm First page of About.com interview with Summoning]</ref>. 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<ref>[http://www.summoning.info/index.php?section=releases&show=title,date,imageLink,content&filter=id_releasetypes,1 Summoning's official website]</ref>. A mini CD was suggested for release 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.

==Musical Characteristics==
On their debut album [[Lugburz (album)|Lugburz]], Summoning showed the musical traits of a more traditional, "raw" black metal band, although had a rather unique reverberated sound to the production, giving a somewhat more grandiose scale than other black metal acts. After this album, the band began to Develop a slower, more epic and dense sound to their music, showcased in such albums as 2001's [[Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame]], and especially their latest effort [[Oath Bound]]. Their trademark sound is characterized by very minimalistic and quiet guitars often low in the mix, heavily programmed and reverberated drums giving a very cavernous feel to the rhythm, strong, multi-layered synthesizer and keyboard melodies mimicking a full orchestra which often dominates the rest of the mix apart from the saturated drums. Vocals are still sung in the traditional black metal fashion, however vocals are often heavily reverberated as well, again giving a very epic and roomy sound to them. Male voice choir sections also make an appearance on [[Oath Bound]].

==Discography==
=== Full Lengths ===
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"

|-
|'''Date of Release'''
|'''Title'''
|'''Label'''
|-
|[[1995]]
|''[[Lugburz (album)|Lugburz]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|-
|[[1995]]
|''[[Minas Morgul (album)|Minas Morgul]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|-
|[[1996]]
|''[[Dol Guldur (album)|Dol Guldur]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|-
|[[1999]]
|''[[Stronghold (album)|Stronghold]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|-
|[[2001]]
|''[[Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|-
|[[2006]]
|''[[Oath Bound]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|-
|}

===EPs===
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
|'''Date of Release'''
|'''Title'''
|'''Label'''
|-
|[[1997]]
|''[[Nightshade Forests]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|-
|[[2003]]
|''[[Lost Tales (EP)|Lost Tales]]''
|[[Napalm Records]]
|}

==Line-up==

* Protector: Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards
* Silenius: Bass, Vocals, Keyboards

==Guest musicians==

* Trifixion: Drums on ''Lugburz''
* Pazuzu: Vocal parts on ''Lugburz''
* Tania Borsky: Female Vocals on ''Stronghold''

==Related Bands==

Protector (Richard Lederer) is engaged in other projects
* [[Die Verbannten Kinder Evas]]: Dark wave project, http://www.dvke.info/
* ''[[Ice Ages (band)|Ice Ages]]'': A melodic kind of EBM, http://www.iceages.info

Silenius (Michael Gregor) is the creator and sole member of [[Kreuzweg Ost]]. Silenius also served as the vocalist for the Austrian black metal band [[Abigor]] between 1994 and 1999.

Other bands with friends of Summoning are listed on their website http://www.summoning.info under ''links''.

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==
*[http://www.summoning.info/ Official website]
*[http://www.napalmrecords.com/promo/summoningp.html Summoning] at [[Napalm Records]]
*{{musicbrainz artist|id=8363f94f-fd86-41b8-a56b-26eacb34f499|name=Summoning}}
*{{discogs artist|artist=Summoning|name=Summoning}}
*[http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20070430161232433 Richard Lederer's Interview "A New Power Is Rising"] at [http://www.heathenharvest.com/ Heathen Harvest]

[[Category:Bands]]
[[Category:Middle-earth music]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1993]]

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