I saw Covenant for the first time on stage in the 90’s and loved their sound. Back then they already had some hits and collected over the years more and more great hits like: Stalker, Dead Stars, Call the Ships to Port, Figurehead, We Stand Alone …
More recently I read more and more troubles on stage due to alcohol abuse. Those who stand pretty close to the band know that this is an old pain. I was really looking forward to receive the album in my inbox, but I got a bit disappointed. I miss some sparkles and fireworks. I don’t feel any innovation, there is no fast forward it feels like: okay we have to deliver an album, so what do we have left in the vault of left overs and oh if possible let’s invite somebody as it might work too with some extra vocals … Does it sound hard? Well that was my first impression as I also felt like it’s good as background music before falling asleep or do some Yoga (I don’t do Yoga, little side-note) …
I’m not going to copy and paste the story behind the title and the concept of the album, most of you already read it somewhere, so let’s focus on the music! What do we get? Electronic music, with low bpm, a singer who’s not a singer (and a production who for over years works hard to hide that fact) and a female guest. Fullwel is an intro, sounds a bit spooky and leads us to the first real track: I close My Eyes, a song that sounds a bit like Depeche Mode with an empty battery. I seek sanctuary is a good phrase and might be a word for the fans. Close your eyes and look afterwards for a new horizon. Morning Star sounds again like a bad Depeche Mode track with too much floating in the sound. The bleeps are not bad, but I want to feel the energy, some rage: instead we get somebody waking up slowly and singing a song about that (in my perception). Cold Reading is the best track so far, as the tempo is a bit higher and the vocals sound more like echoes of thunder. For the first time I feel a bit attracted to the music. Rider on A White Horse sounds like an electronic ballad/duet (with Erica Li from the band Lovac). The horse rides slowly and just like the lyrics tell us: going no were (it’s not the Goldfrapp song, it’s a Lee Hazlewood cover but misses the stars). As they have to fill the album somehow we get an Interlude (that reminds me Goldfrapp), but again got the feeling that we are going no were and the batteries are running empty. Dies Irae sounds pretty dark and for the first time I even hear something catchy. Sound Mirrors brings in the heat, a higher tempo and sounds like Covenant on better days (for the first time). It’s the highlight of this album, almost bursting! I almost wrote down finally something good! After that it’s apparently time to kill the heating and come back with an interlude. If I Give My Soul sounds dark and just like I like it, seems lik it gets better towards the end. The beats are better and the tempo a bit higher. Summon Your Spirit is the outro and is thus not counting as a ral track, slowly fading out, back to the silence …
To be honest I feel pretty sad for these five people who worked hard on this album: Andreas Catjar,Daniel Jonasson, Joakim Montelius, Daniel Myer and Eskil Simonsson.The more I talk with other peole about the album the more negative feedback I get. I worked hard on the perception and on working on why the album is not so good and yet showing the highlights for those who only want to download the highlights.
Better next time or slowly fading out? Time will tell us …
