Nexus Polaris (1998, Nuclear Blast)
Lineup: Nagash (voice, bass), Blackheart (guitars), Astennu (guitars),
Hellhammer (drums), Sverd (synthesizers), Sarah Jezebel Deva (female vocals)
Symphonic black metal, similar to Dimmu Borgir (among others)
If you have been starving for a Dimmu Borgir release, you can satiate
your appetite with Covenant. The musical style is very similar, although this
album has a better production than the regular DB and this is saying a lot,
especially when you keep in mind that DB, the lords of mainstream black metal,
boasts one of the best productions in the genre.
What would you expect when you put together members of DB, Cradle of Filth,
and Mayhem? One great album, and this is exactly what Nexus Polaris is.
The music is tight, extremely melodic, with tons of keyboards, and excellent female
backing vocals to pick up the slack. The musicians are arguably among the best in
BM and it shows both in the convincing performance and the quality of the compositions.
There is more emphasis on structure and development than in the normal chaotic black
metal. The singing is grim and goes well with the abundant guitar work. Unlike Dimmu
Borgir, the drummer can actually keep time and is generally very impressive. At times,
Covenant sound like a straight heavy metal band but in a good way. If it weren't for the
vocals, it would be hard to distinguish them from more... calm acts. Even the faster
songs don't devolve into the snare drum frenzy of unimaginative imitators. The double
bass drums keep the songs going and my blood pumping fast. Marvelous.
More intelligent and complex than their competition, Covenant offer an album with a
consistent quality that is compelling. The tunes are even catchy (I am aware that
this just caused 80% of the BM heads to spit and toss the CD out the window) but
still not something you would try to sing beside the campfire, unless, of course,
you happen to be burning a church. The lyrics ain't Shakespeare but are not the
generic satanic fodder either. Just another bonus.
The artwork on the CD cover is also pretty good although not earth shattering (Blackheart
looks wimpy). Still, even in this department the album is in a category by itself. Well,
maybe the band name logo could have been more original. See, I did find something to gripe
about!
Verdict: If you like Dimmu Borgir, especially the ``Entrone...'' era, you will LOVE this album.
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