Covenant
Nexus Polaris (Nuclear Blast)
by Paul Lee
If you’re under the misapprehension that Covenant is black metal, think again. It’s only natural to assume that a band with Hellhammer (from infamous black metallers Mayhem) as drummer, and bassist/vocalist Nagash from Dimmu Borgir, would be a purely black project. Not so. This five piece band (not project) from Norway more closely resemble Emerson, Lake and Palmer with black metal influences than they do Mayhem. Nexus Polaris is a worthy album with plenty of talented musicianship and lush background vocals from the angelic Sara of Cradle of Filth fame. Nexus Polaris is filled with eight epic tunes rife with sweeping melodies dominated by dual guitars and symphonic keyboards. Nagash’s vocals are suitably harsh, bordering on strangely manic, and Sara’s background vox add a lavender touch to the metallic tinge. From the opener, “The Sulphur Feast,” all the way to the finalé, “Chariots of Thunder,” you know you’re in for a wonderfully pretentious and weird trip.
(2323 W. El Segundo Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250)