Nexus Polaris

The story behind The Kovenant is quite weird. The band started out as Covenant, but they had to change their moniker into The Kovenant because of a Swedish electro band bearing the same name. They released In Times Before The Lights and Nexus Polaris under the Covenant moniker, and then Animatronic as The Kovenant. When this album came out, the band was kind of an all-star band featuring Nagash from Dimmu Borgir on bass and vocals, Blackheart from Troll and Astennu from both Dimmu Borgir and Carpe Tenebrum on guitars, Hellhammer from Mayhem, Arcturus, Winds and Troll on drums, Sverd from Arcturus on synthesizers and finally Sarah Jezebel Deva, who has appeared on albums for Therion, Mystic Circle, Mortiis and Cradle Of Filth on female vocals. Later on, the band shrunk to three members with Lex Icon formerly known as Nagash, Psy Coma formerly known as Blackheart and Von Blomberg formerly known as Hellhammer to release their third album Animatronic in the year 1999. They are currently recording a new album S.E.T.I. or Cybertrash (they are in fact working titles) due next year in March. They also hired a new permanent member known as Angel on guitars. Nexus Polaris is an album of progressive space metal as described by Nagash himself, but I would rather call it space black metal. Whatever you might want to call their music anyway, it remains melodic with prominent keyboards and is to be considered as a solid entry into a sub-genre of black metal. This album was released a year after Dimmu Borgir’s surprising album Enthrone Darkness Triumphant and the music of both albums have a lot in common. Musically the band covers a very wide and interesting spectrum. Straightforward powerful mainstream black metal with bombastic choruses, great astral atmospheric passages loaded with ingenious melodies and above all an ultra clever production that really emphasizes all the different elements of this musical maelstrom. The twin guitars are fierce and powerful, developing complex riffs that are just a little bit too repetitive. The drumbeats are killer, ultra-precise and very technical and shows Hellhammer's skills at drumming. The great melodies and tempo changes form an indescribeable atmosphere that has to be listened on full volume to fully transcribe all the majesty of this music. The outstanding twisted growling parts of Nagash which might be considered as the only true black metal elements without being too guttural, are counterparted by the amazing haunting female backing vocals of Sarah Jezebel Deva. All this results in a brilliant masterpiece of dark pulsing and complex atmospheric metal with a thunderous performance in musicianship. Although it might take a few listen to fully appreciate their sound, this album will grow in you with every listen. Their magnificent compositions are just beyond compare. Near greatness.