Origin:	Norway
Genres:	Black Metal, Industrial

The Kovenant

The Kovenant, the band known formerly as Covenant, has come a long way since their early days. As Covenant, this band released two albums, with the first (In Times Before The Night) a rather typical black metal affair, and the latter (Nexus Polaris) widely regarded as a classic in the black metal field, though by this time the band was broadening its style and was already uncomfortable being labelled as black metal. To avoid legal conflicts with a Swedish band also called Covenant, the band decided to switch names to The Kovenant, but the change did not end there. Stripped to a trio, all of which took new stage names, the band also made a stylistic change on the newer Animatronic album, taking a bit of the Nexus sound and combining it with a sort of spacey, industrial/techno blend. Comparisons to bands such as Marilyn Manson and Rammstein have been made (neither of which are completely valid, though one can find some traces of both on Animatronic) -- though the new album is somewhat more accessible than its predecessor, the shift isn't quite as drastic as others have claimed. Not surprisingly, the change in image and sound sharply divided fans, some of whom welcomed the new look and others who wanted more of the Nexus style.

Quiet for the next couple of years, The Kovenant decided on an interesting move, opting to add modern effects (in keeping with their current direction) to their debut album, essentially releasing an updated, enhanced version of the album. Finally, 2003 saw the release of their proper followup to Animatronic*, in the form of *S.E.T.I.. Their progression away from black metal is now complete, as the band is now firmly in the techno/electronic metal arena, somewhat like a cross between the recent albums of Atrocity and Theatre Of Tragedy. Again, anyone expecting their recent material to sound anything like Nexus Polaris might be disappointed, but their new direction is intriguing, and S.E.T.I. is an interesting album in a not so crowded field.