| CD REVIEW Nine Covens |
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Band: Nine Covens Nine Covens are a young ‘mysterious’ English project – mysterious because not much seems to be known ‘bout the individual(s) behind it. Apparently, the band was formed recently by experienced Metal artists, but I have no idea who they are. A pity, yet of no importance (and still I wonder…). Let’s focus on the album (no idea of any studio or, in relation to it, any mixer / master / engineer / producer), seen from musical point of (nightly) view… The album is divided into four parts, and it starts with the … On The Resurrection And The Harrowing Of Hell-triptych, opening with Resurrection Pt 1: To Heaven’s Door In Swart Light, an acoustic and instrumental Neo-Folk-inspired intro. Resurrection Pt 2: Concealed In Darkness shows the true (nasty, clearly unshaved) face of Nine Covens: fast and furious Underground Black Metal with lots of tempo-changes and slow parts, a fine symbiosis of melody and power, and a sound that reminds me to many same-minded (read: dark-minded) colleagues from North America, Scandinavia and the mighty British Empire (and more than just a handful of partners in sonic crime from France, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Italy or Germany, amongst Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Australia and the main resting part of Mater Terra). Even though the spirit brings the early nineties to mind, the whole does not sound dated. The same goes for the third part of this trilogy, Resided To The Darkness, which breathes the same sulphuric venom. Indeed it certainly stands not for the reinvention of Hellish Black Metal, but it is a) (one of) the most ‘beautiful’ kind (s) of how Black Metal should sound (raw, unpolished and overpowering indeed), b) written and created with craftsmanship and knowledge, and c) performed with the best intentions and clearly experienced humanoids. The first song of the On The Ascension And The Torment Of Hell-chapter (Pt 1: Cold Exile Of A Fallen Idol) follows the same direction, yet Ascension Pt 2: In Darkness Find The Light Of Solace is a somewhat doom-laden piece, with hints to the Death Metal scene from the late eighties and early nineties (the English and Swedish one especially). The On The Day Of Judgement-diptych is different from the main part of On The Coming Of Darkness. Judgement Pt 1: Quake Before Thy Earthy Judge brings the earliest years of Dark Throne (mind the two-word moniker!) to mind, while Pt 2: A New Light For The Earth Shall Shine is the most epic and funereal one on the whole album, created out of elements from experimental Avant-garde, Funeral Doom and Post-Black. This song, by the way, features a guest performance by Enslaved’s Grutle Kjellson, and it reminds me the most to the hypnotic, slightly repetitive Coal-Black Underground-scene from France. The final diptych, The Exiles Complaint, continues the path of the first two chapters, with thrashing fury and hymnic grandeur as keywords, and it closes this album, which lasts for forty one minutes, with glory and honor. 90/100 Ivan Tibos. |