The Kovenant To Reissue Three Albums

Metal Mind Productions has issued the follow announcement about re-releasing three studio albums by The Kovenant on September 8th in the U.S. and July 27th in Europe:

"The Kovenant is certainly one of the most intriguing bands ever to emerge on the Scandinavian metal scene. Throughout their career they went through name, line-up and style changes, constantly developing their musical formula in every possible way. Metal Mind Productions presents the exclusive re-releases of Kovenant’s three amazing albums – ‘Nexus Polaris’, ‘Animatronic’ and ‘S.E.T.I.’ – showcasing a group that is not afraid to experiment with different genres, taking their music far beyond black and industrial metal boundaries…

"‘Nexus Polaris’ (1998) The band’s second full-length release brought a totally new approach towards black metal, making the musical content much more melodic and progressive than on their previous offering ‘In Times Before the Light’. The entire album was filled with various fascinating elements, such as the oriental vibe in the opening ‘The Sulphur Feast’, the piano interlude to ‘Bizarre Cosmic Industries’ and folk-inspired guitars in ‘Bringer of the Sixth Sun’. All these additions were rather unacceptable for classic black metal fans, but they proved that The Covenant (name of the band was spelled with ‘C’ at that time) was a much more ambitious group that one could imagine. The music on ‘Nexus Polaris’ was called many different names by the critics, including experimental black metal and orchestral black metal with melodic death and power metal influences. The Covenant’s guitarist, Blackheart, had a different name for it – progressive space metal. But whatever you called it, one thing was certain – it worked. The LP sold over 15000 copies in the first week alone and won a Grammy award in Norway for best hard rock album. What is more, the release of ‘Nexus Polaris’ was followed by a two-week promotional tour, parts of which were shot by the Norwegian national television and aired as a six-episode documentary. With more upcoming performances (such as the headlining gig at the Iilosaari Rock Festival in Finland), The Covenant was ready to take over the world. New digipak edition includes 2 bonus tracks.

"‘Animatronic’ (1999) The LP took a completely different musical turn, infecting the atmospheric black metal formula with industrial influences and even some elements of techno and trance music! The result was truly spectacular – by adding a handful of futuristic noises and special effects, The Kovenant introduced a fascinating new sound, while still retaining their primal metal heaviness. Also the vocals changed - Lex Icon took a more diverse approach towards his singing, using rough vocals and extremely high-pitched screams, occasionally backed by the voice of opera singer Eileen Küpper. With such impressive tracks as ‘New World Order’, ‘The Human Abstract’ and the amazing cover version of Babylon Zoo’s song ‘Spaceman’, ‘Animatronic’ proved to be a big success for the band - the critics were a bit skeptical at first, but soon they gave the new album high ratings. Some called it an industrialized ‘Nexus Polaris’, while others compared it to the works of Children of Bodom, Rammstein and even Nine Inch Nails.

"‘S.E.T.I.’ (2003) The album was taking the band’s industrial style even further and making the music truly apocalyptic. Such songs as the cyberpunk-inspired ‘Cybertrash’, the misanthropic, fast-paced ‘Via Negativa’ and the ultra-electronic ‘The Perfect End’ were proof enough. The reviewers were once again quite skeptical about the new release, but eventually found the band’s improved formula more than convincing. Some critics were even comparing The Kovenent’s newest opus to the works of Marilyn Manson and Korn! One of the biggest improvements on the album was definitely Lex Icon’s singing, who finally began to experiment with clean vocals (clearly inspired by the doom metal genre). New digipak edition includes 2 bonus tracks.

"By blending black metal with apocalyptic, industrial sound, The Kovenant proved that music can overcome any given boundaries. All three of the re-released albums - ‘Nexus Polaris’, ‘Animatronic’ and ‘S.E.T.I.’ – introduce a new level of modern, cybernetic metal, perfect for anyone who seeks diversity in extreme music. Remember - only those with open minds can truly join The Kovenant…

"Re-issues will be available in new digipak edition, each limited to 2000 numbered copies. Digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on a golden disc. The release date is scheduled for 27th July in Europe and 8th September in USA (via MVD)."