One of my favorite bands, that have been around for about 20 years, is a trio I listen to quite often. I have my key songs I instinctually listen to off of my iPod, sometimes more than once, every day. Today I present, Covenant. Compared to how long they’ve been making music, I caught onto them later in their career, back in 2007. They hail from Sweden and their music falls under the genre of electro, very much in the style Depeche Mode made popular, which has inspired many musical acts. I was immediately drawn to them when I heard their song “We Want Revolution“.
The band consists of Eskil Simonsson, Joakim Montelius, and Daniel Myer. Simonsson is the lead vocalist and all three contribute to the composition, engineering, production, synths and lyrics. Actually, Myer joined the band a few years ago, replacing Clas Nachmanson, who contributed the same for the group.
I love Simonsson’s voice. I think it’s quite sexy, very deep and has that industrial robotic tone. He has the ability to play with it, giving it a unique flair for every song. Their beats range from straight up dance with smooth lyrics to experimental sounds, echoing metaphors and personal doctrine. Their lyrics are intense. They sing about politics, world crisis, cultural absurdities, human nature, mythology and their thoughts of the future. They can be literal at times but often poetic.
Since taking their place in music, Covenant has released seven albums (Dreams of Cryotank – 1994, Sequencer – 1996, Europa – 1998, United States of Mind – 2000, Northern Light – 2002, Skyshaper – 2006, Modern Ruin – 2011). With each record, the evolution of electro can be heard, but what they do with the technology is truly amazing and each album has a unique direction. Listen to my favorite songs below, in album order.
“Theremin” (Club Mix) – Dreams of a Cyrotank
“I Am” – Europa
“Like Tears in Rain” – United States of Mind
“Atlas” – Northern Lights
“Call the Ships to Port” – Northern Lights
“Happy Man” (Music Video) – Skyshaper
“Sweet and Salty” – Skyshaper
Sadly, I haven’t seen them live, since they don’t tour in the states much. I would give anything to catch one of their shows in Europe. That’s why they need more support, giving them a reason to come here. Make sure to check them out and collect their catalog. Enjoy and be inspired.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Covenant-OFFICIAL
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