back to browsing

United States of Mind [Covenant (Sweden)]

Covenant (Sweden)
1 disc

1. Like Tears in Rain
2. No Man's Land
3. Afterhours
4. Helicopter
5. Tour de Force
6. Unforgiven
7. Humility
8. Dead Stars - (version)
9. One World One Sky
10. Still Life
11. You Can Make Your Own Music
Read More...
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 161
Credits

Producer Eskil Simonsson; Montelius; Joakim Montelius
Engineer Eskil Simonsson; Montelius
Covenant: Joakim Montelius, Clas Nachmanson, Eskil Simonsson.
Recorded at Studio Covenant, Helsingborg, Sweden in 1999.
Recording information: Studio Covenant, Helsinborg, Sw (1999).
Covenant is a Swedish electro-industrial dance-pop trio consisting of Eskil Simonsson, Joakim Montelius and Clas Nachmanson. Their sound has been compared to that of a poppier Front 242, or maybe Prodigy. I'd say they're more like a cross between the chilly hookiness of Kraftwerk and the portentous self-importance of Laibach. The problem is that their hooks aren't as hooky as Kraftwerk's, and their self-importance isn't as justified as Laibach's. Simonsson's deep, chesty voice and dour delivery lend a certain weight to the songs, but the lyrics aren't often capable of supporting that weight; if you're going to deliver lines like "Dead stars/Still burn/Dead still/Stars burn," you'd better either be singing a very worthwhile tune or you'd better be well buried in the mix beneath a butt-stomping beat. That said, there are some fine examples of old-school jackhammer industrialism here ("Afterhours" is a good one), as well as some very interesting textures ("Helicopter"). This album isn't bad, but it sometimes comes across as just a bit silly. Which does not seem to be what they were going for. ~ Rick Anderson
Critic Reviews

CMJ (2/28/00, p.28) - "...Covenant continues to perfect its fusion of synth-pop, goth and industrial on its powerful 4th album....a compelling and consuming listen."