Covenant Album: “Sequencer7”

Well, I don't quite get it cause there is no album called "SEQUENCER"! It's either "sequencer ALPHA" OR "sequencer BETA". (Or maybe I've been wrongly informed). Anyway, I owe the "sequencer BETA" and it is THE one that I've been waiting for! I've seen them live too, in the club called Ekko in Utrecht, NL. Now, that was before they have released "sequencer . . ." with the "hits" like "SPEED" (which still gives me chicken skinnnn...) and "theremin". This album is certainly on my list of "most listened to" and it still is...

It is a special experience for me to listen to "FIGUREHEAD", thank you COVENANT for making it for me...

Sequencer is probably Covenant's most varied album, which I see as bridging the gap from their earlier, more abrasive and experimental style (Dreams of a Cryotank) to their more straightforward EBM style (Europa, United States of Mind). What is found here are some great gems, especially "Feedback," with its minimal structure and mirrored verses. "Stalker" and "Figurehead" are solid club staples, but the album vacillates back to experimentation with "Slowmotion" and "Tabula Rasa," and then hitting some drum n' bass on "Storm." The album proper closes with the almighty "Flux," a trip over granulized bursts of noise, a steady beat, and austere vocals. "Flux" has really grown on me over the years, and it just might be the best song that Covenant has ever done. If you can get a hold of their live album "Synergy," the version performed there is certainly worth it. The bonus "Stalker" EP is good, not so much for the remixes, but for "Babel," a harsh stomper full of distortion that is indicative of future forays into harsher noise (like "Alva Mydral" from the Travelogue bonus disc). Even though I really like this album, I find it a little unfocused, and I never really liked "Phoenix" that much. Still, the good tracks are really, really good--on par with their best.

Stalker has to be the best song ever to be released by covenant. the gothic flavor is amazing. buy this cd

The moment that the music come blaring out of my speakers, is the moment I fell in love. Their music takes you to a place deep in your mind, heart, and soul. Take my advice and buy this CD.

After listening to VNV Nation's first album, "Praise The Fallen", I was led to understand that this was at least derivative of the Swedish group Covenant. Thus, I keenly anticipated the arrival of this album.

The tracks are arranged into 2 sections. The first 8 tracks form the album "Sequencer" proper, while the last 4 are a bonus EP "Stalker."

The former was very patchy and not very impressive. The vocals were not very powerful and the the general treatment was overly percussive - a little like early Kraftwerk without the creativity and foresight which marked even that band's formative material. "Stalker" is a good track, but beyond that the work could be described as 'experimental' at best.

The EP was a nice surprise, though. The two remixed versions of "Stalker" were worthy additions, and then the slower "Sky" provided an interesting bridge to the powerful and fast "Babel." Indeed, in this last I could hear some similarities to industrial groups such as VNV Nation , Das Ich or Suicide Commando.

On the basis of this effort, one might want to listen to more efforts by Covenant. However, it is unlikely that one would do so with much confidence that their music was likely to be especially exalted.