It all begun in 1993, When Lex Icon (f.k.a Nagash) and Psy Coma (f.k.a Blackheart) started to put together low budget demos, which resulted in the first album "In times before the light" in 1995.The music was atmospheric Black Metal with lots of melodies. They got the reputation of being the most prominent act in the norwegian metal scene. Unfortunately, at the time their record label did not see the greatness in their music . The album was not officially released until early 1997 on a small record company called Mordgrimm (in england).
Lex and Psy had greater visions for their music, they now recruited three new members to form a band. Hellhammer (from Mayhem) on drums, Astennu (from Carpe Tenebrum and Dimmu Borgir) on 2nd Guitar and Sverd (from Arcturus) on Keyboards. In addition they also hired Sarah Jezebel Deva (from Therion and Cradle of Filth) on Starsong for the next album, the now classic album "Nexus Polaris" in 1998 (on Nuclear Blast) ,A masterpiece, a brilliant performance in musicianship. The album was filled with progressive dark pulsing atmospheric metal. As Psy described their music; "Progressive Space Metal", he couldn´t be more right. This is the one you should buy. In addition, it´s got the most beautiful cover in the music history, by Andreas Marshall.
Nexus Polaris became a hit, sold over 15000 copies only in the first week when it was released in February 1998. They followed up with a two week promotion tour, where they found themselves one of the biggest bands in the extreme metal scene. They also appeared on the Norwegian national TV with their six-episode tour documentary. They where now ready to rule the world.
Unfortunately, Sverd had to part from the band, due to some personal problems and musical differences with the other guys in the band, at the time. They hired a keyboard player (a session musician) and followed up their success. They did some summer festivals and ended the tour in a bombastic way, headlining the Iilosaari Rock Festival in Finland in front of 20000 people. Nagash now left Dimmu Borgir to concentrate on Covenant full time.
Now, they started to work on new material for their upcoming album. During their work they found themselves nominated for a Grammy in Norway, for the best hardrock album of the year. They did not only attend the Grammy TV Show, they also won the Grammy, as the first extreme metal band ever.
During the work of their next album they where standing infront of a law suite according to the name of the band. There is a swedish electronic/synth band called "Covenant" so they where forged to change the spelling of the name to "Kovenant". With the new "name" and new musical direction, they parted with Astennu, who wanted to concentrate on Dimmu Borgir at that time and fired Sara Jezebel Deva. With all the new things to the band they decided to go all the way. Spelling KOVENANT, a new logo and even changed their own names too, to;
Lex Icon (Nagash)
Psy Coma (Blackheart)
Von Blomberg (Hellhammer)
The new album took three month to record, "Prophecies Of Fire" was the working title of the album. Then they finally released the most uniqe album they ever recorded at that time - "ANIMATRONIC" in October 1999. The album is an amazing sounding album, with a very strong sound and full of creativity. Their old sound from the black metal days are still there but mixed with the industrial sounds of today. A new guitarist, Angel, joined the band before the US tour 2000. During May 2000 they completed their first US tour successfully, and with the new member, they headed for the european market with festivals and a tour in October with huge success.
While preparing for the next full length album, Lex and Psy decided to give their first release a second chance. They did a total make-over of the album, with new drum sounds, new synthesizers and programming and lots of new effects. That old classic black metal album meets the new more electronic Kovenant succesfully and was released in 2002.
In April 2003 the band released S.E.T.I. (working title "Cybertrash") the long awaited full length album to follow up the success with Animatronic. They continued with the more electronic sound, but the album has a more darker atmosphere than the previous. The fans could expect some surprices and they weren´t dissapointed. This was the Kovenant of the future...and the search for extra terrestrial intelligence had only begun.
By the release of S.E.T.I. Von Blomberg left the band due to lack of time, as you might know he is involved with loads of other bands and projects. During the summer The Kovenant recruited two new members; Küth on drums (of Ram-Zet) and Brat on Keyboards and Live Effects (of Apoptygma Berzerk)
The Kovenant also celebrated their 10th Anniversery as a band in 2003!!! |
Style: Black Metal Progressive Death Me Black / Death Metal Black metal Death atmospheric black Melodic Black Metal Death / Doom Metal black-grind raw black atmospheric black Power / Progressive trash metal war black avantgarde death; sympho black black progressive rock Black Metal Black Metal / Pagan Metal Melodic Death Metal Black / Death Melodic Doom Death Metal Progressive Metal Black Metal / Death Metal Black Metal Melodic Metal Power Metal Black Metal Heavy Metal Sympho Black Metal Black Metal Black Metal Viking BlackThrash Metal Black / Death Metal Celtic Pagan Black Metal Black Metal Brutal Death / Black Metal Black Metal Black Metal Black / Thrash Metal Black / Doom / Death Metal Hardcore Heavy Metal Black Metal Black / Doom / Gothic metal Black Metal Black metal Speed / Power / Heavy Metal Black / Thrash Metal Black / Death Metal Black / Death Metal Grindcore / Death Black / Death Metal Thrash Metal Black Metal Death Metal Progressive Black Metal Power Metal Doom / Gothic / Progressive Brutal Death Metal Death Metal Death / Grind Black Metal Death Metal Melodic Death Metal Heavy / Power Metalcore Ambient Black Pagan Metal Progressive Metal Brutal Death / Gore Metal Black Metal Melodic Black Metal doom Doom / Stoner Metal Black / Death Metal Blues / Heavy Metal Black Metal Gothic Metal folk metal Black Technical death / grind Sympho Black Progressive Death Melodic death Black Black Thrash Black Metal Black Melodic Death Melodic Death Gothic Metal Black Metal Black Metal Grindcore Melodic Death Metal Hard Rock Death Black Death Black Melodic Death / Folk Metal Sympho Black Metal Heavy, Power Gore Death Metal Black Metal Avantgarde Doom Black / Thrash Metal Progressive Metal Power Viking Metal Melodic Black / Death Metal Black Heroic-Folk-Metal Black / viking metal Funeral Doom Heavy / Black / Death Doom Thrash Symphonic Death / Black Metal Heavy Power metal Viking Death / Industrial Folk / Black Metal fast black Anglo-Saxon pagan-black Sympho Power Metal Black / Doom Metal Power Black Metal Black Metal Power / Speed Metal Black Metal Industrial / Death / Grindcore Black Metal Black Metal Progressive Metal / Rock Heavy / Trash Doom / Sympho Black Metal Death / Grind Nu Metal heavy / power metal Brutal Death Metal Pagan Black Metal Power Heavy Black Metal Brutal Death Metal Brutal death metal Brutal Death Power / Thrash Metal Melodic Black Death / Black Death / Black Metal Black / Death Metal Grindcore / Death Folk Metal Melodic Death Metal Heavy Gothic Rock / Doom Metal Black Metal Heavy Symphonic progressive rock Melodic Death Metal Power / Progressive Death Metal Doom / Death / Suicide Rock Symphonic progressive rock Heavy / Black Hard Rock Progressive Power Metal Thrash Metal Hard `n` Heavy Gothic / Doom Metal Gothic Gothic Gothic Metal Groove metal / Metalcore Hard Rock Black Metal Sympho Black Metal Progressive Rock / Metal Death / Thrash Metal Black Metal Heavy / Thrash / Industrial AOR Ebmient / Industrial Death Metal Black Metal Thrash / Death / Grind Metal Black / Gothic Metal Harsh Grind / Death Thrash Metal Atmospheric Dark Metal Melodic Death / Gothic Black Metal Melodic Black Metal Progressive / Neoclassical Folk / Celtic Metal Heavy Metal Melodic Death Metal Industrial Power Metal Black Metal Thrash / Speed Metal Black / Doom / Thrash Metal Melodic Death / Black Metal Black Metal Viking / Folk Metal Grind-Noise Black / Folk Metal Gothic Doom Death Doom-Death Black Metal Death Metal ambient / darkwave / gothic Heavy metal Death / Doom / Gothic Doom Gothic Metal Thrash Black Black Metal Death / Melodic Black Metal Grindcore / Brutal Death Black Black Black / Grind / Death / Trash death metal Death Death / Thrash Power metal Sympho black-death / dark Black Thrash Metal melodic death Progressive Death / Doom Raw Black Metal Doom Death Heavy Industrial Metal Thrashcore Doom Melodic Metal Progressive / Hard-rock Doom Heavy / Power Industrial Heavy Metal Doom Power / Progressive Black Symphonic Power Metal Black / Death Heavy Doom Death Techno Death Black Hard Rock Heavy / Hard rock Death Thrash / Death Metal Funeral doom Heavy / Power Heavy Death Pagan Metal Thrash Nu Thrash Death Thrash Power Melodic Black Metal Power Black Punk rock Atmospheric pagan black Nu Folk Thrash Gothic / Doom Melodic Death / Post-Thrash Metal Black / Industrial