MORBID ANGEL — Covenant (review)

Album · 1993 · Death Metal

5/5 · 2022-07-23
UMUR

"Covenant" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Morbid Angel. The album was released through Earache Records in Europe and through Giant Records (a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records) in The United States in June 1993. It´s a significant release in the death metal genre, as it´s the first death metal album to be released by a major label, and being promoted heavily by said label. The promotional efforts spawned two music videos (for "Rapture" and "God of Emptiness"), which were professionally produced and aired frequently on MTV´s Headbargers Ball. It´s one of the best selling albums by a death metal artist, shifting more than 150.000 copies in the US alone.

"Covenant" is the successor to "Blessed Are the Sick" from 1991 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Richard Brunelle was fired from the band prior to the recording sessions for "Covenant", leaving Morbid Angel a three-piece for the recordings. The band chose Danish producer Flemming Rasmussen to co-produce/record the album with them at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida and to later mix the album along with lead vocalist/bassist David Vincent and guitarist Trey Azagthoth at Sweet Silence Studios on Copenhagen, Denmark, as they appreciated his work on the early Metallica albums.

Bringing in Rasmussen meant a lot to how the album ended up sounding, as "Covenant" is an uncharacteristically detailed and well sounding death metal release. It´s still heavy and brutal, and it´s not too polished either, but it´s not the type of sound production which threatens to peel the skin off your face. I´ll go as far as to call it a sophisticated death metal sound production, but not a powerless/clean one. It´s like the volume is turned down just a notch compared to other more abrasive releases in the genre. Anyone who has seen Morbid Angel live knows that it´s how they sound live too. They were never the most loud playing death metal act out there, but have always opted for a slightly lower volume at shows.

"Covenant" features 10 tracks and a full playing time of 41:09 minutes. Morbid Angel wrote 9 new original tracks for the album (including the short atmospheric instrumental "Nar Mattaru") and re-recorded "Angel of Disease", which was originally featured on their unreleased 1986 album "Abominations of Desolation". The blackened thrashy nature of "Angel of Disease" sets it apart from the remaining tracks on the album, also because Vincent have opted for a more snarling and less guttural growling style on that particular track. It sounds a bit old school on an album from 1993, but it also provides "Covenant" with authenticity and a reminder of the seminal nature of Morbid Angel on the death metal scene.

Other than "Nar Mattaru" which to my ears is a bit of a pointless atmospheric interlude (thankfully it´s relatively short), all material on "Covenant" (including "Angel of Disease")) are high quality death metal tracks. Fast and sharp riffs (and some adventurous heavy riffs too), blistering abstract guitar solos, and a drum attack by Pete Sandoval which is extraordinary. Sandoval is not only an extremely fast drummer but also quite a creative one. Vincent is one of the most distinct sounding growling vocalists on the scene. Able to sound brutal while still pronouncing every word and delivering every phrase in an effectful intelligible manner. There´s even room and the necessary skills to experiment a bit with clean vocals on the epic closing track "God of Emptiness".

It´s a powerful way to end the album and "God of Emptiness" is definitely one of the highlights of this release, but it´s actually a bit hard to pick highlights when all tracks are of such high quality as the case is here. I´d much rather just recommend listening to the whole album from start to finish. "Covenant" is often mentioned among the most important death metal releases and to my ears that recognition is fully warranted. Not only because of the commercial history of the album, which is quite unique, but also because of the original nature of the music, the high level performances, and the powerful and sophisticated production job. "Covenant" has all the right elements in place to make it a classic, and Morbid Angel succeed in combining those elements to make the album just that. A 5 star (100%) rating is deserved.