Covenant
Dreams of a Cryotank

THE REVIEW

When you come into contact with a form of art to which you are attracted and fascinated, one of the most logical and immediate stimuli is certainly to deeply explore the origins of that particular expressive mode and grasp its most primal instinct; it is an automatism for every true art lover, in whatever form it presents itself, and of course, the search for origins also concerned me and my recent but profound passion for Futurepop. Among all the countless genres and subgenres I have encountered, this one gets particularly close, probably more than any other, to what I seek in music: simplicity in form and richness in content, and a much broader proposal than it might seem at first glance: sounds ranging from synth-pop to industrial, from gothic to electronic, with deep and never banal themes, distorted sci-fi visions, esoteric suggestions, psychic labyrinths, destructive and unpredictable instincts. The canvas is very versatile and allows for many different hues and embellishments to be experimented with, yet tracing back to the root, not only chronologically but also stylistically, to the original, more unadorned, more basic form, what do you find? You find "Dreams Of A Cryotank" by Covenant.

Was this album from 1994 truly the Big Bang of FP? With all probability, yes, but that's the point: above all, "Dreams Of A Cryotank" represents a spectacular debut for one of the great pillars of the scene, Covenant, originating from Helsingborg, Sweden, back then a trio composed of singer Eskil Simonsson, Joakim Montelius, and Clas Nachmansson, all equally involved in the composition and production work of the album. The long and productive history of this ensemble is characterized by continual oscillations between inspiration and mannerism, the qualitative level of their works has never been consistent, but the debut stands out.

Embryonic is certainly the adjective that best describes "Dreams Of A Cryotank": there are sketches of ideas, of melodies, there is high-profile songwriting but all this remains barely sketched, and takes a back seat to the incessant, methodical, and seismic rhythmic pulsations that storm throughout the work. If you're looking for an eclectic and unpredictable listen, look elsewhere, the strength of "Dreams Of A Cryotank" lies entirely in an almost obsessive repetitiveness, and for an album that aims to describe the dystopian scenario of a world reduced to technological-nuclear post-apocalyptic ruins, it is a very logical and apt choice. The industrial-EBM imprint is obviously very strong, and manifests with results that are sometimes catchy, majestic, and epic, as in the case of "Replicant", "Speed", and "Theremin", a visionary ride and symbolic track of the album, but more often in alienating and twisted tones, further enhanced by the charismatic spoken word of Eskil Simonsson; bare, acidic, and decadent, episodes like "Hardware Requiem", "Wasteland", and "Shipwreck" generally represent what "Dreams Of A Cryotank" has to offer, while with the cold and hallucinatory post-atomic nightmare of "Shelter", the work reaches its expressive peak. Covenant's debut album certainly does not make speed one of its salient characteristics, on the contrary, the rhythms are almost always slow, solemn, lingering, like a procession through the ruins of a civilization adrift, only in "Edge Of Dawn" does a less claustrophobic, almost danceable approach prevail, even if imbued with a visionary mystique à la Jaz Coleman.

Ten songs and an efficacy, a stylistic cohesion, and a powerful and evocative inspiration truly commendable, except for a sin of pride like the 23 minutes of almost nothing of "Cryotank Expansion", a purely self-serving exercise in style; but for historical importance and expressed qualities, it can be easily forgiven. Overall, "Dreams Of A Cryotank" loses the comparison with VNV Nation's debut, "Advance And Follow," in terms of charisma, emotional impact, and level of genius, and it is not even the best album by Covenant, surpassed by the maturity and techno-cratic perfection of the subsequent "Sequencer," but it is thanks to DOAC that the Swedish combo managed to open this new front, cementing the foundations of a new and fascinating artistic movement. Surely, it is not something everyone can boast about, and doing it with a great album like this certainly deserves the highest honors honoris causa.