Morbid Angel
Covenant

41 minutes of ferocious and dreamlike sounds, worthy of the worst nightmares each of us has. The sounds of Morbid Angel on this record are, as usual, disturbing and horrendously blasphemous: at the same time, there is a noticeable improvement in the trio's technique, especially pointing out the monstrous work of Trey Azagthoth on guitar (and keyboard). Thus, excellent use of the band's compositional skills, combined with a morbid fixation on the usual "anti-Christian" lyrics. This doesn't mean that the album is trivial or lacks a reason to exist: the change of guitarist (Azagthoth) and his histrionic-chaotic style, combined with the charisma of leader Dave Vincent, are the fundamental aspects from a musical standpoint, which suppress any negative notes on the rest. Sandoval on the drums does nothing more than what's strictly required by the tracks: that is, he keeps time, almost always with double pedals, like a stopwatch, with power and speed.

It starts with one of the best tracks, "Rapture," dominated by the aforementioned's double bass and David Vincent's sinister voice (original for its time): from the beginning, a sense of suffocation permeates the entire album. As I said, disturbing sounds, full of violence and impact, but also tied to a nightmare imagery, making Morbid Angel true innovators of the genre. The guitarist's solo is simply anthology-worthy, alongside those in "Lion's Den" and "God of Emptiness". Immediately after, we have another punch to the gut with "Pain Divine," consisting of the same ingredients as the previous one, and not much more. Then it's "World Of Shit (The Promised Land)" which heightens a sense of inner dissolution, giving the feeling of being slowly absorbed by a dark, terrifying world. With a mix of splendid doom parts, combined with brutal and uncompromising outbursts. The track "Vengeance Is Mine" revisits the initial steps, with a first venomous and lightning-fast solo, and a second, highly elaborate one, without ever degenerating in any case. "The Lion's Den" is a typically Morbid Angel piece, with monolithic double bass and furious vocals, along with the previously mentioned solos. "Angel Of Disease," taken from an old band work, fits divinely (ahem) in this context: it's a track recalling the more thrash-oriented MA, with sudden slowdowns and tempo changes. The most famous reference is probably Slayer's sulfurous "Hell Awaits." A real gem. After "Sworn To The Black" and the atmospheric "Nar Mattaru," the album concludes with "God Of Emptiness." It is the album's final masterpiece, with an epic, syncopated pace, filled not with blasphemy for its own sake, but with a sick and disturbing poetry, accusing religion of filling the soul's void with lies ("Be like me/in emptiness/free"). Musically, MA takes a step forward, daring something more, striving not just to hit hard, but to shake, to fill every frequency of the amplifier, to vary the main riffs, making every instrument felt despite the heavy distortion. A change of pace at the end, and unexpectedly "dark" vocals (without growling) certainly add another note of merit.

The peculiarity I noticed is their ability, not only to hit the mark, but to create "soundscapes" (so to speak "ambient") that captivate the listener, without resorting to elaborate instrumentation, but simply playing a bass, a drum, and a guitar. Not a small feat. Certainly "Covenant" is not for first listens, precisely because it was a new way to do death (in 1993). Placed in its period, it is now history: it will have a fundamental importance for several bands to come (above all, the Nile).