official Covenant Forum

Hmmmmm, if we summarize the rewiew, the narrator seems a little bit dissapoint
Nevertheless i can't wait to hear the new Album with my own ears

I wrote the review, and indeed I was disappointed after the first few listens! But the album is definitely a grower! So don't worry, there's still a good chance that other people will love it. Black_Cat is actually proof that those people exist. She has already heard the album too and absolutely loves it!

After the first listen the album left me cold, it did nothing for me. That was a quite strange - and frustrating - experience which never happend to me before when it comes to Covenant-albums. This spoiled the general impression for me but after a while especially songs of the second half of the album worked for me. It was like a switch which was all of a sudden activated and I think songs like Spindrift, Greater Than The Sun and esp. The World Is Growing Loud are actually excellent!!

I still have a few complaints here and there but all in all it's a very good album.

And there's a good side to a rather critical review - expectations are a bit lowered, this decreases the chances that you may be a bit disappointed too because your expectations have been too high!

I'm not really worried. Nothern Light didn't get the best reviews first time around either. It always grows on you tho. And honestly, I think some critics are so focused on reporting that they can over-analyze and not just sit back and listen and enjoy.

Covenant always does something different and is always moving forward, and that's why I listen. Also, they are shiny and I'm intrigued by shiny things.

Yeah, it's great that they try something new, one of the reasons why I love them. But sometimes it happens that one or two of the new elements are not quite your cup of tea - that happened to me with the track Happy Man. Oh well...

Pulse is imho also a track which add a new flavour to Covenant and I quite like it. It's better live though. And with some tracks on Skyshaper the band develops some elements of NL a little more, which is nice.

I don`t rate Skyshaper as high as NL, Sequencer or Europa but it's still a very good album!

You are unfair!!
I WANT TO LISTEN TO THIS CD! NOW!
*can't wait until the release date*

Talking about the new song which nealy nobody knows, makes me inquisitive and tensely so much more!!!

I really enjoyed this review. When I read it I thought that it is obviously honest, respectful and written by one who knows the Covenant music very very well. (Now that I've read the preview posts I also realize that it's written by someone who loves Covenant music as well. ) It is also pointed out that it's his personal opinion and there's no intention of critisism. Just a well put (re)view.

I'm not trying to defend it. It doesn't need any kind of defence. I'm just saying that I really liked it as a review.

I'll get back after I have listened-enjoyed-studied Skyshaper.


:cool:

I didn't want to start a new topic for this...and this thread seems to be somehwat appropriate.

Howver, just for fun I did my own version of Skyshaper on CD-R, with a different running order and some different versions:

01. Ritual Noise (version s) [6:52]
02. Brave New World (version) [5:16]
03. The Men (remix version) [6:13]
04. Pulse [6:04]
05. The Island [4:17]
06. Sweet & Salty [6:10]
07. XRdS [4:57]
08. Greater Than The Sun [5:09]
09. Spindrift [7:00]
10. 20 Hz [5:09]
11. Happy Man [2:46]
12. The New Virus [2:55]
13. Relief [4:25]
14. The World Is Growing Loud [4:57]
15. Subterfugue For 3 Absynths (extremely edited by niggels) [2:11]
16. Brave New World (tempest) [5:10]

Well, this way the album works perfectly for me. It has a "Niggels flow" - although I have to admit that The New Virus and Relief are only included for the sake of completeness. Not that they'd be bad - but if this would be the running order of an official release I'd place them where they are, as non-album tracks.

The long version of The Men is essential, I like it ten times better than the original album version. Same with ritual Noise, I like the versions on the EP better and Version S is probably my fave.

I wanted the album to end on a rather happy note, so I included the beautiful "Tempest"-version of BNW as the closer. There was still some space on the disc, y'know? And I made a very edited version of Subterfugue, to separate this BNW version from the rest (and to have Subterfugue on it too, in a way)

@Joakim: Yes, Happy Man is still there, and not just for the sake of completeness...

Enough trivia now!

Editing Subterfuge down to 2:11? Cheater!

Hehehe...let's see it as a teaser for the full version.

Quoted

Originally posted by Niggels
@Joakim: Yes, Happy Man is still there, and not just for the sake of completeness...

Yay! Only 8 1/2 years left until I get my Jägermeister! :perfekt:

Quoted

Original von Joakim

Quoted

Originally posted by Niggels
@Joakim: Yes, Happy Man is still there, and not just for the sake of completeness...

Yay! Only 8 1/2 years left until I get my Jägermeister! :perfekt:

We could have a Jägermeister test run next time we meet.

Quoted

Originally posted by Niggels

Quoted

Original von Joakim

Quoted

Originally posted by Niggels
@Joakim: Yes, Happy Man is still there, and not just for the sake of completeness...

Yay! Only 8 1/2 years left until I get my Jägermeister! :perfekt:

We could have a Jägermeister test run next time we meet.

Oh, I know how Jägermeister works after extensive testing many years ago. It ended with distinctly un-gentlemanlike behaviour and odd body paintings...

That stuff is best in small doses, but sure, let's do that.