CoC : The Kovenant - S.E.T.I. : Review

The Kovenant - _S.E.T.I._
(Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10)

Those who erroneously maintain that The Kovenant somehow "sold out" or "went mainstream" with the release of _Animatronic_ will not change their minds upon hearing _S.E.T. I._ -- if anything, it will merely reinforce their initial opinion. _S.E.T.I._ is essentially an extension and solidification of the new approach first adopted on _Animatronic_, showcasing further excursions into electronic territory. The few metal elements which remained on _Animatronic_ have been greatly watered down; the distinctly metal vox have been dropped in favour of clean vocals, not sounding too dissimilar on occasion to a certain Mr. Manson. Some of the lyrics do sound incredibly amateurish, but the calibre of the album as a whole is fairly high. It is clearly an improvement on _Animatronic_ -- perhaps the remake of _In Times Before the Light_ helped in improving their skills and confidence with electronic music. (Though the remade _ITBtL_ still remains an unnecessary novelty purchase for the listener.) In keeping with the tradition established on _Animatronic_, an eccentric cover is chosen, this time Metallica's "The Memory Remains" -- infinitely preferable to the original. In short, an excellent expansion of _Animatronic_.

(article published 14/10/2003)

CHATS
12/9/1999	A Bromley	The Kovenant: Changing the Face of Metal