Covenent - Nature's Divine Reflection

Year of Release: 1992
Label: Syn-phonic
Catalog Number: SYNCD 13
Format: CD
Total Time: 42:27:00

Covenant is the nom de plume for Dave Cryder who concentrates fully on drums and keyboards. The nervewracking static drum patterns done by electronic gadgets are in a way muffled by using alternating acoustic and electronic drums. By using typical analogue instruments from the seventies such as authentic Mellotron, Hammond B3, ARP Solina, Korg CX1 and Prophet 5 you get instrumental progrock with a retrospective look to the heydays of the genre but with the intensity of today.

The album which only consists of three tracks (two very long, one shorter) takes us through complex compositions with references to ELP, Happy the Man and the lesser known bands such as Pentwater, Cathedral, Mirthrandir, Yezda Urfa and Quill (strangely enough all bands that feature on the Syn-Phonic label!). In "Premise Of Life" the sound is expanded by the appearance of guitarist Bill Pohl (whom years ago released the ever so strong album Solid Earth!). The fact that there's a lot of "retro" feeling in this music is illustrated with Cryder's "Sunchild 's Spiritual Quest Through The Forest Of Introspection" (pfew!), in other words - the "Tarkus" of Covenant.

For those of you who can easily sit still throughout some ace complex music with an emphasis on keyboards : you will certainly enjoy this great work!

Tracklisting:
Premise Of Life (17:05) / Eschatolic Covenant (5:41) / Sunchild's Spiritual Quest Through The Forest Of Introspection (19:47)

Musicians:
David Cryder - acoustic and electronic drums, percussion, Hammond B3 organ, Mellotron, ARP solina, Prophet 5, Korg CX-1, Korg M1

Discography:
Nature's Devine Reflection (1992)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin US

Added: April 25th 2001
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Hits: 2311
Language: english