ninehertz

The deliciously warm toned doom guitar that opens this EP draws you in effortlessly. This is actually their second release, but as the first was nearly a decade ago Covenaut will be a new name to many. The familiarity of the beginning will attract many of us to this German trio.

The opening track, December Sun develops with an understated riff that feels just right, before a common theme from the release reveals itself – whereby the vocals are harsher than you’d imagine for the style of doom. For a while it feels like they’re going full on Johnny Morrow, but it does temper somewhat balancing in some stoner rock ‘singing’.

The title track brings an underwater listening experience sensation – in the murky depths, a bulky weight as the pressure tells. You can hear hints of Witchcult Today inspiration, but only at the edges so as not to be subsumed into full on Electric Wizard homage as many others fall foul of. The closing Eternal Seeker contains venomous vocals and some wonderful stoner/doom boundary riding guitar work.

It's not perfect, lags a little in the middle, and it is a killer song or passage away from being truly essential, but I was fond of this regardless and look with plenty of hope for the promise Covenaut hold for the future.