Nine Covens

Nine Covens second release …On The Dawning of Light is a raging follow up to their debut that’s full of extremity and shades of melody alike. The furiously enigmatic group – no names, or indeed, faces – prefer to step back from the spotlight in order to let their music do the talking. Although, if you have a keen ear and a working knowledge of the current UKBM scene, then you may be able to figure out a few things for yourself. It’s this mystery that sets Nine Covens apart from their black metal brethren and makes them all the more intriguing. Who are these heathens and what do they want?

…On The Dawning of Light fires with the intensity of black metal as you know it, yet with members culled from varying realms of the metal spectrum their sound flickers with a heat that radiates through d-beat tempos and harsh melody, often within the same track. “As Fire Consumes” rages with disgusting coarse screams and roars whilst gorgeous waves of guitar curl around crust-laden drum crashes and a dastardly rhythm of unnatural speed. At this point Nine Covens leave behind all traces of pure black metal and enter a new territory of genre boundary crossing, and it is marvellous.

Frantic drum blasts sit within “At the Ocean’s Strand,” commanding attention and riffing against the shouts of “he who shall not be named” whose voice is both powerful and deeply engaging. Doomed out structures infiltrate “The Mist of Death”and incredible moments of wrath during "To Quench a Raging Flame" show that Nine Covens are not a band to take the easy route out and that since their debut, they have indeed grown into group capable of producing such coherence with differing musical backgrounds. Whilst the members all play in bands that can be judged as metal, the styles are opposing enough to make such endeavours often fail, but Nine Covens have overcome the initial faltering steps of …On The Coming Darkness and have blossomed into an interesting and commendable presence. …On The Dawning of Light is an excellent way to start the new year (unless you're a Brit and then you may have had this a little while) and is certainly a fantastic addition to a flourishing UK-based movement.

8.0 / 10 — Cheryl