Top Ten Songs by Covenant
The top ten songs by Covenant is a list that can be easily compiled if you frequent any dance clubs that play a heavy dose of synthpop. Simply recall the songs that are played the most, and you’ll likely find much of your list complete. Unfortunately, Covenant have several songs of outstanding quality that often get left by the wayside in favor of other songs that DJs tend to repeat continually week after week. This list will hopefully honor many of those songs that should receive more play.
The deep voice of vocalist Eskil, and the lyrical and the electronic talents of the band shine bright on the Sequencer album, where they first began gathering attention. Much of this album is comprised of songs you will find on the top ten list of Covenant songs, starting with Figurehead. Figurehead is a rousing dancefloor electro-pop anthem, instantly accessible and containing a chorus you must sing along to with raised voices, especially toward the culmination of the end of the song when the chorus gathers increased intensity. It could be said that Figurehead would pave the direction Covenant would soon approach in terms of musical style.
Personally, I am sick of hearing Dead Stars. It is played too much, too often, by overzealous DJs, and there are many other tracks by Covenant that fans would prefer to hear. But at its initial release, Dead Stars, on the United States of Mind album, was an instant hit. Amazingly catchy and uplifting with just the right dose of dancefloor energy, Dead Stars was an introduction to a lighter Covenant, and a departure from the darker EBM tracks that could be found on Sequencer.
Sequencer delivers number three and number four on the list, Feedback and Stalker. The rhythms on both songs ignite the dance floor with shadowy flames and a jumble of black-clad bodies moving to the pulsating beats and subtle yet powerful vocals. Majestic and masterful, these two songs showcase much of talent inherent in the band, and its a shame they have been somewhat discarded by DJs in favor of newer songs.
Number four on the list would have to be We Stand Alone, a song a in which definitely no one is alone when the music fills the room of a club. The floor is packed and everyone sings along as though comprised of one mind. We Stand Alone is another quintessential synthpop anthem that never disappoints or loses its flavor.
The darker toned Like Tears in Rain is lyrically an unhappy song, but the pounding beats and powerful vocals, complimented by subtle synth accompaniments still force you to sing along with a smile on your face, despite the sadness that the lyrics convey.
Returning to pounding dancefloor roots, Tour de Force and Tension take the number six and seven spots on the list of top ten Covenant songs. Tension, off the Europa album, was an introduction to a spectrum of synthpop music that others have tried to duplicate with much less success. A phenomenal song, the synthpop genre was never the same after its release. Tour de Force also achieved new heights of synthpop greatness, elevating the genre beyond the happy fluff and Depeche Mode copycats that populated the scene. At once heavy and powerful, yet catchy, uniting a variety of elements, Tour de Force is perhaps the crown on the United States of Mind album.
The Men, on the Skyshaper album, is probably not the single of choice for the band or DJs, but its crisp, clean flow, and simplistic and easily memorable lyrics make this a standout track in my opinion. Reaching a calm yet emotional crescendo, The Men is one of those surprise tracks that will soon find its due recognition.
On the Euro EP is an edgy, cold track that goes by the name of Consumer. Rife with synthpop elements but reminiscent of a darkwave flavor in tone, Consumer is a far departure from the dancefloor anthems Covenant are widely known for. But the sparse musical landscape and the slight echo of the vocals that seem to reach you through a dark void make Consumer a worthy contender, and earns the nine spot on the top ten list of Covenant songs.
And lastly, I give the number ten spot to Leviathan, a track that expertly blends harsh electronics with milder synthpop, steady rhythm and memorable vocals, to form a lesser known but equally capable EBM anthem.
