A quick glance at Morrow’s past affiliations will give you an insight into whether this is a release you’ll enjoy or not (Fall of Efrafa, Light Bearer, Anopheli, etc.) They are considered to be something of an underground super group and it’s easy to see why; It features appearances from Natalie of Wildspeaker, Oskar and Erik of Monachus, Lee of The Nepalese Temple Ball, Dean of Knifedoutofexistence, Joe of Masakari, and Anna from Archivist. A veritable smorgasbord of the best vocalists that modern crust and sludge have to offer.
Opening track ‘Fathom’ takes its time building atmosphere with thick usage of samples, when it eventually gets going (around the four-minute mark), it erupts into frenzied punk rock energy laden with emotion that’s conveyed in skilful cello playing and percussion. ‘The Norr’ quickens the pace yet further, while laying down darker melodies with which to weave a brooding and distinctive soundscape. The guitars shift between cleanly plucked harmony and distortion heavy crunch, and it is this teamed with the more sorrowful string accompaniments where we start to see the influences of past bands shine through. This isn’t so much a carbon copy of projects past, however, just testament to how distinct and memorable each member’s playing style is.
With so much change in dynamic and pace throughout this album, coupled with the vast array of guest appearances, it would be easy to assume that ‘Covenant of Teeth’ is disjointed, with too much going on. However, this could not be further from the truth. This record is a rich tapestry of sounds and an abstract work of art; ranging from riot inducing anger filled blasts to heart rending passages wrought with feeling, this is an album that will play on all of your moods and stick with you longer after it’s played out.
(9/10 Angela Davey)
Leave a Reply