On December 14, 2024, The Kovenant – featuring Stian “Nagash” Arnesen (vocals, bass), Steinar Sverd Johnsen (keyboards), Sarah Jezebel Deva (vocals), Jamie “Astennu” Stinson (guitars) and Jan Axel “Hellhammer” Blomberg (drums) – reunited for the first of several scheduled reunion shows at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting. It was their first show in over a decade.
Nagash has shared the following message via social media:
“Rock and roll, and by extension extreme metal, has always been about rebellion….rebelling against an oppressive system that seeks to control every aspect of our lives. It’s been the soundtrack of freedom, a call to stand against the forces that try to dictate how we live, think, and create. From the earliest days of rock, the message was clear: we are not slaves to the system; we are free to follow our own paths, make our own choices, and live on our own terms.
This spirit of rebellion has always been at the core of extreme metal, a genre born out of the desire to reject conformity and embrace the chaos of true freedom. The corporate powers and elites understand this threat, and that’s why they push their soulless, manufactured music….designed to lull us into complacency, to numb us, and to distract us from the reality that we are being controlled. But real art, real rebellion, refuses to bow down to that.
As an artist, I will never partake in the lies and manipulation that the mainstream pushes. I stand with the free thinkers and the ones who dare to speak the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it makes the system. The music of The Kovenant has always been about awakening humanity to the harsh truths we must face, and that’s the message we must continue to spread. Extreme metal, like rock and roll before it, is one of the last bastions of real artistry, truth, and rebellion. But even now, the corporate propaganda machine is trying to strangle it. The elites know they can’t afford to let any form of genuine freedom and expression exist without trying to control it. And that is exactly why we must keep fighting….because true freedom, true art, and true rebellion are always the greatest threats to a system built on lies and control.”
The Kovenant have announced they are finally bringing their cosmic, dark symphony to Latin America, with plans to grace the stages in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia. Their live schedule is now as follows:
May
1-3 – Karmøygeddon Metal Festival – Kopervik. Norway
August
31 – El Teatrito – Buenos Aires, Argentina
September
2 – Teatro Cariola – Santiago, Chile
4 – Astor Plaza – Bogotá, Colombia
6 – Candelabrum Metalfest – Léon, Mexico
The Kovenant performed the following setlist at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting. Watch fan-filmed video of the entire comeback show below:
“The Sulphur Feast”
“Bizarre Cosmic Industries”
“Planetarium”
“The Last Of Dragons”
“Bringer Of The Sixth Sun”
“Dragonheart”
“Planetary Black Elements”
“Chariots Of Thunder”
“Interlude”
“Jihad”
“In The Name Of The Future”
“Towards The Crown Of Nights”
Sarah Jezebel Deva shared the following message following the show:
“Seriously, hands down, the most incredible experience ever. So humble, so grateful and so ready for what’s next. I think this morning, I’m on a major come down, as usual I wear my heart on my sleeve and will always say what I feel, and I have to say, not only do I love these guys so much, but the crew also. What a team. I met some old friends and met some new friends that I had only met online and worked with. It’s been a long time since I’ve cried laughing, and I cried a lot…. laughing.. think maybe a bit of wee came out too…. Thank you.”
The Kovenant originally formed as a symphonic black metal act known as Covenant in 1993, but in 1999 were forced to change their name to The Kovenant due to a dispute with a Swedish electronic band of the same name. The band’s name change also marked a change in sound/style, as the band from there on began to focus more on an aggrotech / industrial metal sound heavily influenced by Europe’s EBM scene. Despite their style change, The Kovenant did however later reissue their early albums under The Kovenant name.
The post THE KOVENANT Frontman NAGASH – “Extreme Metal, Like Rock And Roll Before It, Is One Of The Last Bastions Of Real Artistry, Truth, And Rebellion” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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Nagash has shared the following message via social media:
“Rock and roll, and by extension extreme metal, has always been about rebellion….rebelling against an oppressive system that seeks to control every aspect of our lives. It’s been the soundtrack of freedom, a call to stand against the forces that try to dictate how we live, think, and create. From the earliest days of rock, the message was clear: we are not slaves to the system; we are free to follow our own paths, make our own choices, and live on our own terms.
This spirit of rebellion has always been at the core of extreme metal, a genre born out of the desire to reject conformity and embrace the chaos of true freedom. The corporate powers and elites understand this threat, and that’s why they push their soulless, manufactured music….designed to lull us into complacency, to numb us, and to distract us from the reality that we are being controlled. But real art, real rebellion, refuses to bow down to that.
As an artist, I will never partake in the lies and manipulation that the mainstream pushes. I stand with the free thinkers and the ones who dare to speak the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it makes the system. The music of The Kovenant has always been about awakening humanity to the harsh truths we must face, and that’s the message we must continue to spread. Extreme metal, like rock and roll before it, is one of the last bastions of real artistry, truth, and rebellion. But even now, the corporate propaganda machine is trying to strangle it. The elites know they can’t afford to let any form of genuine freedom and expression exist without trying to control it. And that is exactly why we must keep fighting….because true freedom, true art, and true rebellion are always the greatest threats to a system built on lies and control.”
The Kovenant have announced they are finally bringing their cosmic, dark symphony to Latin America, with plans to grace the stages in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia. Their live schedule is now as follows:
May
1-3 – Karmøygeddon Metal Festival – Kopervik. Norway
August
31 – El Teatrito – Buenos Aires, Argentina
September
2 – Teatro Cariola – Santiago, Chile
4 – Astor Plaza – Bogotá, Colombia
6 – Candelabrum Metalfest – Léon, Mexico
The Kovenant performed the following setlist at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting. Watch fan-filmed video of the entire comeback show below:
“The Sulphur Feast”
“Bizarre Cosmic Industries”
“Planetarium”
“The Last Of Dragons”
“Bringer Of The Sixth Sun”
“Dragonheart”
“Planetary Black Elements”
“Chariots Of Thunder”
“Interlude”
“Jihad”
“In The Name Of The Future”
“Towards The Crown Of Nights”
Sarah Jezebel Deva shared the following message following the show:
“Seriously, hands down, the most incredible experience ever. So humble, so grateful and so ready for what’s next. I think this morning, I’m on a major come down, as usual I wear my heart on my sleeve and will always say what I feel, and I have to say, not only do I love these guys so much, but the crew also. What a team. I met some old friends and met some new friends that I had only met online and worked with. It’s been a long time since I’ve cried laughing, and I cried a lot…. laughing.. think maybe a bit of wee came out too…. Thank you.”
The Kovenant originally formed as a symphonic black metal act known as Covenant in 1993, but in 1999 were forced to change their name to The Kovenant due to a dispute with a Swedish electronic band of the same name. The band’s name change also marked a change in sound/style, as the band from there on began to focus more on an aggrotech / industrial metal sound heavily influenced by Europe’s EBM scene. Despite their style change, The Kovenant did however later reissue their early albums under The Kovenant name.
The post THE KOVENANT Frontman NAGASH – “Extreme Metal, Like Rock And Roll Before It, Is One Of The Last Bastions Of Real Artistry, Truth, And Rebellion” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...
