The Florida Death Metal Scene was running Rampant during the 1980's with bands such as Death, Obituary, and Deicide; there were many bands to take your pick from. So why did many people choose Morbid Angel to follow? The answer is simple...they were awesome. Following in that vein came
Covenant. The epic 3rd album from Morbid Angel and essentially, the breakout album for them.
Morbid Angel is: David Vincent -Bass, Vocals
Trey Azagthoth-Guitar
Pete Sandoval-Drums
This line up would eventually be known as their best with the incredible drumming patterns of Pete "The Feet" Sandoval and the technically precise guitar riffs of Trey Azagthoth.
1.
Rapture- (5/5) Great Opener for a legendary album. Shows a speedier, more Thrash Metal Esq. side to Morbid Angel. The intro actually sounds like it could have come out of a Reign in Blood twin album. The double bass pattern in this song is immensely important to the feel of the song, as the "breakdown" of this song had great flourishes and fills to it. The blast beats also showcase Pete Sandoval’s talent. One of the better known tracks form MA as it deserves to be.
2.
Pain Devine- (3.5/5) Starts out with a usual Death Metal riff and drum beat, but this time, its something new. Something different. Complexity. Technically Proficient Complexity is what it is. Trey Azaghtoth's contribution to Covenant. The vocals to this song really stand out too. They sound a little higher which is a welcome variation to what the rest of the album has in store for us.
3.
World of S***(The Promised Land)- (5/5) This song is the first slower paced song on the album and I personally like slower, more brutal Death Metal songs over the blisteringly fast ones. Again, the drums really are something to hear. Hard to believe that before Morbid Angel, this guy had never heard of a Double Kick Pedal. Speeds up towards the end and has a stereo typical Death Metal solo, but otherwise, this song is everything but stereotypical.
4.
Vengence Is Mine- (4/5) This song was saved from a 3.5 rating by the short, yet important intro. By speeding his feet up immensely, Pete has achieved the perfect beat to capture the mood of this song, angry and ready to kill. The lyrics also fit nicely as do the vocals. Pretty good song but there are better. Don't you dare skip it though!
5.
The Lion's Den- (5/5) Cool sounding intro riff leads into a steady Death Metal rhythm with wailing guitar chords and speedy bass drumming. The bass is the only instrument that isn't profoundly appealing in this song, mainly because you can't really hear it. Otherwise, this song is great.
6.
Blood On My Hands- (3/5) The only "meh" song on here. It doesn't really rot my brain with Cool-ness. Really, just not a standout. A usual Death Metal song that can be skipped and won't deprive the listener of much. Speedy Drumming is good however and the guitars are sweet, just not my favorite.
7.
Angel of Disease- (3.5/5) Ok, this is where they really kind of crossed the line into Thrash Metal. They were dancing along it in Rapture, but this is too much for me. Need I remind you guys you are Morbid Angel, a Death Metal band? Oh well. Overall it isn't a bad song, but if I wanted to hear some good Thrash Metal, I would go listen to Slayer.
8.
Sword to the Black- (4/5) Nice vocal work in this one by Dave Vincent. Very guttural, which is what I like to hear in my Death Metal. More drumming Godliness here (of course) by Pete Sandoval. Another cool solo that might take you guitar players more than 5 seconds to learn. Good variation on tempo in this one.
9.
Nar Mattaru- (2/5) Why God? Why did you invent noise songs to take up space on albums? Why? Another pointless song. Has really no value at all and the only reason it gets 2, is because it leads into one of the best Death Metal Songs I have ever heard.
10.
God of Emptiness- (5/5) Best song. Ever. Period. Well, not really but up there. Nice and slow. It gives the listener some time to think about what is corrupting their brain. Very, very heavy. Not just sound wise, but lyrically also. The vocals in this song, you can tell, have effort put into them. The talking voice has a nice effect on giving the song an eerie, dark feeling. The riff for this song is a Giant. The bass actually stands out in this song which is awesome and a necessity for any Death Metal song. The guys of MA defiantly put their all into this song, this album, and it really shows on this track. And just in case you were wondering, yes, a short clip of this song was played on Beavis and Butthead
Overall, this album has extreme greatness on its shoulders, and that is shown through it being the highest selling death metal album of all time. Unbelievably, this album was released in 1993, way ahead of its time. It could easily pass as coming out of 2002-2003.
Key Tracks:
God of Emptiness
Rapture
World of S***
Pros[+]:
Drums, Drums, Drums were magnificent
Guitar lines were fresh and guitar tone was marvelous
Vocals were Super and way ahead of their time, along with the rest of the album
Cons[-]:
Could hardly hear the bass except for in God of Emptiness
Got a little too Thrashy on a few tracks
Some songs blend after listening through
