Nexus Polaris
Encyclopedia
Nexus Polaris is the second album recorded by Norwegian
black metal
band, The Kovenant
, and was released in 1998 through Nuclear Blast
.
was successful at staging a fan base in the black metal
scene in Norway
. Nagash and Blackheart had greater ambitions for the band and wanted better production and pay for their music. Nuclear Blast
caught eye of the band and Covenant (still known as that before the change) signed with them.
Starting the new album, Nagash and Blackheart wanted to form an actual band this time. They enlisted guitarist, Astennu (who was playing in Dimmu Borgir
at the time with Nagash), keyboardist Sverd (of Arcturus
), Sarah Jezebel Deva
(of Cradle of Filth
and other bands), and Hellhammer
(of Mayhem
). Nagash took over bass and vocal duties while Blackheart took guitar.
Nexus Polaris was hugely successful (due to Nuclear Blast
's promotion) and allowed Covenant to do a two-week tour and was on national Norwegian
television for six days. This was also a sign showing Covenant moving from black metal
to a more industrial metal
sound. Soon Covenant found themselves nominated for a Norwegian
Grammy. They attended and won for Best Hard Rock band, the first ever in history.
A re-release of Nexus Polaris was made in 2002. The original tracks were left untouched (unlike the remixed edition of In Times Before the Light, also from 2002), but two versions of "New World Order", a song from their 1999 album Animatronic
, were included as a bonus.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band, The Kovenant
The Kovenant
The Kovenant is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo/Hamar. The band originally formed 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....
, and was released in 1998 through Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
.
Album history
The original album In Times Before the LightIn Times Before the Light
In Times Before the Light is the first studio album from Norwegian black metal band, The Kovenant, and was released in 1997 through Mordgrimm.-Album History:...
was successful at staging a fan base in the black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
scene in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Nagash and Blackheart had greater ambitions for the band and wanted better production and pay for their music. Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
caught eye of the band and Covenant (still known as that before the change) signed with them.
Starting the new album, Nagash and Blackheart wanted to form an actual band this time. They enlisted guitarist, Astennu (who was playing in Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...
at the time with Nagash), keyboardist Sverd (of Arcturus
Arcturus (band)
Arcturus is an avant-garde metal band formed in Norway in 1987. They named it Arcturus , after the Behenian fixed star Arcturus.-Biography:The band has released four official full-length albums...
), Sarah Jezebel Deva
Sarah Jezebel Deva
Sarah Jane , better known by her stage name Sarah Jezebel Deva, is a British vocalist. She was the female vocalist in Cradle of Filth for 14 years and also fronts her own band, Angtoria. In 2009, Deva started her self-titled solo project. The debut album A Sign of Sublime was released in February...
(of Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
and other bands), and Hellhammer
Jan Axel Blomberg
Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg is a three time Spellemannprisen award-winning heavy metal drummer. He is most well known for his drumming with the band Mayhem, with which he began his career...
(of Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
). Nagash took over bass and vocal duties while Blackheart took guitar.
Nexus Polaris was hugely successful (due to Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
's promotion) and allowed Covenant to do a two-week tour and was on national Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
television for six days. This was also a sign showing Covenant moving from black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
to a more industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
sound. Soon Covenant found themselves nominated for a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Grammy. They attended and won for Best Hard Rock band, the first ever in history.
A re-release of Nexus Polaris was made in 2002. The original tracks were left untouched (unlike the remixed edition of In Times Before the Light, also from 2002), but two versions of "New World Order", a song from their 1999 album Animatronic
Animatronic (album)
Animatronic is the third album from Norwegian Industrial Metal band, The Kovenant, and was released in 1999 through Nuclear Blast.-Album History:...
, were included as a bonus.
Track listing
- "The Sulphur Feast" – 4:10
- "Bizarre Cosmic Industries" – 5:51
- "Planetarium" – 4:02
- "The Last of Dragons" – 6:29
- "Bringer of the Sixth Sun" – 6:32
- "Dragonheart" – 4:52
- "Planetary Black Elements" – 5:49
- "Chariots of Thunder" – 5:48
- "New World Order (Clubmix by Matt Sinner)" – 4:26 (re-release bonus track)
- "New World Order (Metalmix by Matt Sinner)" – 3:53 (re-release bonus track)
Personnel
- NagashStian ArnesenNagash or Lex Icon is a Norwegian black metal musician. He plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and does vocals....
– vocals/bass - BlackheartAmund SvenssonAmund Svensson is a Norwegian black metal musician. He founded the band Covenant together with Stian Hinderson in 1991....
– guitar - AstennuAstennu (musician)Astennu is the professional name of Australian heavy metal musician Jamie Stinson. His name is derived from a creature in Egyptian mythology.-Biography:...
– guitar - SverdSteinar Sverd JohnsenSteinar Sverd Johnsen is a Norwegian keyboardist and composer, born 1972. Sverd last played keyboards and synthesizers in Arcturus and was also the main composer for the band. He formed the band with Jan Axel Blomberg of Mayhem in 1987, originally under the moniker Mortem...
– keyboards - Sarah Jezebel DevaSarah Jezebel DevaSarah Jane , better known by her stage name Sarah Jezebel Deva, is a British vocalist. She was the female vocalist in Cradle of Filth for 14 years and also fronts her own band, Angtoria. In 2009, Deva started her self-titled solo project. The debut album A Sign of Sublime was released in February...
– vocals - HellhammerJan Axel BlombergJan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg is a three time Spellemannprisen award-winning heavy metal drummer. He is most well known for his drumming with the band Mayhem, with which he began his career...
– drums