Customer Reviews

Synergy: Live in Europe (Limited Edition

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I had the pleasure of seeing Covenant perform live while touring for "Northern Light." Seeing them live was my initiation into their brand of futurepop/darkwave, so I would hold any live recording of them to a pretty high standard. "Synergy" is definitely a great live recording. The sound and production is clear, the music is tight, and you can just feel the audience's and the band's energy feeding off each other. Eskil Simonsson's voice is top notch, never going off key, and always a pleasant listen. While some might find his constant "thank you"'s to the audience to be a tad too much, I think it's just one more indication of the band's desire to make music the audience will enjoy. The music includes a good selection from the three most recent albums at that time. While nothing is heard from "Dreams of a Cryotank," there's a good mix of songs from "United States of Mind," "Europa," and "Sequencer." If nothing else, it's a good way to see how the band's sound has evolved over time, as well as how they tie it all together into a unifying theme. Their earlier material may not be very similar to newer stuff, but when they play live, it all makes sense. Covenant are just a very good band and they make great music. This live recording is proof of that.

There is not a single weak point on this album. Some songs are more-or-less faithful reproductions of their album counterparts with a new intensity, like "Tour de Force" and "Stalker." Others, though, really shine with a new light that they apparently only bring out for live shows -- especially "Feedback," "Flux," "Tabula Rasa," and "Dead Stars." Furthermore, the quality of this live recording is top-notch: the sound is clear and crisp, and the audience is present without being too overbearing. If you're new to Covenant and want a sampling of their best music, then this is a perfect introduction if you can find a copy. If you're an old fan and you haven't heard this, then this is a necessity for your collection.