Pix by Jenna Flood Photography
Review by Mel Roberts
There was something significant about walking into Crowbar on a warm September night in Sydney knowing that, for many people in the room, this was a moment that had been a long time coming. Norwegian industrial metal band The Kovenant were finally performing in Australia, and the anticipation from the audience was evident well before the headliners took the stage.
Opening the night was local act Destruction of the Healer who brought their melodic death metal to the stage, followed by Melbourne black metal band Hybrid Nightmares with their corpse paint and more progressive elements of the genre, before The Kovenant emerged in full costume to begin their 90-minute set.
The first half of the performance centred around Nexus Polaris, performed in its entirety. Released in 1998, the album’s combination of industrial metal, symphonic elements and dark ambience translated effectively to the live setting. Rather than simply feeling like a collection of songs, the performance unfolded as a journey through time, carrying a strong sense of atmosphere, emotion and nostalgia.
Looking around the room during this portion of the set, it was clear how captivated the audience was. People remained focused on the stage, absorbed in the music and the experience of hearing an album that has clearly held significance for many of those present. There was a sense that the performance was connecting the audience with a particular period in their musical history.
The second half of the set brought a noticeable change in energy as the band moved into some of their more recognised material, including New World Order and Monarchs of the Mighty Darkness. The crowd responded immediately, singing along and moving with the music. At the front of the stage, the number of hands raised into the air was a constant reminder of just how engaged the audience was.
Frontman Nagash was particularly interactive throughout the performance, regularly acknowledging and engaging with those in front of the stage. His stage presence was commanding, but there were also moments where his expression softened into a smile as he looked out across the crowd. It was a refreshing glimpse of the person behind the theatrical presentation and suggested that the response from the Sydney audience was being genuinely appreciated.
The band’s years of experience were evident in their live performance. The guitarists Ghul and Knut, drummer Hellhammer and keyboardist Steinar Sverd Johnsen combined technical ability with a strong stage presence, delivering a dynamic set while maintaining the layered, atmospheric qualities of the band’s music pulled together with Sarah Jezebel’s vocals adding that extra dimension with her powerful operatic vocals providing a striking contrast to the heavier instrumentation, symphonic and theatrical elements of the performance.
What was particularly noticeable throughout the night was the connection between The Kovenant and their audience. Even from an observer’s perspective, it was difficult to miss how much the music meant to the people in the room. This was clearly an audience that had been waiting for the opportunity to experience the band live, and their enthusiasm was reflected throughout the set. Performing Nexus Polaris in full gave the evening a strong sense of history, while the second half allowed the band to shift the focus towards some of the material that has remained prominent within their live repertoire. Together, the two sections created a set that moved between atmosphere and intensity without losing its sense of theatricality.
The Kovenant left Crowbar having delivered a performance that combined experience, musicianship, theatrical presentation and a highly engaged audience. For a band making their first appearance in Australia, the response inside demonstrated just how significant their arrival was for those who had been waiting to see them.
