Music / In Times Before the Light

Before the light, or Xtreme Kool Letterz.

In Times Before the Light is the first album The Kovenant (at that time called Covenant) created back in 1995. The only members at the time were Nagash and Blackheart. The album is considered to be symphonic black metal and provided Covenant a good fan base in Norway. The album was created when Nagash and Blackheart were of young age, at least 17 years old. The release was significantly delayed due to loss of album artwork in shipment to the record company.

A re-recorded version of In Times Before the Light was released in 2002 through Hammerheart Records due to Nagash and Blackheart (now calling themselves 'Lex Icon' and 'Psy Coma') citing that they were not satisfied with the original release. The outcome is significantly different from the original; an industrial version of the original symphonic black metal album. The remixed tracks are longer, various elements were added to them and many parts were re-recorded.

The original album was re-released in 2007 through VME/Head Not Found as In Times Before the Light 1995, with tracks from their 1994 demo From the Storm of Shadows as bonus content. The material was remastered by Tom Kvalsvoll.

The album itself has recurrent themes throughout, making it somewhat of a Concept Album. The lyrics often revolve around war, power-hungry tyrants, dragons and eternal night or winter.

Tracklist

1. "Towards The Crown of Nights" (5:50)
2. "Dragonstorms" (4:58)
3. "The Dark Conquest" (6:54)
4. "From The Storm of Shadows" (5:13)
5. "Night of the Blackwinds" (3:40)
6. "The Chasm" (3:44)
7. "Visions of a Lost Kingdom" (3:26)
8. "Through the Eyes of the Raven" (5:00)
9. "In Times Before the Light" (5:59)
10. "Monarch of the Mighty Darkness" (5:54)

From the Storm of Tropes:

• Album Title Drop: "In Times Before the Light"
• Cover Album: The remade version, covered by the band itself after shifting to a new sound.
• Creepy Circus Music: The remake version of "From the Storm of Shadows" incorporates a creepy circus vibe.
• The Dragons Come Back: This happens in the song "Dragonstorms", where the dragons defeat the light and help bring in the forever night.
• Drunk on the Dark Side: Whoever narrates the songs "Toward the Crown of Nights", "The Dark Conquest" and "From the Storm of Shadows" has a bit of a god complex.
• Endless Winter: The phrase "Forever winter, Forever night" appears in a few songs, and the song "Through the Eyes of the Raven" appears to be about beckoning 'King Winter' to bring about an endless winter.
• Fading into the Next Song: This is done with most of the songs on the remake.
• A God Am I:
  From the Storm of Shadows: "I am emperor, and I...am...GOD."
• "I Am" Song: "Towards the Crown of Nights" is this for most of the verses.
• "I Am Great!" Song: "Towards the Crown of Nights", "The Dark Conquest", "From the Storm of Shadows" and "Monarch of the Mighty Darkness" have to do with an evil overlord praising themselves for conquering the land and bringing about an endless night and winter.
• "I Want" Song: "Through the Eyes of the Raven" is sort of an "I Want" song for winter.
• The Night That Never Ends: A subject that comes up in several songs, particularly the title track.
• Puny Earthlings: The line "Feeble humans, behold me in my victory" from the song "Towards the Crown of Nights".
• Take Over the World: The track "The Dark Conquest" is about doing this, and bringing forth the foreverwinter and forevernight.
• Villain Song: Most of the songs would make good ones, in particular the three mentioned under Drunk on the Dark Side.

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