The Jack Linger Project – Covenant (2020)
Jack Linger is a UK-based artist who has been creating metal music in various forms for years. Passionate about making quality music for his listeners, he formed The Jack Linger Project. His new album Covenant has been a year in the making but is now ready to be enjoyed.
The album was designed to have a prominent future feel. Through a variety of collaborations, heavy riffs and pumping melodies, each song gives you an energetic vibe.
The first and title track is ‘Covenant’ which draws you in with a solid melodic rhythm. The beats of the song get your head moving before the more aggressive notes hit you. This is an instrumental track which is an interesting way to open the album. However, the arrangement does aptly set the tone for the entire album.
‘Liar’ wastes no time pumping your adrenaline with screaming vocals that rock your core. These vocals swing from screaming metal to smooths tones. Featured on this track is Patty Kolasa on vocals. There are also moments in the song of softer melodic notes that ease you after the aggressive vocals.
‘Fall Apart’ has a different vibe to it with lighter notes in the opening that pair perfectly with the harder guitar. This is another instrumental track that swings between heavy-hitting and gentle. It is a great showcase of the musicality of Linger and his ability to drive you through a track with the instruments alone.
‘Censored’ featured Andy Guy on vocals but uses a pumping opening to get you ready for them. The energetic lyrics make you want to pump up the volume when listening. The aggressive melody is a perfect accompaniment to Guy’s vocals for an amazing melodic metal track.
‘Timeshift’ hooks you with the heavy opening riffs that force their way through your chest. There is a fast pace to this track that gets the heart rate up. There is a lot of amazing guitar work on this song, but it might be the changes in pace that really make it. Slower and gentle melodies are interspersed throughout the song to force the heavier guitars home.
The next track is ‘Escape’ which has a much softer opening than the other tracks. Samuel Grundelmann is a guest guitarist and synths on this track which is full of moments for him to shine. This instrumental track is an interesting interplay between the guitars and synths with different styles of metal being used.
‘Psycho’ has a creepy edge to it with some sinister underlying notes threaded through the melody. Through the instrumentation on this track, you can build an entire picture in your mind. There is a tension throughout this song that makes you feel like something is waiting around the corner.
‘Light The Way’ features Jason Rampling on vocals and has a very smooth opening that leads to his performance. His vocals are a soothing balm after the intensity of the other tracks on this album. There is a powerful momentum in this track created by the combining of Rampling’s vocals with the more aggressive guitars.
‘Riot’ pushes you from the first notes with a pumping rhythm. The track includes news detailing rioting over the energetic melody. You can feel the mounting tension in the melody that is a perfect contrast to the news snippets.
‘Memento Mori’ is the shortest track on the album, but that does not stop it being as gripping as the others. This song has less metal vibes to it and offers a calmer interlude. You are still drawn into the instrumental track with its lulls of calmer guitars and swells of heavier notes.
‘Life’ has a cinematic feel to it with an expansive and encompassing opening. The piano on this track adds a softness that works with the rolling beats of the drums. The guitar also counters the piano is a beautiful way. The arrangement of this track along with the ethereal choral vocals makes it my favourite on the album.
‘Andromeda’ has a futuristic vibe to it with the synth beats. While this is the longest track on the album, you will not notice that you have been listening for just over six minutes. The instruments on this song are used to drive the momentum and provide the cybertronic feel without getting too far from the metal origins.
The last track is ‘Remember Me Remix’ and features Oli Bell and Josh Jenkins on remix and vocals. This track offers the best of both worlds with aggressive driving beats, remix notes and raging vocals. There are some very interesting notes to this track that make it an experience to listen to.
The Jack Linger Project entices a wide range of listeners with Covenant. The album is a mixture of vocal focused tracks and instrumentals. Each track has something new to offer from futuristic notes on ‘Andromeda’ to creepy vibes in ‘Psycho’ and calmer waters in ‘Memento Mori’.
Find out more about The Jack Linger Project on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
