Can you do rock opera on a tiny stage? Dutch band The Covenant have been doing for 25 years and their latest project The Story Of Bloody S. Cash is a trilogy about a singer who aspires "a music career in crime". Part 1 The Robb & Roll Circus and Part 2 Escape From Mental Care have just been released, a grab bag of styles and loaded with quotes and nicked riffs. They love to mix things up and most of the time it works quite well.
Composer and lead vocalist Frank van der Reep likes to plays musical charades, like using a Bo Diddley riff for a song title inspired by Depeche Mode (Enjoy The Sirens) or applying a surf beat to Status Quo (Roll Over Lay Dead). Dutch listerers will recognize the nod to De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig in Doghouse Rock.
The Story Of Bloody S. Cash is pretty ambitious, but luckily the music pushes the story line forward. Plenty of sex, violence, crimes and misdemeanours, and a lunatic asylum from Hell. Listening to the CD is one sitting is pretty challenging (take a break after part one to grab a beer or something), but you want to know what happens next. Bring on the third and final part. And while they are at it, it would be nice if they put a video of part 2 as well.
The Covenant:
Frank van der Reep: vocals
Robin van der Reep: vocals
Hans Koomans: guitar
Peter Stap: bass
Marcel van Riessen: drums
The Story Of Bloody S. Cash is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website.
Tracks:- Dead Moon Rising
Part 1 - The Robb & Roll Circus - Enjoy The Sirens
- Cheap Perfume
- The Robb & Roll Circus
- The Wind Cries Carrie
- Roll Over Lay Dead
- Blood Busted
Part 2 - Escape From Mental Care - Now Nor Ever
- Regular Coffee
- Six Feet Ten
- Salty Lad(y)
- Doghouse Rock
- Oh Crappy Days
- Prison Mental Care
- Bloody Cash (Copycat Trash)
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