TENET – Sovereign

If you like to be pounded and mosh yourself up while tuning to strong music, get a load of this baby – it will crack your skull open. The golden goose in this hunting season was named Sovereign, under the clutches of the mighty Century Media Records, and it was produced by a group, which is most likely a super-group under the name of Tenet from the US of A and Old School Thrash Metal is its game.

Tenet was the primary scheme of the, R.I.P, Strapping Young Lad’s, Zimmer’s Hole and for those who remember Armoros’ guitarist, Jed Simon back in 1996. The definition of the name, to be exact, is what was posted on Tenet’s site: “An opinion, doctrine or principle held as being true by a person or especially by an organization”.

At first, the project was just a collection of jam sessions and nothing quite happened with the incoming bomb, aside from a few demos. In 2002, that old idea became rather more of a reality and along the years Simon was able to recruit some new and old buddies like… the famous crushing ex-drummer of the late Death, Dark Angel and also a fellow member of Strapping Young Lad – Gene Hoglan, kick-ass guitarist and Ex-Forbidden – Glen Alvelais, bass master of Fear Factory and a fellow member of Zimmer’s Hole and Strapping Young Lad – Byron Stroud. With all these hardcore figures came out yet another giant to the group to take on the vocals. If you thought the Steve “Zetro” Souza was finished after Exodus and the ongoing project of Dublin Death Patrol – it would be better if you would think it over. After several auditions, Tenet took Zetro as he turned out to be one of the major and surprising sparks of the onslaught going on in Sovereign.

With this kind of lineup you can’t accept or expect any less from Sovereign and from Tenet, it is all about the social life issues as they were always present on Thrash Metal and are very common subjects that all these type of bands are fond of. These well-respected thrashing folks are doing and making a point to the other new bands of Thrash and even to the comeback ones, which are pouring out like flies. They truly understand the true nature of the old subgenre and its power among its brothers. You are looking at the old form of Bay Area Thrash Metal with touches of extreme music, all supported by an out of this world production that won’t let you settle down and rest even for a bit. The music played is break necking, heavy and has true depth like a ton of bricks and its crust is made of well-built fueling solos of past days in conjunction with a set of vocals from a mouth that , with a thought, wasn’t too famous for its high pitch raspy singing in the vein of Bobby Blitz meeting Marcel Schmier.

Coming to the tracks from the bloody punching bag, you can boast on it all and you can drink and have a good time with all of these grinders. The best of these are: “Watching You Burn” , “Indulge Me” , “Crown Of Thorns” (the band’s first single from the album), “Take A Long Line” and “Being And Nothingness”.

Sovereign has turned out to be one of the best projects made by such experienced members from the world of Thrash. If this act keeps on going, the Thrash world is going to get seriously kicked as Tenet will march to their second endeavor.