Alpha Decay by Covalence

It was a sad moment back in the early 90s when I discovered that grunge had replaced good hard rock music. All of a sudden, my partiality towards bands like Winger, Slaughter, and Poison were considered old-fashioned, a thing of the past.

Apparently, at least one good thing has come out of this shift in musical trends. And it's right here in Knoxville, TN. Covalence is a four-man alternative-grunge band. With Carter Manson on guitar and lead vocals, Tad Long on guitar, Richard Hodges on drums, and Gabe Carrasco on bass, they outdid themselves in the hard work they did for their debut CD, Alpha Decay.

Photo Credit Bird's Eye Photography

In just six songs, it is replete with talent, as well as all of the essential elements of rock, grunge, alternative, with a smidgeon of punk for good measure. Carter's strong voice has a no-nonsense intonation and a vibe that speaks of pain, power, rebellion, and effortless control. These attributes are consistent and crystal-clear through the whole CD.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention his guitar riffs, which is the biggest and best asset Carter brings to Covalence. Every one of the instrumental breaks in these songs has a different facet to his unmatched talent. You can hear that from the getgo in "Burn," the first song on the CD. They range from simple chords, as heard in "Close My Eyes," to the goosebump-inducing ones in "Into the Light". Check out the one at the fading of "March On," as well as the one in the intro to "Bring This Down."

What you'll hear in all of these songs is intricate musical patterns throughout. From the marching band drum patterns Richard graces us with at the beginning of "March On" to his use of a splash cymbal at times in "Close My Eyes" and "Burn".

The part where they're at their best as a band is in the instrumental break in "Into the Light": perfect timing with the guitar riffs and the drum beats, followed by that pause after the tension builds.

I love how they added on a bonus track, "Out of Place." Consider it a taste of the softer, deeper part of Covalence that couldn't be easily expressed otherwise.

Though I've listened to this several times at this point, as I'm writing this, I have the lights off. It's this time I am really into the music, feeling it penetrate to my soul. Therefore, I recommend you listen to Alpha Decay the same way you do The Dark Side of the Moon.

There's a whole lot more I could say about Alpha Decay. My advice to you is, keep listening to it. If you do, you'll find something different each time.

This is pretty darn good for four young men under 21 or still in high school!