A Covenant of Thorns

A Covenant of Thorns is a one-man electronic alternative project from the United States. Formed in Seattle, in 1992, by Scott-David Allen, the project is currently based in the upper Midwest, outside of Chicago.

History
After a string of smaller projects and bands, in 1992, Scott-David Allen moved from San Francisco to Seattle and began work on various songs with no real plan to release any of the material written. While attending art school, he formed A Covenant of Thorns.

Several years later, in 1998, at the urging of individuals who heard the songs, he released two six song EPs, A Covenant of Thorns 1 (October 1, 1998) and A Covenant of Thorns 2 (December 1, 1999). The two EPs were a mixture of digital and analogue 4-track recordings.

On May 1, 1999, after the initial success of the two EPs, the first full-length album, Hallowed & Hollow, was released. Consisting of eleven of the twelve songs from the first two EPs, the track Crown of Thorns was omitted due to the amount of space a CD could accommodate at the time. In 2010, the album was remastered and rereleased.

Five years later, on October 1, 2004, the follow-up, full-length album, If The Heavens Should Fall was released. Written and recorded during the passing of a new millennium and a move across country, the release was a reflective, personal and much more subdued offering.

After a decade of silence, The Fields of Flesh, a six track EP, was released on December 14, 2014. The release was noticeably more upbeat than If The Heavens Should Fall but still retained a slightly more modern, core A Covenant of Thorns sound. It was also the first time Allen mixed an ACoT release (a trend that has continued to present day).

On October 21, 2016, the six Track EP Forgotten was released. It was the first release to feature guitars and retained the upbeat feel of the previous EP.

September 22, 2017's Requiem was a dark introspective six song E.P. dealing with the passing of Scott-David Allen's father. Marked by intensely personal lyrics, the release explored death and those left behind.

December 14, 2018 brought the release of the third, full-length album, Shadows & Serenades. It was noticeably more upbeat than the previous release while still exploring darker themes.

December 18, 2020, the fourth full-length album, Black, was released. Exploring themes such as religion, love, loss and loneliness, it built upon the previous album, retaining its feel, while exploring new sounds and ideas; notably in the song Choke, which was a commentary on the treatment of women, from the Salem witch trials to current day.

Ashes, the fifth full-length album and ACoT's tenth release overall, was released on May 26, 2023. This album marked a noticeably harder direction with the inclusion of hard-hitting synth bass sounds and driving guitars.

Name
According to Allen, the name A Covenant of Thorns symbolizes the contrast between everyday events:

Often, I tend to write based on an emotion or feeling. Similarly, the name "A Covenant of Thorns" was a combination of words that evoked a certain imagery and emotion. The name is somewhat conflicted and represents everyday struggles between opposites.It symbolizes the double-edged nature of any relationship, whether it is based on love, religion, friendship, etc.

EPs

 * 1998: A Covenant of Thorns 1
 * 1998: A Covenant of Thorns 2
 * 2014: The Fields of Flesh
 * 2016: Forgotten
 * 2017: Requiem

Albums

 * 1999: Hallowed & Hollow
 * 2004: If The Heavens Should Fall
 * 2018: Shadows & Serenades
 * 2020: Black
 * 2020: Ashes

Compilations

 * 1999: MP32K - The Future Is Now
 * 2000: Shadow Dancing
 * 2002: Trinity
 * 2005: Angelic Hauntings
 * 2020: Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us
 * 2022: The Unquiet Grave: The Final Chapter
 * 2022: Heartbreak Beat (A Tribute to The Psychedelic Furs)

Remixes

 * Dahlia (Phosphene Dreams Mix) - Remixed by The Joy Thieves