Strangely, I was reading an interview with In Flames from way back just the other day, and two bands that they singled out for special mention were Depeche Mode and Alice in Chains, so the band’s decision to cover these artists on a digital-only EP did not come as much of a surprise as it might otherwise have done. In flames, even from their earliest days, made little secret of their melodic ambitions and recent albums such as ‘battles’ and ‘siren charms’ have seen that ambition finally reach fruition. Needless to say, those who hanker for the days of ‘Whoracle’ are unlikely to be won over by the streamlined sounds on offer here, but for those who have enjoyed the band’s steady evolution towards a more atmospheric, even gothic, sound, this EP is a fine addition to their collection.
First up is a meaty cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘it’s no good’. Depeche Mode are a band who have long found favour with metal fans and bands. Notable covers include Marilyn Manson’s ‘Personal Jesus’ and Rammstein’s ‘stripped’, and the band’s exceedingly dark take on pop music, which veered toward the obsidian around ‘Ultra’, from which this track is taken, certainly lends itself to In Flames’ rather more beefy approach. With a strong vocal performance and vibrant production, it gets the EP off to a cracking start. Rather more surprising is a piano-led, subtly industrial take on the Alice in Chains classic ‘down in a hole’. It works very much in In Flames’ favour that they decided to break considerably with the original, unimpeachable arrangement, and although their version does not better the original, it comes off as a respectful and enjoyable cover in its own right. Not essential, perhaps, but a worthy take on a phenomenal and emotionally charged song. A cover of Chris Isaak’s ‘wicked game’ is not that surprising, considering that it’s already been covered by Stone Sour and HIM. This could render yet another version somewhat redundant, except that the band have done much to fit it seamlessly in with the atmospheric tracks on offer here. Once again, the band’s electronic elements are bought very much to the fore, with the result that they end up sounding rather like a heavier version of Tears for Fears. The final track on the EP is a live rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘hurt’ and it’s a shame the band did not limit themselves to the three studio recordings. Compared to the other tracks here, the band deviate less from the original template, but it’s difficult to listen to any new version of this song without comparing it to Johnny Cash’s shattered reading of the piece. However, the biggest issue is that the vocal here is badly overcooked and this is a pernicious error, as it badly detracts from the atmosphere of decay that permeates the original. In fact, the harsh screams that Anders employs towards the conclusion grate badly and bring absolutely nothing to a song that is primarily acoustic. For me, it’s the weakest track on the EP by far, and it lacks both the polish and the restraint of the first three songs. I can’t imagine listening to this cover again and it threatens to derail an otherwise fine and atmospheric EP.
‘Down, Wicked & No Good’ is an interesting bonus for In Flames fans and it is arguable that it succeeds where other covers collections fail (at least on the first three songs) because the band have made an effort to choose tracks that could, with a little tinkering, be adapted to craft an atmospheric EP with a strong sense of identity. Nonetheless, it is a very pop EP (albeit in a good way) and it’s likely that fans of the band’s harder-edged material from their early career will see this as yet further evidence of the band’s perceived decline. It makes sense that this is a digital-only release (although it might have made a fine bonus CD alongside ‘battles’), and it is, ultimately, an enjoyable, if somewhat ephemeral addition to the In Flames catalogue. 7
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