Description
After VII: Född Förlorare, which included a Landberk cover, Shining released the single Fortvivlan, Min Arvedel, featuring a cover of Alice Cooper’s Prince of Darkness. Now, caught up in the spirit of covering other artists, the Swedish band presents an EP with four more covers.
The EP opens with For My Demons by Katatonia, originally from Tonight’s Decision (1999). Shining delivers this track with the same heartfelt intensity as the original, led by Niklas Kvarforth’s emotive clean vocals and supported by Witt’s precise drumming and layered guitar harmonies by Niklas and Huss. The performance stays true to the song’s spirit without adding death metal elements.
The next two covers are by popular Swedish bands Kent and Imperiet, not widely known outside Sweden. Kvarforth has long admired these groups, and he’s even performed Imperiet covers live with Skitliv. Shining’s take on Kent’s Utan Dina Andetag has a commercial polish, while Kung Av Jidder by Imperiet showcases Kvarforth’s expressive lower-register vocals, making it an unexpectedly catchy track, even in Swedish.
The EP closes with a cover of Carnival of Rust by Finnish band Poets of the Fall, a song that builds from gentle acoustic guitar and vocals to a richly layered, emotive arrangement. Though it may be note-for-note to the original, Shining’s rendition captures the song’s powerful feel.
While the Katatonia cover will resonate with Shining’s fans, the other tracks may introduce new influences or raise a few eyebrows.
