Gothenburg veterans In Flames are among the fathers of Sweden’s soaring, triumphant melodic death metal sound. But on their new EP Down, Wicked & No Good, the band leaves that sound mostly behind for something else. The new surprise-release EP consists entirely of covers, with the band taking on the ’90s modern-rock radio hits. The whole thing seems to be built around the band’s crunching cover of Depeche Mode’s throbbing 1997 song “It’s No Good,” but it’s also got their versions of Alice In Chains’ grunge dirge “Down In A Hole” and Chris Isaak’s oft-covered “Wicked Game,” as well as a live version of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” The band’s versions of these songs are more polished than you’d think; they give room to the arrangements and make sure the melodies shine through. And it’s fun to hear how far frontman Anders Fridén pushes his voice. Here’s a statement from the band:

Ever since we were kids, Depeche Mode has been a top favorite band for us. Whenever people ask us who inspires us as songwriters, Martin Gore is always one of the first people we mention. The power of the song musically and lyrically really pulled us in to make a version of our own. Even though we’re a metal band, Depeche Mode has influenced our music in a lot of the ways, especially where we use electronics and synths.

And here’s the EP stream:

Down, Wicked & No Good is out now on Eleven Seven.