Whatever we may think of Madonna‘s latest shenanigans, we cannot escape the fact that her 1998 “Goth-phase” album “Ray of Light” was a pure, unadulterated gem, largely due to the producing genius of William Orbit, whose superb knack for crafting highly evocative soundscapes had already become evident on his now-classic 1995 album “Pieces in a Modern Style.” The pinnacle of this particular Madonna album, “Frozen,” for example, still slaps hard almost 30 years later. While it is by far not the only indelible time-stamp she has made on music history, it is certainly one that even metalheads can approve of. Then, for us old grits who were in their twenties in the 1990s, “Frozen” is not merely an epochal piece of ancient music history but one of those essential building blocks of our musical psyche. Now, let’s say you were an up-and-coming Finnish alt-metal outfit who decided to put out an EP spearheaded with a cover rendition of this very pop monolith… I would recommend proceeding with caution since the wrath of Generation X is not something you would wish upon yourself. Well, RIOGHAN, one of the hottest new bands in the Finnish metal scene, just recently announced they were going to do exactly that. A few individual tracks from the EP have already been released as singles, including the said cover, after which the EP will be entitled. The whole endeavor is due out on April 10th, 2026, via Serpent’s Fate. Their sophomore album “Kept” was easily one of the absolute highlights of 2025, so while acknowledging that the said cover-of-choice might take the band skating on thin ice, I reckoned that the odds were much better for the band pulling this stunt off brilliantly rather than butchering the song to a bloody pulp. Let’s see how it turned out…
The first thing to notice is that the new songs resonate with a somewhat thicker pop aura than their earlier material. A disclaimer might be in order here, though. The songs are not ”pop” like Madonna‘s 1990s achievements, but rather “pop” like the new songs by VOLA – the song, “Teardrop,” with its djenty riff origami, in particular. One of the earliest singles, “Moment” rolls out nice staccato riffs that recall “The Congregation” era LEPROUS; so, there’s a distinct alternative-metal vibe in the music, too, laced with the occasional pinch of prog. Now, coming to think about it, my favorite song on the previous album was that trip-hop-tinged banger entitled “Distance,” which wasn’t exactly tr00 kvlt metal. The unholy matrimony of pop and metal, when mixed in the same sonic bowl with style, just happens to work wonders, and these rogues seem to have that golden touch when it comes to matters of this sort.
The next single from this EP will be the song “520,” due out on February 25th, 2026, and it is a song that harkens prominently back to the overall vibe of “Kept” with its anthemic chorus, along with the bouncy riffer “Sky,” which closes the EP. So, while this snack-offering introduces some softer nuances, the solid foundation of RIOGHAN‘s signature sound isn’t too tampered with. I see no reason why this EP wouldn’t further solidify the band’s good footing in the Finnish alt-metal scene, especially given the cherry on top. The thing is, some covers pay nice tribute to the original, and then some covers bring the song’s deepest essence to life in a way that might even surprise its original creators. Take the haunting Ryan Adams‘ version of “Wonderwall,” for instance: it was so good that Noel Gallagher later rearranged OASIS‘s live rendition of the song to mimic Adams‘ version. I doubt Madonna would opt for such a thing now, given her Illuminati-pop theatrics of late, but RIOGHAN‘s version is so good that I’m pretty sure William Orbit would approve! The dark, haunting atmosphere of the original, inspired by Bernardo Bertolucci’s film The Sheltering Sky, has remained largely intact in this new version. The song’s subtle Middle-Eastern vibe works particularly well in this metal context. In a way, the song feels like a sequel to “Distance,” which probably further explains why I totally fell for it. RIOGHAN has masterfully injected the song with an extra dose of alt-metal punch, making it sound like one of their own songs while paying beautiful homage to the ethereal, Gothic melancholy of the original. I reckon it is a specific talent in itself to pick the perfect cover song for your band, one that does justice to both your band’s signature style and the original. Well done, RIOGHAN! The band is heading for a short tour in Finland, starting at Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki, on March 9th, 2026, and culminating at the Ankea Festival in Tampere in June. So, if darkly ethereal alt-metal is something you might fancy, you’d better not miss these opportunities to experience something spectacular. The band’s star is on the rise for a reason.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Frozen
- Moment
- Teardrop
- 520
- Sky
Lineup
Rioghan Darcy – vocals
Teemu Liekkala – guitar
Tero Luukkonen – guitars
Antti Varjanne – bass
Aleks Toppari – keyboards
Valtteri Revonkorpi – drummer
Label
Serpent’s Fate
