EP Review: The Halo Effect – We Are Shadows (Nuclear Blast Records)

On November 21, 2025, Swedish metal powerhouse The Halo Effect will return with their brand-new EP, ‘We Are Shadows’, which offers a very diverse look at the band’s influences and features one track picked by each band member.

Yes, this is a covers EP and while that isn’t normally the sort of thing I would bother reviewing, the fact that it comes from The Halo Effect, has them stepping out of their comfort zone, and feels like a love letter to the music they love, makes it more compelling.

It’s Mikael’s choice up first, and he has gone with the Danzig hit, How the Gods Kill. A moody, power driven, melodic version of a beloved classic. One that has the vocalist showcase smooth clean singing.

Whereas that is a cover that doesn’t feel too far removed from the band’s makeup, the next cover, Peter’s choice, sure does. It’s Kent and the track is If You Were Here, a chance for The Halo Effect to play around with their poppier side. It’s different, likable enough, even though I can’t say that it’s really for me.

I do like Jesper’s choice though. It’s freaking W.A.S.P. and who doesn’t love a bit of I Wanna Be Somebody!? A track perfect for The Halo Effect’s melodeath ways, and one that has the vocalist digging down deep to pull out some of his best growls. It’s a fun cover, perfectly capturing the original’s infectious qualities while also sounding suitably heavy and raucous.

Niclas’ choice is a cool one too, albeit from a different side of things. It’s Dance with the Devil by Phenomena and it is great. The energy, the jiggy melody, the vocals, and a powerful chorus, this is a personal favourite. Though I am also a bit impartial to Daniel’s choice too, a unique sounding cover of Broder Daniel’s Shoreline. I don’t know the original, but I dig this punchy rock effort.

I’m not entirely sure who this EP is for, and that is a bit of a problem, but it is just an EP so it’s not like The Halo Effect have overdone it here. It’s five covers, five fairly unexpected covers that they manage to make their own. That’s worth a listen, right?

The Halo Effect – We Are Shadows Track Listing:

1. How the Gods Kill (Danzig Cover)
2. If You Were Here (Kent Cover)
3. I Wanna Be Somebody (W.A.S.P. Cover)
4. Dance with the Devil (Phenomena Cover)
5. Shoreline (Broder Daniel Cover)

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