Goth metal outfit Cemetery Skyline have released a pitch-black take on Cyndi Lauper’s 1989 hit I Drove All Night.
The Scandinavian supergroup – composed of members of death metal bands Dark Tranquillity, Amorphis and more – shared their cover of the track on Wednesday (March 12). It follows the release of their 2024 debut album, Nordic Gothic, and precedes a short tour of Finland booked for later this month. Listen below.
Keyboardist Santeri Kallio comments: “We were in the middle of writing the songs for Nordic Gothic and the tracks were flying back and forth over the Baltic Sea when Markus [Vanhala, guitars] suddenly came up with the idea to record a cover version of the 80s classic I Drove All Night.”
Lauper’s version of the song was an instant hit, reaching number six in the US and number seven in the UK in April 1989. However, I Drove All Night was originally written for rock singer/songwriter Roy Orbison by composers Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Orbison recorded it in 1987 but, due to his death the following year, his version wasn’t released until 1992.
Kallio continues: “Some may consider [I Drove All Night] a Roy Orbison hit, but back in high school I used to bang my head to the wall with Cyndi Lauper‘s original version. So, as an old fan of the song, I just could not resist the idea. The rest of the band soon joined the excitement to give this classic a new and darker crust.
“I also like to think that Markus’ passion for vintage cars had something to do with the idea to cover a song which is all about manically driving in darkness the whole night. We basically changed the song’s Cadillac to a hearse and all was set.”
Nordic Gothic was released to positive reviews in October, including a glowing eight-out-of-10 writeup from Metal Hammer’s Chris Chantler.
Chantler wrote: “Darkness with a lightness of touch, sadness with a hopeful uplift, Nordic Gothic is a classic grower. Like any Scandinavian, the songs can take a little time to open up; even instant bangers like Torn Away or Violent Storm engage their emotional hooks as well as musical ones, but when doomy closer Alone Together trails to a glacial halt, the urge to listen again is very strong.”
See details of Cemetery Skyline’s Finnish tour and buy tickets now via Bandsintown.
As for Lauper, the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun singer wrapped up a worldwide farewell tour in Paris on February 28. She was the subject of the Paramount + documentary Let The Canary Sing last year. In an interview with The Guardian, she said her willingness to be involved in the documentary came when she thought of feminist groups in the 1970s.
“They would all learn from each other. Women of all ages would get together and speak and tell their story,” Lauper explained. “For a young artist, the one thing I would want them to know is you don’t give up, right?
“You gotta wait for your day? Big deal. It’ll come if you don’t give up. You dig your heels in, you look, you see how to prepare. Another gatekeeper? I’m just going to sidestep and go around, because there’s always a way.”
