Inspired by the metal covers thread, I was thinking of the reverse - non-metal artists covering metal songs. Given metal secular status in popular music it's not too easy to find covers and it's likely even more difficult to find versions that are also accepted and supported by metalheads but lets give it a try. I found the following ones to be pretty interesting:
Tori Amos - Raining Blood
Bet you'd never thought sweet Tori was a closet Slayer fan. If I didn't know she was covering Slayer, I wouldn't have recognised the song. It's an inventive cover all right, with Gregorian chanting, strange sound effects probably mimiking the chaotic soloing and a way slower tempo.
Mariah Carey - Bringin' On The Heartbreak
This cover here is a lot more faithful to the original. Mariah Carey's rendition almost feels natural and I must admit I like the way she hits the whistle register towards the end. If slightly dramatic, cheesy ballads are your thing, be sure to check it out.
The Cardigans - Iron Man
The Cardigans' guitarist and bassist both are actually metal musicians and the band also covered "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Again it's an interesting and idiosyncratic version of the song (not a single trace of rock to be found, it's a dreamy pop song).
Dolly Parton - Stairway To Heaven
Stairway may or may not be a metal song, but I think this is a good version and therefore I included it. This cover keeps to the original but still has a definite country twang.
Canada's tattooed black and denim wearing hard rock chick recorded a very haunting version of the Metallica tune. She stays pretty close to the original in terms of the music, but her vocals bring a quality to the song that Hetfield couldn't achieve in his wildest wet dreams.
Of course, there's the entirety of Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood album where he covers everything from "You've Got Another Thing Comin" to "Crazy Train" to "Holy Diver" and more. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with functional hearing.
Lol the Cardigan's cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath actually sounds decent. not the same thing i could say about that cover of Raining Blood.. gah... also Hillary Duff's cover of "My Generation" and Avril Lavigne's cover of "Chop Suey" both suck majorly.
Canada's tattooed black and denim wearing hard rock chick recorded a very haunting version of the Metallica tune. She stays pretty close to the original in terms of the music, but her vocals bring a quality to the song that Hetfield couldn't achieve in his wildest wet dreams.
Of course, there's the entirety of Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood album where he covers everything from "You've Got Another Thing Comin" to "Crazy Train" to "Holy Diver" and more. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with functional hearing.
Loved Bif Naked's version but, aside from the novelety, the Pat Boone album is really hard to stomach at times.
Canada's tattooed black and denim wearing hard rock chick recorded a very haunting version of the Metallica tune. She stays pretty close to the original in terms of the music, but her vocals bring a quality to the song that Hetfield couldn't achieve in his wildest wet dreams.
Of course, there's the entirety of Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood album where he covers everything from "You've Got Another Thing Comin" to "Crazy Train" to "Holy Diver" and more. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with functional hearing.
Loved Bif Naked's version but, aside from the novelety, the Pat Boone album is really hard to stomach at times.
I just realized via Facebook that there is a Swedish band wanting to cover metal songs in bluegrass style, Slaughter of the Bluegrass. They already recorded "Blinded By Fear" by At The Gates, and are asking us to vote for their next effort. I voted for "Punish My Heaven"
However, it looks like there are other bluegrass bands having fun with the possibilities metal gives. One of these is Iron Horse from Alabama, USA. They have released two Metallica tribute albums, "Fade to Bluegrass" and "Fade to Bluegrass Vol. 2". I found The Four Horsemen (check the chorus!) and Fuel the funniest.
Lol the Cardigan's cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath actually sounds decent. not the same thing i could say about that cover of Raining Blood.. gah... also Hillary Duff's cover of "My Generation" and Avril Lavigne's cover of "Chop Suey" both suck majorly.
well, you are talking about hilary duff and avril lavigne, so nothing good could've been expected in the first place it would've been a huge suprise if they had been any good, actually
---- love is like a jar of shit with a strawberry on top
this is an amazing cover! A friend of mine played this to me at about 4 times and only when I listened carefully to the lyrics I realize what it was!!!
I am not making this up. All the tracks are played on various chimes, toy pianos and xylophones. I reckon it's supposed to be soothing, but the intro to "Battery" (and most of the other songs) sounded way more creepy and disturbing than the original. It reminded me of the "Suspiria" soundtrack. My kids didn't really care for it either.
I just realized via Facebook that there is a Swedish band wanting to cover metal songs in bluegrass style, Slaughter of the Bluegrass. They already recorded "Blinded By Fear" by At The Gates, and are asking us to vote for their next effort. I voted for "Punish My Heaven"
However, it looks like there are other bluegrass bands having fun with the possibilities metal gives. One of these is Iron Horse from Alabama, USA. They have released two Metallica tribute albums, "Fade to Bluegrass" and "Fade to Bluegrass Vol. 2". I found The Four Horsemen (check the chorus!) and Fuel the funniest.
now they covered Twilight of the Thunder God by Amon Amarth. it's nice but i think it's a bit over the top at times, like i was seriously WTF during the "breakdown" O.o
also, the Gregorian Chant choir's cover of Engel is pretty good, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHBqEK_iRoY all that album has something really great/atmospheric about it.
The band Gregorian have covered a few metal/hard rock songs. Notably Metallica's "Unforgiven" and Rammstein's "Engel". I believe they might have some more, but I haven't heard (of) them. Also the electro-industrial band "In Strict Confidence" covered Metallica's "Sad But True". A lot of Metallica in general has been covered by a lot of non-metal artists, notably bluegrass musicians.
Mambo Kurt; here some covers he made for some Metal\Rock classics, In a Comedy\Pop Electro style:
Engel (Rammstein)
Creep (Radiohead)
Basket Case (Green Day)
Paradise City (Guns N' Roses)
Come as you are (Nirvana)
Bombtrack (Rage Against the Machine)
I Was Made For Loving You (KISS)
Highway To Hell (AC/DC)
Join Me (In Death) (HIM)
Metall Medley (Black no. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All) -Type O Negative/Mother-Danzig/Nothing Else Matters-Metallica)
Jump (Van Halen)
Raining Blood (Slayer)
Sweet Child Of Mine (Guns N' Roses)
Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode)
How You Remind Me (Nickelback)
Hells Bells (AC/DC)
No One Knows (Queens of the Stone Age)
Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz)
Thunderstruck (AC/DC)
Anarchy in the UK (Sex Pistols)
Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden)
Enter Sandman (Metallica)
Through and Through (Life of Agony)
In the Shadows (The Rasmus)
Angel of Death (Slayer)
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (The Ramones)
Bif Naked:
Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)
Nirvana are Grunge, yup i know, so save it!! I just wanna share some covers that I enjoy
Tori Amos:
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
Patti Smith:
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
Fatboy Slim:
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
Cibo Matto:
About A Girl (Nirvana)
Tallywood Strings:
"String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana's Nevermind" they covered the whole "Nevermind" album in Symphony Orchestra style.
Bet you'd never thought sweet Tori was a closet Slayer fan. If I didn't know she was covering Slayer, I wouldn't have recognised the song. It's an inventive cover all right, with Gregorian chanting, strange sound effects probably mimiking the chaotic soloing and a way slower tempo.
Thanks to you and your topic, i find out about this amazing song!, I actually heard the whole Tori Amos's cover album "Strange Little Girls" she's awesome love her style.
----
"Art is our only salvation from the horror of existence"
Hellsongs - a band that makes tributes to heavy metal classics. All the songs are entirely rethought and played in a beautiful folk'ish accoustic style. I'm not at my own computer right now, but I'll find some music links and post them later.
it would've been a huge suprise if they had been any good, actually
