Written by:	ScreamingSteelUS
Published:	June 19, 2018

I had such fun writing up my first list that no sooner had I published it than I began compiling potential further entries. If that's the case, why did it take me nearly two years to put the second list together? While I think about how to answer that, let's start off Part II.

1. Sabaton - "Camouflage"

I love a lengthy folk odyssey as much as the next guy, and the peculiar tale of Stan Ridgway's 1986 hit is one likely to keep any listener interested for all seven-plus minutes, but when reinterpreted, it seems impossible that anybody but Sabaton could have written "Camouflage." By cutting the song in half and boosting the tempo, overhauling the rhythm, exchanging Ridgway's airy melody for a bold guitar lead, and doubling down on the sing-along potential, Sabaton transformed this rambling, new wave curio into a thundering battle hymn. Isn't it about time Sabaton recorded a song about Marines?



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2. Halestorm - "Bad Romance"

Halestorm has recorded a boatload of covers over the last few years, and while my favorite, Skid Row's "Slave To The Grind," doesn't fit the requirements for this article (already being a metal song), Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" comes as a close second, so it'll do. You could argue that this version is more hard rock than heavy metal, and thus it doesn't meet my criteria anyway, and shut up, it's my list. Halestorm's arrangement of the song is simple, none too adventurous, but Lzzy Hale's soaring screams really blow the lid off the piece. This is proof that catchy pop songs are nothing to be afraid of; sometimes, we just need a quick reskin to ease the introduction.



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3. Metallica - "Astronomy"

I feel bad for Metallica, because if/when I eventually do my list of the best covers of traditional/folk songs, I'm going to completely ignore their version of "Whisky In The Jar." Given the number of high-profile covers Metallica have done, their inclusion on this list is also not an incredibly original choice; everyone can substitute their own favorite for this entry, and I myself ruminated on "The Wait" and "Die, Die My Darling" before settling on "Astronomy," but this has always been my favorite Blue Öyster Cult song, and Metallica's take is surprisingly sensitive and inspired. The brawn and volume don't overpower the mysticism until the time is right, and overall the song has a kind of magic that Metallica can no longer find in their own material.



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4. Boney' NEM - "Livin' La Vida Loca"

If you live in America, grew up in the 21st century, and are wildly ignorant of pop music (as I've been told), it's easy to feel nonplussed by the completely foreign world that is 20th-century pop songs and the European metal bands that cover them. Much of Boney' NEM's career as a parody act is lost on me, I'm afraid, but this is one song that I do know (maybe because Ricky Martin isn't European), and the wild thrashing and beautifully haphazard vocals both reproduce and satirize the mild distress of the original. Boney' NEM is at once barely invested in the song and having way too much fun.



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5. Realm - "Eleanor Rigby"

Turning The Beatles into blistering thrash is a concept that makes me say, "Yeah, you could, but why would you?" It was, anyway, until Realm's reckless, asphalt-grinding cover changed my mind and also gave me a concussion. "Eleanor Rigby" transforms into Metal Church on steroids thanks to Mark Antoni's sky-piercing shrieks and Realm's best efforts to outrace itself over these two minutes, proof that just because an idea seems really stupid doesn't mean it will be. Or? maybe it still is really stupid, but that's okay.



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6. Strapping Young Lad - "Room 429"

"Room 429," unlike the rest of these entries, serves a particular function for the album on which it is featured (City) - transitioning from the raging industrial thrash blowout of the album's earlier tracks into the droning misery of the closer - so I have no idea how well it functions as a standalone piece, but I'm highlighting it anyway. Cop Shoot Cop's original is a little more unorthodox and performed with cold disaffection, a very nihilistic industrial rock setting, but Strapping's take is heavy, crunchy, and moody, and when the song reaches its dark, haunting climax, I'd never ask for any voice but Devin's snarling away at the oceans, the heavens, and everything in between. I've been listening to City more-or-less nonstop since my junior year of high school, but it wasn't until much later that I suddenly came back to "Room 429" and realized that I was unnerved by my own existence.



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7. VooDoo KungFu - "Get Up Stand Up"

This cover speaks to me because VooDoo KungFu perfectly grasped what Bob Marley was truly all about: instilling fear in the weak.



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8. Motörhead - "Motörhead"

This might be considered cheating, since Lemmy wrote the song, but see entry #2 - it's my list. Authorship notwithstanding, Hawkwind's version is more of a heavy rock song, high on the nectar of early-'70s psychedelic boundary-pushing; Motörhead's version is twice as fast and ten times as raw. It's like Hendrix's upgrade of "All Along The Watchtower" - the original came with a sax solo and a bloody violin, both replaced with "Fast" Eddie Clarke's blistering, punk-blues shredding. There's no reason not to like Hawkwind's brawny, historic-sounding rendition - but Motörhead's "Motörhead" is MOTÖRHEAD.



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9. Jorn - "Don't Stop Believing"

Jorn is another fellow who likes to cover everything in creation, and that's all right with me because his voice is like a big, gruff, Norwegian comfort blanket. Between Masterplan, his Avantasia appearances, and his own solo material, I've learned to associate Jorn's voice with magic, power, and a general inner warmth. Take that voice, add Trond Holter on guitar, and then apply it to a soulful classic waiting to have the volume knob turned up *just so*, and you've got a fantastic evening waiting.



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10. DragonForce - "Ring Of Fire"

File this one in the same category as Realm just above. What's to be gained by manhandling a gentlemanly classic and slamming it face-first into the pavement with inhuman speed and sky-piercing vocals? YOUR DESTINY, CHILD. Listen to Johnny Cash's original; those brass choirs were always meant to be hot-rodded into DragonForce's signature lightning licks. This is also a great way to get your fix of DragonForce without wading through eight minutes of guitar solo.



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BONUS: I went over 10 with my first installment, and, dash it all, I'm going to do so again. I'm also going to break the rules again, since neither the original nor reinterpretation of the song in question is all that metal, but as I said before, it's my list and I do what I want. This is Boney' NEM's take on Europe's "The Final Countdown." It's trash and I love it.