Make It Your Own: Apothecary's Favorite Metal Covers
Make It Your Own: Apothecary's Favorite Metal Covers
Self explanatory. Favorite covers by metal bands of both metal and nonmetal songs. Had been wanting to do this for a while.
Alphabetical order by band. No limit to how many covers per band, as some bands (Thou, The Meads Of Asphodel, etc) really seem to have a talent for pumping out a lot of great covers.
What makes a "great cover" of a song to me? Usually it isn't an exact imitation of the original, but an adaptation of the original to the style of the band doing the cover. This list will focus mostly on covers that do this, but may come to include a few that are more note for note replications.
Alphabetical order by band. No limit to how many covers per band, as some bands (Thou, The Meads Of Asphodel, etc) really seem to have a talent for pumping out a lot of great covers.
What makes a "great cover" of a song to me? Usually it isn't an exact imitation of the original, but an adaptation of the original to the style of the band doing the cover. This list will focus mostly on covers that do this, but may come to include a few that are more note for note replications.
1.
Blut Aus Nord
- Mighty Trust Krusher (Godflesh cover)
Blut Aus Nord paying tribute to one of the chief sources of inspiration for their more industrial-influenced albums. A little slower and slightly more hallucinatory than the original, but still cold and mechanical as hell. https://tinyurl.com/y26a5ful
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2.
Candlemass
- Don't Fear The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult cover)
A doomier, slower version of the BOC classic, courtesy Leif Edling and company. I'm not that big a Rob Lowe fan, but I really do like his performance here. https://tinyurl.com/yya6upyg
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3.
Church Of Misery
- Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll (Blue Oyster Cult cover)
Another great BOC cover, not really all that different from the original, but definitely a little crunchier and more in line with COM's stoner personality. https://tinyurl.com/y2mtfwwl
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4.
Crowhurst
- Oops I Did It Again (Britney Spears cover)
Perhaps the ultimate lesson in piss taking on this list along with the Meads cover of Wonderful World. This cover was a spur of the moment occurrence during Crowhurst's collab set with Gnaw Their Tongues at Roadburn 2019. Just for shits and giggles, but fun as hell to listen to and it was even more fun to experience in the moment. https://tinyurl.com/y5n7avjq
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5.
Emperor
- A Fine Day To Die (Bathory cover)
A rare instance of a cover song actually seeming to surpass the original, here Emperor managed to both pay tribute to one of their chief sources of inspiration while also somehow managing to make their cover even more epic and grandiose than the original. Truly excellent recreation. https://tinyurl.com/y5w47gpw
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6.
Fistula
- Cocaine (J.J. Cale cover)
A nasty take on this classic by these Cleveland sludgecore hooligans. Slower and more painful than the original. I've seen these guys live twice and they played it both times, so it appears to be quite a popular cover among their fans. https://tinyurl.com/y64axfxm
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7.
Judas Priest
- Diamonds And Rust (Joan Baez cover)
This one really is timeless, maybe because it's actually better than the original. A more upbeat take on the Baez original, smothered in KK Downing and Glen Tipton's beautiful guitar work and the powerhouse vocals of Rob Halford. https://tinyurl.com/y6zgr8th
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8.
Kylesa
- Come As You Are (Nirvana cover)
This has long been one of my favorites from Nirvana, so to see it get a nice stoner metal treatment from Kylesa is great. Slightly slower and more melodic than the original, not too different but different enough to not be an outright clone. https://tinyurl.com/y5n7avjq
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9.
Lingua Ignota
- Bad Boys (Inner Circle cover)
OK, OK, so I'm cheating here a bit because Lingua Ignota isn't "really" metal, and this isn't exactly a metal cover, but hey, her music is definitely metal *influenced, and she plays with metal musicians a lot, so fuck it. Here she totally owned this Inner Circle classic and made it her own, flipping it on its head and making it much more haunting, gritty, and altogether unsettling. https://tinyurl.com/y4g8vxo6
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10.
Lingua Ignota
- Jolene (Dolly Parton cover)
One more Lingua cover? Much like her take on Bad Boys, here this queen renders the Dolly Parton classic much more haunting, somber, and melancholic. Beautiful work. https://tinyurl.com/y36ru3wk
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11.
The Meads Of Asphodel
- Assault And Battery (Hawkwind cover)
The Meads really do love their Hawkwind, so much so that they've even had guitarist Huw Llyod Langton play on several of their albums. This is one of the finest examples of the "take the original and make it your own" principle I can think of, as the Meads made it faster, more metal-ish, and even somewhat punk-like with the increased tempo. https://tinyurl.com/y695jvyz
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12.
The Meads Of Asphodel
- Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong cover)
Did I say the Meads cover of Assault And Battery was one of the finest examples of the "make it your own?" principle with cover songs? I lied. This one is where the fun really is, as here the Meads didn't really do much to alter the original composition, but they sure as hell butchered the lyrics. "The silhouettes or murder, so pretty in the sky/ Where rapists stare in wonder at children passing by." https://tinyurl.com/y64l5rce
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13.
The Meads Of Asphodel
- You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover)
Much like their Wonderful World cover, this one for the Meads is purely for the sake of taking the piss. A wee bit faster than the original, featuring JD Tait growling away at the lyrics and even throwing in a guitar solo. Fun shit. https://tinyurl.com/yyg5wrsc
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14.
The Meads Of Asphodel
- You've Got The Hate (Florence And The Machine cover)
What? You thought we were done with the Meads' cover song piss taking? Think again. Here they went at bastardizing Florence And The Machine's "You Got The Love," injecting it with Metatron's trademark cynical, morbid sense of humor and completely altering the lyrics. "Sometimes I feel like throwing grenades up in the air!" https://tinyurl.com/y3ukwjtk
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15.
Megaton Leviathan
- The Belldog (Eno Moebius Roedelius cover)
A slower interpretation of the original from these drone doomers, and more propelled by synths. Better than the original in my book, more meditative and stimulating. https://tinyurl.com/yxlbhayt
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16.
P.H.O.B.O.S.
- Enter The Eternal Fire (Bathory cover)
This always was one of my favorite Bathory songs, so when I discovered that the industrial doom metal titan that is P.H.O.B.O.S. had covered it, I screamed like a giddy little girl. Much longer than the original, slower, and more plodding, but somehow manages to be a lot more epic and atmospheric with that shift in the composition. https://tinyurl.com/y36ohtxa
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17.
Primitive Man
- Sweet Leaf (Black Sabbath cover)
Slower, longer, and more crushing than the original, drenched with the stamp of the band's mammoth of a rhythm section and the inhuman snarls of Ethan McCarthy. One of my all time favorite Sabbath covers. https://tinyurl.com/yy25xdw4
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18.
Primitive Man
- Western Eyes (Portishead cover)
Once more Primitive Man own the "make it your own" cover song idea here by taking what was originally a pretty mellow Portishead song and making it absolutely hellish and abysmal, drenched in eerie atmospheres and a bit of a harsh noise influence. Wicked take. https://tinyurl.com/yyajzf5l
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19.
The Ruins Of Beverast
- Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (Pink Floyd cover)
Well The Ruins Of Beverast is one of my favorite metal bands, period, so when I discovered this cover, I once again screamed like a gidddy little girl. Totally adapated to Von Meilenwald's style, this version of Floyd's trippy classic is heavier on the drum presence, and a lot more ritualistic with the guitar work and the almost chant-like vocal delivery. https://tinyurl.com/y32edg36
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20.
Sanctuary
- White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane cover)
A heavier, almost speed metal interpretation of the original. If there's one vocalist who can definitely pull this off and really does Grace Slick's performance on the original justice, it's definitely Warrel Dane (RIP). https://tinyurl.com/p3lgale
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21.
Shining (NOR)
- 21st Century Schizoid Man (King Crimson cover)
These guys love their old school prog. As big a fan I am of King Crimson, I gotta say that this is another cover that almost seems to surpass the original, as here the Shining bois made it jazzier and even a little more extreme in the vocal delivery as well, which appears to be more suitable for the nature of the lyrics and what they're about. https://tinyurl.com/yysoqvte
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22.
Sunn O)))
- F.W.T.B.T. (Metallica cover)
Here we have the drone doom legends' take on Metallica's For Whom The Bell Tolls. As you could expect, they slowed it down to a snail's pace to the point that the original riffs and rhythms are barely discernible, but hey, that's just part of what makes it so interesting. Plus the full title of this cover ("I Dream Of Lars Ulrich Being Thrown Through The Bus Window Instead Of My Mystikal Master Kliff Burton) is fucking hilarious. https://tinyurl.com/y4ufsfvu
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23.
Thou
- Floyd The Barber (Nirvana cover)
Another awesome Nirvana cover, from the band's groovier and more sludgey Bleach debut, no less, which makes it ideal for Thou adapting it to their style. A bit slower, and featuring Brian Funck's trademark growls. https://tinyurl.com/y67mwjnc
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24.
Vader
- Fight Fire With Fire (Metallica cover)
Fight Fire With Fire always was one of Metallica's most aggressive and upbeat songs, so the fact that Vader managed to make it even nastier is really saying something. Not really that different from the original, but a little more abrasive and even seems a wee bit faster at some points. https://tinyurl.com/y39wj8ku
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25.
Voivod
- 21st Century Schizoid Man (King Crimson cover)
Hey look at that, two covers of the same song on one list! Admittedly I prefer this less than the Shining cover of it, as it's a little more true to the original and less unique, but it's still pretty decent for what it is. Noticeably heavier and more metallic than the original. https://tinyurl.com/y5nrrwdq
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26.
Voivod
- Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd cover)
Yup, these guys love their old school prog too. Here we have a great ode to the Syd Barret-era classic, pretty true to the original, but a wee bit heavier and unquestionably stamped with Voivod's distinct mark. https://tinyurl.com/y3bo7abn
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Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
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Posts: 3553  |
Posts: 3553
Cool list idea. I'd probably add the Pallbearer version of Gloomy Sunday but idk if you're a fan of them.
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Posts: 5989 Written by Alex F on 13.07.2019 at 19:35 The Diamanda Galas song? Shit dude I had no idea they had done that, I'll check that out now then. Thanks for the tip, it sounds like it'd be pretty cool!
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 3553 Written by Auntie Sahar on 13.07.2019 at 19:36 It's originally a Rezső Seress composition that was popularized by Billie Holiday (her's is by far the best version imo)
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Posts: 5989 Written by Alex F on 13.07.2019 at 19:38 Neato, I'll give it a spin and will definitely add it here if I enjoy it 
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 3642
Glad to see Sanctuary's version of White Rabbit here. Warrel Dane also has a great cover of Sisters Of Mercy's Lucretia My Reflection that I had on repeat in the months after his death. Worth checking out if you haven't already.
---- I hate bonus tracks
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Posts: 5989 Written by Zap on 14.07.2019 at 00:40 Can't say I've ever heard of it, and I actually don't know the original at all
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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 Posts: 836 |
Posts: 836
BaN put that cover song on the re-release of The Work, so I'm a bit salty about that one... Also Kylesa did a Paranoid cover (on Exhausting Fire) which is very different to the original and kind of works because of that
---- You are the hammer, I am the nail building a house in the fire on the hill
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Posts: 7
A few I like Sbeast - Still More Fighting (Final Fantasy 7 Soundtrack) Korn - Word Up (Cameo) FFDP - House Of The Rising Sun (The Animals) Any Given Day - Diamonds (Rihanna) Sharks In Your Mouth - Lose Yourself (Eminem) Wednesday 13 - R.A.M.O.N.E.S (The Ramones)
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Posts: 5989 Written by lparsons13 on 14.07.2019 at 12:11 Haven't heard that one in a while but I do recall really enjoying it. Their cover of Another Brick In The Wall is pretty decent too
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 5989 Written by Desha on 14.07.2019 at 11:02 Neato, I'll give it a whirl
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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VIG
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The Ruins Of Beverast - To Have And To Hold (Depeche Mode cover) Neurosis - Day Of The Lords (Joy Division cover) Neurosis - Children Of The Grave (Black Sabbath cover) Converge - Snowblind (Black Sabbath cover) Melvins - Goin' Blind (KISS cover) Converge - Wolverine Blues (Entombed cover) Pig Destroyer - Down In The Street (The Stooges cover) Today Is The Day - Feel Like Makin' Love (Bad Company cover) Today Is The Day - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover) Today Is The Day - Nothing Else Matters (Metallica cover) Type O Negative - Summer Breeze (Seals And Crofts cover) Type O Negative - Black Sabbath (From The Satanic Perspective) (Black Sabbath cover) Sigh - Spiritual (John Coltrane cover) Emperor - Gypsy (Mercyful Fate cover) Leviathan - Stripped (Depeche Mode cover) Leviathan - Nothing Changes (Death In June cover) Sorry for no links 
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Posts: 5989 Written by [user id=159927] on 14.07.2019 at 17:52 Their cover of God Of Thunder is better I think. Might put that on here
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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 Posts: 1086 |
Posts: 1086
Strapping Young Lad - Zodiac (Melvins cover) Melvins is a very boring and pretentious hipster band, but Devin turned this otherwise average song into a masterpiece.
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Posts: 5989 Written by TheMAGAmvm on 15.07.2019 at 11:17 I never take anyone seriously when they use this word, sorry
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 1086 Written by Auntie Sahar on 15.07.2019 at 13:52 Well I am just saying the truth. They as individuals are not, but when it comes to their music, they surely are. You can see this during their live performance, when they even go as far as to annoy even the crowd with their pretentious improvisations. Pointless musical escapades. They think that if they play their music in a weird way, they are original. When in fact they come up more as buffoons. Also, what should matter is the actual cover, not the way I describe the original creators of the song. We may or may not agree on the Melvins dude, that's how I see them from quite a few of their live performance and listening to quite a few of their albums.
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Posts: 5989 Written by TheMAGAmvm on 15.07.2019 at 13:58 You know for certain what they are thinking? You can read minds? Please, teach me your ways! I have always wanted to master this art.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 1086 Written by Auntie Sahar on 15.07.2019 at 14:00 Yes, I know the mindset of hipsters and hipster bands. And you don't need to read minds. Just to have a trained ear. And brains.
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Posts: 3553 |
Posts: 3553
I like RATM's version of How I Could Just Kill a Man (the Cyprus Hill song). Idk if you're into either RATM or Cyprus Hill though.
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Posts: 9125
Voivod's cover of The Nile Song (Pink Floyd too) is pretty great if you ask me Also, Mekong Delta's take on Chostakovitch's "Moderato" is great, with quite a twist inside : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkDEkWmryc8
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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Posts: 5989 Written by Alex F on 15.07.2019 at 19:57 I love both RATM and Cyprus Hill and have never heard that one! I'll definitely give it a listen
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 7894
Kylesa - Come As You Are (Nirvana cover) It sounds like you playing at 'Playback Speed at 1.5x'. No, seriously - it's a cool cover. As a matter of fact, all the covers by Kylesa are awesome.
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 Posts: 6209 |
Posts: 6209
Cool list. I have an idea for a similar list - unintentional covers. First entry: Immortal - "Where Mountains Rise" (unintentional cover of Iron Maiden's "Where Eagles Dare")
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