7 September 2023
Best Metal Covers
Rework, carbon copy or just a tweak? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
A cover song used to be the traditional way for a band to launch their career and get some exposure before listeners were ready to hear an original.
Most covers end up being reverent retreads and seldom come close to matching the original.
There are some exceptions and a lot of them come from heavy metal bands who seem to have a knack for turning the originals into something altogether different and revelatory.
Making something Metal seems to change songs more and make them stand out. Metallica have done if often. Ghost made a whole album of covers. And nailed it.
Here’s Road Hounds playlist of the best Metal covers. (Original Artist in brackets)
Carry On My Wayward Son – Anthrax (Kansas)
Wish You Were Here – Avenged Sevenfold (Pink Floyd)
Bad Company – Five Finger Death Punch (Bad Compnay)
Wicked Game – HIM (Chris Isaak)
Heroes – Motörhead – (David Bowie)
The Sound Of Silence – Disturbed (Simon and Garfunkel)
When A Blind Man Cries – Metallica (Deep Purple)
Immigrant Song – Infectious Grooves (Led Zeppelin)
In The Air Tonight – In This Moment (Phil Collins)
Arch Enemy “Symphony of Destruction” (Megadeth)
Between the Buried and Me “Bicycle Race” ( Queen)
Black Label Society “Pictures of Home” (Deep Purple)
Stone Sour “Creeping Death” (Metallica)
Children of Bodom “Oops… I Did It Again” (Britney Spears)
Cradle of Filth “Hallowed Be Thy Name” (Iron Maiden)
Death “Painkiller” (Judas Priest)
Exodus “Low Rider” ( War)
Ghost I’m A Marionette (ABBA)
GWAR “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” (AC/DC)
Helloween “The Hellion/Electric Eye”(Judas Priest)
Judas Priest “The Green Manalishi” (Fleetwood Mac)
Killswitch Engage “Holy Diver” (Dio)
Mastodon “Just Got Paid” (ZZ Top)
Megadeth “No More Mr. Nice Guy” (Alice Cooper)
Metallica “Turn the Page” (Bob Seger)
Opeth “Would?” (Alice in Chains)
Ozzy Osbourne “21st Century Schizoid Man” (King Crimson)
Pantera “Planet Caravan” (Black Sabbath)
Rammstein “Das Model” (Kraftwerk)
Slayer “Dissident Aggressor” (Judas Priest)
System of a Down “Snowblind” (Black Sabbath)
Testament “Nobody’s Fault” (Aerosmith)
Type O Negative “Summer Breeze” (Isley Brothers)
Turisas – “Rasputin” (Boney M.)
Chaos Divine “Africa” (Toto)
Fear Factory – “Cars” (Gary Numan)
Marilyn Manson – ‘Tainted Love’ (Soft Cell)
Anthrax – ‘Got The Time’ (Joe Jackson)
Ice Nine Kills – Someone Like You (Adele)
August Burns Red ‘Wrecking Ball’ (Miley Cyrus)
Paradise Lost ‘Walk Away’ (Sisters of Mercy)
1000 Homo Dj’s ‘Supernaut’ (Black Sabbath)
Rammstein ‘Stripped’ (Depeche Mode)
Anthrax ‘Parasite’ (Kiss)