It is never easy to cover one of the biggest bands of all time, butsome musicians have pulled off phenomenal interpretations of incredible Metallica songs. This is no simple task, especially since Metallica is one of the bands thatdefine what it means to be rock stars. This is a high standard to live up to, but when done correctly, it pays off tremendously. In fact, the art of this has been seen many times over the years, including byclassic rock musicians who turned covers into hits.
Metallica can even be part of the conversation as they have had their own success doing this over the years, includinga cover that completely changed the original, “Whiskey in the Jar.” However, in these instances, it was their turn to watch others cover the tunes that helped them become one of the mostsuccessful touring acts. The great part about Metallica is thatthey appreciate this practice and have even teamed up with a few of these artists for performances.
10Disturbed - Fade To Black
Album: Music As A Weapon II (2004)
Throughout their career,Disturbed have done some tremendous covers, including “Land of Confusion” by Genesis and “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel. During their 2003Music as a Weapon II Tour, the band took on another classic, “Fade to Black” by Metallica. The song comes from their 1984 album,Ride the Lightning.
Instead of trying to change the song, the band stuck to what they usually do and covered it closely to the original. Even lead singer David Draiman’s voice sounds pretty spot on. Disturbed have incorporated many genres into their music over the years, which helps when they do things like this, asit makes it easier for them to grasp the different structures.
9Agent Orange - Seek & Destroy
Album: The World’s Greatest Metallica Tribute (2004)
Having formed in 1979, Agent Orange emerged during the era when punk music was on the rise. Their sound perfectly matched what was happening in the genre at the time, creating an edge they never lost. With their decision to cover “Seek & Destroy,” they evoked the wonderment that often accompanies covers in punkabout how a band will adapt the original sound.
While they put their own spin on it, the fast speed they were already known for lent itself perfectly to keep up with this thrash metal hit.The effort they put into this was clear, resulting in a great rendition. Even with intricacies such as the guitar solo, they managed to perfect it, making this a memorable success.
Album: The Blackening (2007)
Covering Metallica was right in Machine Head’s wheelhouse. As a fellow thrash metal band, they formed in 1991, when Metallica was ascending to megastardom. Therefore, it was no surprise to see them pay tribute to a band that paved the way.The song they chose was “Battery,“a track from Metallica’s famedMaster of Puppetsalbum.
Machine Head would include the cover on their sixth studio album,The Blackening. This wasn’t the only cover they would include, but this one stood out. Many times when covers are done, it can feel like a mimicry of the original artists, butMachine Head was able to make this feel like their own song. It was incredibly impressive since it took fine details to achieve this, given that they come from the same genre.
7The Warning & Alessia Cara - Enter Sandman
Album: The Metallica Blacklist (2021)
To be closely connected to a Metallica song is something many artists wouldn’t mind, and for The Warning, it’s their reality. One of the videos that helped them get noticed when they were younger was their cover of “Enter Sandman.” This happened in 2014, butit wouldn’t be the last time they would get to put their own spin on the song.
The band was invited to do the cover again, this time for the albumThe Metallica Blacklist, which featured various artists covering songs to celebrate the 30th anniversary of theBlack Album. The Warning teamed up with Alessia Cara,allowing them to truly create their own version of the song. With it, they slowed things down and put more emphasis on their voices, which made it genuinely beautiful.
6Halestorm - Ride The Lightning
Album:ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP
Much like Metallica has done in the past,Halestorm has released many works with cover songs on them.Reanimate 3.0: The Coversarrived in 2018 and features six tracks. This album begins with their rendition of Whitesnake’s “Still of the Night” and concludes with their take on Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning.”
Her voice has been praised for its vintage quality, and this was the moment she was able to showcase it.
As a female vocalist, Lzzy Hale naturally sounds somewhat different from James Hetfield, but, as always, she held her own. Her voice has been praised for its vintage qualities, and this was the moment she was able to showcase it. Additionally, the instrumental did more than justice to the original,matching its fast pace and complexity.
5Stone Sour - Creeping Death
Album: Meanwhile In Burbank
Along with his work in Slipknot, vocalist Corey Taylor has also done solo work and played with his other band, Stone Sour. During his time with the latter, they recorded an EP,Meanwhile in Burbank…, which featured five cover tracks. One of those was “Creeping Death,“where Taylor put his own vocal spin on it.
As one of the top groove metal artists, this is exactly what he brought to the song.Each line felt like a work of artas he perfectly extended his words. The instrumental also had a groove to it while still paying respect to the original. This was a perfect chance for Taylor to give a nod to Metallica, a band he enjoyed listening to their own covers on the albumThe $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited.
4Trivium - Master Of Puppets
Album: Ascendancy (2005)
After Trivium released their 2005 record,Ascendancy, it became a highly revered sophomore album in heavy metal. The album was full of hits, but in the midst of the great original work they did, there was one cover they included.This would be their take on “Master of Puppets,“one of Metallica’s biggest songs, which added a lot of pressure to it.
It’s very tough to cover a signature song of any musician, as this is one of the tunes they tour the world playing every night. However, Trivium proved to be up to the challenge. There is a certain energy that this song commands, and they nailed it. Vocalist Matt Heafy added his own touch but ultimately kept things close to how it was originally done.
3KoRn - One
Album: Take A Look In The Mirror (2003)
One band that has always been known for their distinctive sound is KoRn. Since the band’s debut album in 1994, they have become one of the most important acts in nu metal. Of course, nu metal has a certain funk to it, adding a fluidity to a sometimes harsher metal sound. When it came to covering Metallica, they kept some parts the same, while changing others.
The reason the band was performing the tune in the first place was that they were selected as one of the acts to honor Metallica during an MTV Icons event in 2003. The band would then include this one in their sixth studio, which arrived that same year. However, it was a hidden track, that you had to wait many minutes after the last song before it began playing.
2Sabaton - For Whom The Bell Tolls
Album: Heroes (2014)
For their seventh studio album,Heroes, in 2014, Swedish power metal band Sabaton included three covers on most releases of the record. One of those was “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Metallica. This turned out to be a perfect choice for them, asthe iconic opening and powerful instrumental fit well with their typical style.
Power Metal combines a symphonic context and speed with traditional heavy metal characteristics. The sound is typically lighter, faster, and more uplifting.
Power metal often revolves around telling great stories, and this Metallica song has one, as it was inspired by an Ernest Hemingway novel. Their version stays true to the spirit of the song and places it on the pedestal it deserves. It ultimately paid off for them, as their record reached the Top 5 on theBillboardTop Hard Rock Albums chart,with this song being a key highlight for many.
Album: Metallica Attack: The Ultimate Tribute (2004)
One of the best things that can happen is when one legendary act covers another.This was the case when Motörhead covered Metallica’s “Whiplash"for the 2004 record,Metallic Attack: The Ultimate Tribute. This song came from Metallica’s debut album,Kill ‘Em All, helping establish the band in their earliest days.
Motörhead’s version of the song was so well-received thatthey won a Grammy Award for it in 2005. This added yet another piece to the song’s legacy, with both iconic bands attached to it. Additionally, for Metallica, this meant one of their influences would forever be linked to their career, marking yet another cool achievement for them.
