Who likes cover songs? I do! Ever since Heavy Metal was born, bands covered each other like crazy. Did you know that Black Sabbath covered a song on their very first album? I did!
So now I’m going to bring you the Top 10 best cover songs in metal. Are you excited? I am! Just make the jump.
#10 Bleed from Within – Bed Intruder Song (Original: schmoyoho)
Who doesn’t know the guys who take the news program and turn it into hilarious horrendous autotuned pop songs? I thought it was funny for one video and then it got old. The Bed Intruder Song is probably their most famous work and their first last video I thought was funny.
Scottish Deathcoreheads Bleed from Within took said song and turned it metal. By no means do I like Deathcore but given its currentness and the actual quality of the song, it takes #10.
#9 Alestorm – No Quarter (Original: Hans Zimmer)
For 2 minutes and 12 seconds this song, by Scottish band Alestorm, just sounds like a fun Folk instrumental. That’s until it incorporates the main Pirate of the Caribbean theme song and turns it into an epic Pirate Metal song.
It suits the song and the band very well with their Pirate gimmick. Yarr.
#8 Graveworm – I need a Hero (Original: Bonnie Tyler)
Take a cheesy 80’s pop song and turn it metal. Graveworm aren’t the first ones to do that but this cover is just so good that it had to make the list.
Personally, I love singing along to cheesy songs from the 80’s when I’m drunk and even better when they’re metalized. Hats off, great song.
#7 Nylithia – Super Mario Bros. Castle Theme (Original: Koji Kondo)
What’s cooler than banging to a mid-80’s video game theme? Especially when it’s being turned into a Death Metal song? Almost nothing (but the 6 songs that are placed higher on this list, heh)!
I’ve never heard of Nylithia before or after, nor do I care but I simply love to put this song on. Loud as fuck.
#6 Beseech – Gimme Gimme Gimme (Original: ABBA)
Have you ever wondered what ABBA would sound if they were a Doom Metal band? Yes? Good for you, because Beseech turned ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ into a depressing but epic Doom Metal fest.
#5 J.B.O. – Kuschelmetal (Original: Various)
This song puts 9 songs into 1. First, this German Fun Metal band covers Gavin Sutherland’s ‘Sailing’, then it goes right into the Beatles’ ‘Let it Be’ just to change into ‘Yellow Submarine’ within seconds. After one and a half minutes the song shifts over to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, then ‘Dust in the Wind’, ‘Drunken Sailor’ and the list goes on and on and on.
This very song is covering at its best. And J.B.O. at their best, too. Sadly they never topped their debut album, nor this song.
#4 Apocalyptica – The Unforgiven (Original: Metallica)
You know they had to make the list. Apocalyptica started out as a Metallica cover band. Doesn’t sound very original but Apocalyptica played their songs on four Cellos. Think what you want about ‘The Unforgiven’ but, to me, this song sounds like it was written for Cellos.
Ever since they made it big, there are Metallica cover bands on all kind of instruments coming out left and right.
#3 Artas – Gangsta’s Paradise (Original: Coolio)
I grew up in a time when Nu Metal was cool and yes, I liked Limp Bizkit and Korn. Shame on me. Gladly, I grew up and so did my taste in music.
So why exactly is there a Metal cover song of a Hip Hop song placed so high? Well, it’s easy because Artas turn this song into a great Death/Thrash Metal song. It’s not a Rap Metal song, it’s a Rap song turned into a Metal song and that’s harder than it sounds. Great work, guys!
#2 Children of Bodom – Antisocial (Original: Trust / Anthrax)
Children of Bodom decided to cover a cover song. How does that work? Well, Anthrax covered the French Hard Rock song ‘Antisocial’ by Trust and translated the lyrics into English and Children of Bodom covered that very cover, the English Thrash Metal version by Anthrax.
Sounds confusing, eh? Well, don’t think about it, just listen to it.
#1 crouts0 – The Final Countdown (Original: Europe)
Don’t deny it, you love to sing along to ‘The Final Countdown’ when you’re drunk! And you’ll undeniably love this version, played on a Kazookeylele. That’s right, a Kazookeylele. That’s what you get when you cross a ukulele with a baby piano and a kazoo. Oh yeah, that’s metal.
