Inspired by the metal covers thread, I was thinking of the reverse - non-metal artists covering metal songs. Given metal secular status in popular music it's not too easy to find covers and it's likely even more difficult to find versions that are also accepted and supported by metalheads but lets give it a try. I found the following ones to be pretty interesting:

Tori Amos - Raining Blood

Bet you'd never thought sweet Tori was a closet Slayer fan. If I didn't know she was covering Slayer, I wouldn't have recognised the song. It's an inventive cover all right, with Gregorian chanting, strange sound effects probably mimiking the chaotic soloing and a way slower tempo.

Mariah Carey - Bringin' On The Heartbreak

This cover here is a lot more faithful to the original. Mariah Carey's rendition almost feels natural and I must admit I like the way she hits the whistle register towards the end. If slightly dramatic, cheesy ballads are your thing, be sure to check it out.

The Cardigans - Iron Man

The Cardigans' guitarist and bassist both are actually metal musicians and the band also covered "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Again it's an interesting and idiosyncratic version of the song (not a single trace of rock to be found, it's a dreamy pop song).

Dolly Parton - Stairway To Heaven

Stairway may or may not be a metal song, but I think this is a good version and therefore I included it. This cover keeps to the original but still has a definite country twang.

Bif Naked - Nothing Else Matters

Canada's tattooed black and denim wearing hard rock chick recorded a very haunting version of the Metallica tune. She stays pretty close to the original in terms of the music, but her vocals bring a quality to the song that Hetfield couldn't achieve in his wildest wet dreams.

Of course, there's the entirety of Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood album where he covers everything from "You've Got Another Thing Comin" to "Crazy Train" to "Holy Diver" and more. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with functional hearing.

Lol the Cardigan's cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath actually sounds decent. not the same thing i could say about that cover of Raining Blood.. gah... also Hillary Duff's cover of "My Generation" and Avril Lavigne's cover of "Chop Suey" both suck majorly.

Written by Derwood on 29.03.2009 at 20:34

Bif Naked - Nothing Else Matters

Canada's tattooed black and denim wearing hard rock chick recorded a very haunting version of the Metallica tune. She stays pretty close to the original in terms of the music, but her vocals bring a quality to the song that Hetfield couldn't achieve in his wildest wet dreams.

Of course, there's the entirety of Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood album where he covers everything from "You've Got Another Thing Comin" to "Crazy Train" to "Holy Diver" and more. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with functional hearing.

Loved Bif Naked's version but, aside from the novelety, the Pat Boone album is really hard to stomach at times.

Written by DayFly on 30.03.2009 at 22:57

Written by Derwood on 29.03.2009 at 20:34

Bif Naked - Nothing Else Matters

Canada's tattooed black and denim wearing hard rock chick recorded a very haunting version of the Metallica tune. She stays pretty close to the original in terms of the music, but her vocals bring a quality to the song that Hetfield couldn't achieve in his wildest wet dreams.

Of course, there's the entirety of Pat Boone's In a Metal Mood album where he covers everything from "You've Got Another Thing Comin" to "Crazy Train" to "Holy Diver" and more. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with functional hearing.

Loved Bif Naked's version but, aside from the novelety, the Pat Boone album is really hard to stomach at times.

lol i find those songs pretty funny

I just realized via Facebook that there is a Swedish band wanting to cover metal songs in bluegrass style, Slaughter of the Bluegrass. They already recorded "Blinded By Fear" by At The Gates, and are asking us to vote for their next effort. I voted for "Punish My Heaven"

However, it looks like there are other bluegrass bands having fun with the possibilities metal gives. One of these is Iron Horse from Alabama, USA. They have released two Metallica tribute albums, "Fade to Bluegrass" and "Fade to Bluegrass Vol. 2". I found The Four Horsemen (check the chorus!) and Fuel the funniest.

Written by Valentin B on 29.03.2009 at 22:18

Lol the Cardigan's cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath actually sounds decent. not the same thing i could say about that cover of Raining Blood.. gah... also Hillary Duff's cover of "My Generation" and Avril Lavigne's cover of "Chop Suey" both suck majorly.

well, you are talking about hilary duff and avril lavigne, so nothing good could've been expected in the first place it would've been a huge suprise if they had been any good, actually

Well one of the funniest things I have heard is the band Van Canto. They are a A Cappella group and do covers of metal songs.

Here is one of the albums that I just picked up not to long ago...

http://www.metalstorm.ee/bands/album.php?album_id=28335&band_id=&bandname=Van+Canto

They also did a cover of Battery on their first album...

Edit: I just looked them up again and I guess they are classified as "metal" but a cappella to me is not very metal.

Written by -Soulreaper- on 22.04.2009 at 22:43

Well one of the funniest things I have heard is the band Van Canto. They are a A Cappella group and do covers of metal songs.

Here is one of the albums that I just picked up not to long ago...

http://www.metalstorm.ee/bands/album.php?album_id=28335&band_id=&bandname=Van+Canto

They also did a cover of Battery on their first album...

Edit: I just looked them up again and I guess they are classified as "metal" but a cappella to me is not very metal.

Thx for mentioning that band! I've never heard of them, but because I got interested after your post i downloaded their latest album and it's awesome

Apoptygma Berzerk, a norwegian electro band, has a cover of Metallica's "Fade to black"...

Written by Diabolos on 22.04.2009 at 23:44

Written by -Soulreaper- on 22.04.2009 at 22:43

Well one of the funniest things I have heard is the band Van Canto. They are a A Cappella group and do covers of metal songs.

Here is one of the albums that I just picked up not to long ago...

http://www.metalstorm.ee/bands/album.php?album_id=28335&band_id=&bandname=Van+Canto

They also did a cover of Battery on their first album...

Edit: I just looked them up again and I guess they are classified as "metal" but a cappella to me is not very metal.

Thx for mentioning that band! I've never heard of them, but because I got interested after your post i downloaded their latest album and it's awesome

Yeah, no problem man. The music is pretty interesting isnt it?

Written by -Soulreaper- on 23.04.2009 at 15:02

Written by Diabolos on 22.04.2009 at 23:44

Written by -Soulreaper- on 22.04.2009 at 22:43

Well one of the funniest things I have heard is the band Van Canto. They are a A Cappella group and do covers of metal songs.

Here is one of the albums that I just picked up not to long ago...

http://www.metalstorm.ee/bands/album.php?album_id=28335&band_id=&bandname=Van+Canto

They also did a cover of Battery on their first album...

Edit: I just looked them up again and I guess they are classified as "metal" but a cappella to me is not very metal.

Thx for mentioning that band! I've never heard of them, but because I got interested after your post i downloaded their latest album and it's awesome

Yeah, no problem man. The music is pretty interesting isnt it?

Yeah, I like that stuff that isn't too common

I heard about a cover of the song We Rock by Dio have been made by the Jonas Brothers...

Written by BuzzPhil on 28.04.2009 at 02:00

I heard about a cover of the song We Rock by Dio have been made by the Jonas Brothers...

Yeah and it's fucking terrible. It made me want to kill them even more.

Written by DayFly on 29.03.2009 at 19:01



Tori Amos - Raining Blood

this is an amazing cover! A friend of mine played this to me at about 4 times and only when I listened carefully to the lyrics I realize what it was!!!

Rockabye Baby! "Lullaby Renditions of Metallica"

I am not making this up. All the tracks are played on various chimes, toy pianos and xylophones. I reckon it's supposed to be soothing, but the intro to "Battery" (and most of the other songs) sounded way more creepy and disturbing than the original. It reminded me of the "Suspiria" soundtrack. My kids didn't really care for it either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc-V3NYckOI&NR=1

Chasers war on everything lounge cover of cannibal corpse's: Rancid Amputation. Brilliant.

Band called Zwan Coverd Iron Maiden's Number of The Beast. I first heard it in the movoe Spun. Pretty good cover

Written by Taktsekte on 22.04.2009 at 20:25

I just realized via Facebook that there is a Swedish band wanting to cover metal songs in bluegrass style, Slaughter of the Bluegrass. They already recorded "Blinded By Fear" by At The Gates, and are asking us to vote for their next effort. I voted for "Punish My Heaven"

However, it looks like there are other bluegrass bands having fun with the possibilities metal gives. One of these is Iron Horse from Alabama, USA. They have released two Metallica tribute albums, "Fade to Bluegrass" and "Fade to Bluegrass Vol. 2". I found The Four Horsemen (check the chorus!) and Fuel the funniest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVkPwdn7QEY

now they covered Twilight of the Thunder God by Amon Amarth. it's nice but i think it's a bit over the top at times, like i was seriously WTF during the "breakdown" O.o


also, the Gregorian Chant choir's cover of Engel is pretty good, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHBqEK_iRoY all that album has something really great/atmospheric about it.

Written by Irritable Ted on 06.04.2010 at 23:15

Written by BuzzPhil on 28.04.2009 at 02:00

I heard about a cover of the song We Rock by Dio have been made by the Jonas Brothers...

It's not a cover thank God, just the same title.

How about Stairway To Heaven by Rolf Harris.

I have the CD of the collection of Stairway To Heaven covers from the TV show which the Rolf Harris one appeared. Some of them are quite good

The band Gregorian have covered a few metal/hard rock songs. Notably Metallica's "Unforgiven" and Rammstein's "Engel". I believe they might have some more, but I haven't heard (of) them. Also the electro-industrial band "In Strict Confidence" covered Metallica's "Sad But True". A lot of Metallica in general has been covered by a lot of non-metal artists, notably bluegrass musicians.

Mambo Kurt; here some covers he made for some Metal\Rock classics, In a Comedy\Pop Electro style:

Engel (Rammstein)
Creep (Radiohead)
Basket Case (Green Day)
Paradise City (Guns N' Roses)
Come as you are (Nirvana)
Bombtrack (Rage Against the Machine)
I Was Made For Loving You (KISS)
Highway To Hell (AC/DC)
Join Me (In Death) (HIM)
Metall Medley (Black no. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All) -Type O Negative/Mother-Danzig/Nothing Else Matters-Metallica)
Jump (Van Halen)
Raining Blood (Slayer)
Sweet Child Of Mine (Guns N' Roses)
Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode)
How You Remind Me (Nickelback)
Hells Bells (AC/DC)
No One Knows (Queens of the Stone Age)
Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz)
Thunderstruck (AC/DC)
Anarchy in the UK (Sex Pistols)
Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden)
Enter Sandman (Metallica)
Through and Through (Life of Agony)
In the Shadows (The Rasmus)
Angel of Death (Slayer)
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (The Ramones)

Bif Naked:
Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)

Nirvana are Grunge, yup i know, so save it!! I just wanna share some covers that I enjoy

Tori Amos:
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

Patti Smith:
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

Fatboy Slim:
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

Cibo Matto:
About A Girl (Nirvana)

Tallywood Strings:
"String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana's Nevermind" they covered the whole "Nevermind" album in Symphony Orchestra style.

Written by DayFly on 29.03.2009 at 19:01

Tori Amos - Raining Blood

Bet you'd never thought sweet Tori was a closet Slayer fan. If I didn't know she was covering Slayer, I wouldn't have recognised the song. It's an inventive cover all right, with Gregorian chanting, strange sound effects probably mimiking the chaotic soloing and a way slower tempo.

Thanks to you and your topic, i find out about this amazing song!, I actually heard the whole Tori Amos's cover album "Strange Little Girls" she's awesome love her style.

Hellsongs - a band that makes tributes to heavy metal classics. All the songs are entirely rethought and played in a beautiful folk'ish accoustic style. I'm not at my own computer right now, but I'll find some music links and post them later.

Two transformative acoustic covers by different girls of different songs.

Change by Deftones


All the Heavy Lifting by Mastodon

I recorded a blues version of CC's "Fucked With a Knife" once. I can't even listen to it actually, it's pretty fucking disturbing!

Written by Enteroctopus on 14.07.2016 at 17:57

I recorded a blues version of CC's "Fucked With a Knife" once. I can't even listen to it actually, it's pretty fucking disturbing!

Do you have it uploaded anywhere?

This cover of Clawfinger's "Biggest and the best" rocks:

Cover of Cult of luna on piano :

I've been digging First Aid Kit ever since their EP in 2008(?), pretty much, but this is the first time I came across this cover. It's surprisingly faithful to the original (they are a country/folk pop band after all), but I'd take the girls over Ozzy any day: