Earlier today we revealed the news about Northlane covering fellow Aussie band Tame Impala in the lead up to their forthcoming Node Australia Tour next week. I have to admit I'm not much of a fan of the Impala boys, as I haven't really got the chance to listen to much of their stuff but through Northlane's cover I was finally exposed to the band. While I still prefer the cover to the original, it seems to happen a lot to me when I hear a band covering a song from a famous (or sometimes not so famous) musical act. In some cases, the cover can exceed expectations and turn out sounding better than the original and in other cases you get so fucking angry you can't believe that anyone would allow such a hack to even be allowed to put their greasy fingers on such a masterpiece that they almost ruined the song completely... I'm looking at these fuckstains.
So to celebrate the Northlane cover I've put together a list of the Top 7 Cover Songs to be released, starting with
#7: Children of Bodom - Oops I Did It Again (Britney Spears Cover)
When I was first exposed to this song on the radio a few years ago (thanks to Higgo on Distortion) I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing. At first I thought it was a piss take sample, but then I came to realise that they're a proper band and they not only have mutilated a pop song, but they've brought it back and given it a new life. Once I stopped laughing, I quickly did my research on the guys an added the song to my iPod playlist where it has stayed ever since. I'm spewin' I missed these guys with Megadeth last week and will be even more spewin' if I find out they actually played this song on the tour. If you were there and can confirm, please let us know.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGtXlBbWeB4&w=640&h=480]
#6: Metallica - Whiskey in the Jar (Thin Lizzy Cover)
This traditional Irish song was doing the rounds long before Irish folk band The Dubliners took it under their wing and made it one of their signature songs back in 1960's only for Thin Lizzy to come along and try their hand at it the 1970's. But it wasn't until Metallica gave it a crack in 1998 for their Garage Inc. album and exposed it to a massive metal loving audience that it really reached it's full potential. Their rendition was covered so well that the guys also won the Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy in 2000 for their efforts. Not a bad achievement for using someone else's work to get recognition! Passive aggressiveness aside, it's still a great cover song and deserves a spot on this list.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boanuwUMNNQ&w=640&h=480]
#5: Confession - Break Stuff (Limp Bizkit Cover)
Michael Crafter is an Australian hardcore musical genius who has put his hand in some of the biggest bands throughout his career (I Killed the Prom Queen, Carpathian, Bury Your Dead) and last but not least Confession. Many fans have stated that Crafter could almost pass as the Australian version of Limp Bizkit front-man Fred Durst so it was only a matter of time before he covered one of his "counterpart's" songs. Confession are about to take off on their Final Tour before disbanding and Crafter's shocking retirement. Make sure you tweet him endlessly to make sure this track gets a spin.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lUWtmhqCEY&w=640&h=480]
#4: A Day To Remember - Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson Cover)
I've found in the past if you have mates that don't appreciate good music (heavy music) then the best way to get them to transition into the better genre pool is by finding a song/artist they like and showing them the potential the song actually has when it's covered by a decent band. A Day to Remember absolutely nailed their version of this Kelly Clarkson track combining melodic pop-punk with a touch of screaming. Think of the transition into heavy music like taking someone's virginity, you can't exactly go balls deep, fast and furious straight away otherwise they'll never want to try it again (or for a while at least), you need to slowly get the message across with subtle hints of what they can expect throughout and end with an explosive climax. However if your first time was as brutal as a Job for a Cowboy song and you enjoyed it, it just goes to show what kind of person you really are... First timers enjoy below!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy4Uq86QbaE&w=853&h=480]
#3: Parkway Drive - Bulls on Parade (Rage Against The Machine Cover)
It's no secret Byron Bay boys Parkway Drive have really paved the way for heavy Australian acts to make it across the globe and there's no arguing they are the best of what we have to offer right now in the genre. Proving my point earlier on this year at the Rock am Ring Festival in Germany, they performed this cover of one of Rage Against The Machine's most notable songs and actually made it sound even better. While I haven't exactly heard a decent heavy cover of "Bulls on Parade" before, Parkway have certainly set the level of expectation and I will be surprised if any other band can actually beat this rendition. Hopefully the boys record this cover in studio, I would definitely pay top dollar for a copy!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qoHhjIrUVU&w=853&h=480]
#2 - Avenged Sevenfold - Walk (Pantera Cover)
Coming in at a close second is California's Avenged Sevenfold who have adopted this Pantera classic as one of their own and incredibly sound almost as good as the original. A crowd favourite at shows which always gets the crowd amped up and ready to go as fucking hard as they've ever been, regardless if they've been going hard for the whole concert, this cover breathes life back into them for 5 more minutes of madness. There's been plenty of moments where the band have invited fans on stage to perform this with them and while some of them sing it close to perfection, some should have left their shirts on and stayed in the mosh.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTSbT-Gu00E&w=853&h=480]
and last but certainly not least
#1: The Amity Affliction - Too Legit to Quit (Lana Del Rey "Born to Die" Cover)
This is it, this is how you properly take a song, put your own spin on it and consequently make it 1000x better than the original. It's no secret The Amity Affliction boys have a somewhat unhealthy fascination with Lana Del Rey so it was only a matter of time before they covered one of her songs. This rendition which can be found as a bonus track on their 2012 album "Chasing Ghosts" is a masterpiece and sits perfectly at #1 on this list. Rumour has it the guys actually filmed a videoclip for this track too, but due to copyright issues it will never see the light of day. Come on Lana, don't be a desmond and let The Amity Affliction unleash their video for the world to see. People might like you more ;)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcu4N3zd3xY&w=640&h=480]
So there you have it, once again if you don't agree with the suggestions listed above, feel free to join the conversation and voice your own opinion on what you think should have made the list.
Until next time, rock the fuck out
Browny (@brownypaul)
