As the year wraps up, Camden and Sabrina from Seven Kingdoms unveil their top 10 cover songs by rock and metal bands. Both of the musicians take great pleasure in hearing bands cover other artists and transforming the classics with their own distinct flavor. They think that it is important for bands to cover other artists’ songs as a form of exercise, too. Seven Kingdoms themselves are also releasing their cover of Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie” today. So let’s have a look at their favorite covers!
You can also check out their video here before you dive into their picks:
1. CC: “You’re The Voice” by Blind Guardian (Originally by John Farnham)
I didn’t even know the original song before I heard Guardian do it. I thought it was actually one of their own until someone pointed it out! I discovered a whole new set of old music after that point. It was some time ago, but this remains one of my favorite metal covers by one of my favorite bands!
2. CC: “Maniac” by Firewind (Originally by Michael Sembello)
Firewind did a great job here just adding the metal to an already fun song. I really like the old retro songs when they are done by a power metal band. I think the genres share a lot of similarities and complement one another quite a lot. You can tell here!
3. CC: “Push It To The Limit” by Battle Beast (Originally by Paul Engemann)
Much like the above, this is another example of good power stomp with some more electronic dance influence and a lot of retro vibes. This was a perfect song for Battle Beast to tackle, and they brought a lot of punch to the song.
4. CC: “Back To Back” by Hammerfall (Originally by Pretty Maids)
I also never knew this was a cover song until much later. This sounds like a Hammerfall song, but it was totally a Pretty Maids song first! It was wild how much Hammerfall made it fit right in, or, is it that Pretty Maids had moments of the Hammerfall Sound before they were around? Either way, it’s cool to flip between the two and get it from both directions of the spectrum.
5. CC: “Holy Diver” by Killswitch Engage (Originally by Dio)
This was one of the first metal covers I ever heard, and Killswitch really nailed it. KSE was able to bring a whole generation of kids into metal and basically deliver the classics to them, without them even knowing, with breakdowns, squeals, and great singing and production on this cover. A lot of kids checked out Dio for the first time after that, and it would be thanks to KSE for giving us their version of the song.
CC: “Fight Fire With Fire” by Vader (Originally by Metallica)
Vader are one of my favorite Death Metal bands, and they have always had a touch of thrash to their music. They did a great job doing this song by Metallica. You get the more aggressive production, sound, and then Peter’s iconic voice over one of Metallica’s classics … What more could you want as a metal fan?
CC: “Northwest Passage” by Unleash The Archers (Originally by Stan Rogers)
Unleash The Archers came out swinging with this cover. It’s a Canadian song that runs really deep for them. They really did the old song justice with their production, and it really pops off live when they play it. It’s definitely an ear worm, and I’ve woken up many-a-morning on tour with them with this song in my head! Great job!
SC: “Turn The Page” by Metallica (Originally by Bob Seger)
When I first heard “Turn the page,” I was 14 years old. I heard it playing on my brothers radio, and I remember just standing in the doorway listening in silence with goosebumps running up and down my arms. I didn’t know it was a cover by Bob Seger; all I knew was that was my new favorite song, and I loved everything about it. They did such a good job that if I was never told it was a cover, I would have assumed it was their original song. It’s still one of my favorite songs by Metallica.
SC: “Hurt” by Johnny Cash (Originally by Trent Reznor)
The first time I heard “Hurt” was on MTV (when they still played mostly music videos). I remembered knowing everything that Jonny had been going through and just sat on the couch listening. The dark deep sound of his voice has always been captivating, but the tinge of heart break in his voice was everything. Nine Inch Nails may have written it, but Johnny made it sound like it was his. All he had to do was sing it, and it was perfect. I thought the original was good, but Johnny made it perfect.
SC: “Gangsta’s Paradise” by State of mine (Originally by Coolio)
“Gangsta’s Paradise” has been one of my all-time favorite songs ever since. It was my introduction song to melodic rap, and I loved the song from the moment I heard it. I’m still very biased to the original cover but do believe that State of mine found a way to make it metal and heavy without taking away from the original song. The only thing missing is the choir. State of mine write many original songs but dove head first into cover land. This is one of my personal favorites by them, a close second being their cover of “Thunder Rolls” by Garth Brooks.
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