Metallica, love them or hate them, are a great band who have created some incredible songs. They've done some brilliant covers in there time as well, but hundreds of bands, metal or otherwise have attempted to cover Metallica, with only a few succeeding. This, is what I consider to be the eight best Metallica covers. Enjoy! Oh and Why 8? Because I'm lazy.
Sonata Arctica - Fade to Black
You know, the thing is, this isn't actually that good a cover. Metallica's version is what I'd argue to be a 10/10 song, but the reason I include this is because at 2:49, the note the guy hits and sustains is great, and makes it all worth it.
Cannibal Corpse - No Remorse
First off, I'm not really a fan of these guys so for me to include them must mean it's a great cover, and it is. The vocals are crazy, but putting them along side the great sound of there guitars (and what's already a killer riff) allows CC to make the cut in my list.
In Flames - Eye of the Beholder
Although the vocals are more Hetfield than Friden... the main reason for that being because it isn't actually Friden on vocals. If it was I'd think it'd be even better, but this cover still remains to be good, and heavier than the original.
Machine Head - Battery
I'm a huge Machine Head fan and I picked up a poor quality version of this cover a while back. Even with the poor quality it sounded good, but then hearing that Kerrang (a magazine I had long stopped purchasing) would be having a Master of Puppets album with it performed by other bands I had to buy it. The only good tracks on there though were Mastodon and this, but it was still money well spent. I should really give an mp3 of this out, seeing as I have it on that, and a special edition version of The Blackening, but my only version of it on my itunes is the poor quality one I was telling you about, ahah.
Apocalyptica - Fight Fire With Fire
It was tough to choose which Apocalyptica song was best when it came to Tallica covers. Especially when considering I don't even have Metallica on Four Cellos. But this isn't to say I'm not a fan of them by any means! Sadly, even with itunes to give me assistance, my top played song by them wasn't a Metallica cover. The top played cover was Nothing Else Matters, which is beautifully done, but - avoiding to choose two covers by the same band I chose Fight Fire With Fire. Yeah. The fact that the original start in a fairly 'classical' fashion to what Apoc are familiar with, must have made it an obvious song to cover. Plus, seeing them live, this song was certainly one of there most memorable.
Dark Tranquillity - My Friend of Misery
YOU JUST STOOD THERE SCREAMING!!! Great opening line and a great cover. I consider this better than the original, but still the vocals weren't perfect. Still, I wouldn't say it's an obvious track for a melodic death metal band to cover, but they nailed it and made me want to listen to the original one even more.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Orion
My third favourite track from there self titled release and one of the best covers I've ever heard. They are pretty well known nowadays and so you should have really heard this by now. If you haven't, do. Rod and Gab, though an acoustic act, have very metal influences. Their cover of Metallica's One was also a close contender to put on here - but this is just incredible.
Therion - Fight Fire With Fire
Yep. This is what I consider the best Metallica cover. Even before the guitars get going I'm already in a state awe over the violin intro. The song is just so layered, and Therion make it there own. Trying to listen to it motionless is an impossible task for me. I'm either banging my head or air guitaring, or even air drumming - something I don't do as much. It's a great song anyway, but even when trying to decide which Apocalyptica cover was best, as far of versions of this song goes I don't think you'll find much better than this. Well, maybe the original. ;)
