The 12 Best Covers of Metallica Songs, Ranked
The best covers of Metallica songs are also a great opportunity to talk about the band itself. Metallica started in California in the early 80s and cemented its place as one of the perennial thrash metal groups of its time. The band led by guitarist and singer James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich dominated the underground metal scene in the 80s and even reached the mainstream despite their heavy and complex music style.
The 90s rolled in Metallica became rock music royalty through the release of its self-titled 1991 record, most commonly known as the Black Album. There are lists of the best covers of Metallica songs because of this album. This record made the band extremely successful and songs like “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters” are now generational hits.
Therefore, there are a lot of artists who have cited this group as a major difference. It makes a lot of sense, considering the reach and success James and cia. have had. Therefore, here are the 12 best covers of Metallica songs and why they are a part of this list.
1. Motorhead – Whiplash (2004)
Motorhead started in the mid-70s and went on to become a very influential band in the metal scene. In fact, the guys of Metallica were influenced by Lemmy Kilmister‘s band. So, considering that Motorhead is an older band than Metallica, that makes its cover of “Whiplash“, which was originally released in the 2004 tribute album “Metallic Attack“, all the more impressive. This version also found new life in Motorhead‘s own cover album, 2017’s “Under Cover“.
Compared to the original version, this one has a much more powerful production, which makes sense because the former was released in 1983 and this one in 2004. Lemmy‘s bass is felt quite strongly, particularly in the opening seconds of the song. Mickey Dee‘s drumming adds an extra degree of intensity to this tribute as well. It doesn’t make a lot of changes compared to the original version but executes it with gusto and a lot of personality.
It was viewed at the time as an amazing tribute. After all, it was a much more experienced band doing a cover of another they inspired.
You can listen to the original version here.
2. Apocalyptica – Orion (2018)
Apocalyptica is a Finnish band that made a name for itself because of its ability to play metal through cellos. In fact, the group’s debut album was 1996’s “Plays Metallica by Four Cellos“. So it made a lot of sense they would be involved in a discussion of the best covers of Metallica songs.
However, to celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary, they released a live performance of the album, and added “Orion“. This legendary instrumental came out in Metallica‘s legendary third record, 1986’s “Master of Puppets“, and cemented bassist Cliff Burton‘s mastery as a musician. This combination of metal and classic music was a match made in heaven and it shows in this performance.
Apocalyptica is a band that is always celebrated for its covers and this was no exception. It showed the full extent of “Orion“‘s potential as classical music and celebrated Cliff‘s legacy.
You can listen to the original version here.
3. Trivium – Master of Puppets (2005)
Matt Heafy, singer, guitarist, and main songwriter of Trivium, has always been very vocal about his admiration for Metallica. Speaking to Metal Injection in 2021, he had this to say about that band:
“They’re truly the greatest band in the world and [have] always been the greatest band in the world. And it’s awesome that they thought of us. They were, like, ‘Hey, let’s get Trivium down here.’ For Metallica to have an opening band, that’s usually just their decision; it’s whatever they wanna do. And the fact that they picked us was really cool.”
The admiration goes beyond words, though. Trivium made a worldwide release of their second album, 2005’s “Ascendancy,” and came with a cover of Metallica‘s “Master of Puppets.” It has a crisp production and a straightforward approach, and Heafy does a magnificent interpretation of Hetfield‘s vocals. It is one of the best covers of Metallica songs and a fitting tribute from longtime fans.
You can listen to the original version here.
4. Machine Head – Battery (2007)
Machine Head guitarist and singer Robb Flynn tends to wear his influences on his sleeves. The case with Metallica is quite obvious, and even mentioned to Metal Hammer in 2022 that Lars Ulrich helped him a lot:
“Lars Ulrich once told me the world is gonna hate you sometimes. You just gotta plant your flag, live your truth, and stand by it. I really needed to hear that at the time.”
Metallica‘s influence goes beyond a few words of encouragement, though. Flynn saw the band in the early 80s when they were playing with Exodus and Raven, cementing his desire to form his own group. And in 2007, with the deluxe edition of “The Blackening,” widely regarded as Machine Head‘s peak, he paid tribute to one of his biggest influences.
Machine Head‘s version of “Battery” is one of the best covers of Metallica songs out there. The opening acoustic intro is a bit darker, and Flynn‘s harsh vocals fit the song’s intense feel. Furthermore, there is a strong element of that thrash metal influence this band has always had. A very enjoyable cover and one that was displayed during this band’s absolute peak.
You can listen to the original version here.
5. Kamasi Washington – My Friend of Misery (2021)
“The Metallica Blacklist” was a 2021 tribute album to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metallica‘s legendary record. It features a wide variety of popular artists doing covers of that album. Perhaps what went under the radar was Kamasi Washington‘s interpretation of “My Friend of Misery.”
Kamasi Washington is a renowned jazz musician and had an interesting connection to Metallica. Speaking to the band’s website in 2021, he had this to say:
“I grew up in South Central LA, so I knew about Metallica, and I knew that sound, but it was distant so I didn’t really get into it. I have a friend who’s a rocker. His name is Big B. This is back when everybody had real big, loud, sick sound systems. He had one, and you could hear Big B coming from four blocks away. He was older than me- this is when I was probably 13 or 14. And this is when Load came out, and he was driving down the street, bumping Load.
“There was a piano player that was in my band at that point, I was 15, and when I told him I liked Load, he was like, ‘Oh, you gotta hear their other stuff.’ Because he was already into it. I had no idea! He had his own metal band where he played guitar and the whole thing. I had no idea. And so, for him, it was probably a little bit of a relief because none of his friends he knew were into it, and he told me about all the older Metallica records.”
The cover shows Washington‘s love for jazz, revamping the song. It is one of the best covers of Metallica songs and very unique.
You can listen to the original version here.
6. Sabaton – For Whom the Bell Tolls (2014)
Sabaton has become one of the most popular metal bands in recent years, with their gimmick of focusing entirely on war. Therefore, their making a cover of Metallica‘s “For Whom the Bell Tolls“, a song about war, fits perfectly. It was released as a bonus track on the band’s seventh studio album, 2014’s “Heroes.”
The band managed to add some of its powerful metal and epic elements to the original version. There is also the inclusion of keyboards that give it another focus. Furthermore, Joakim‘s vocals are quite different from Hetfield‘s, making it feel more like a Sabaton song than a Metallica one.
You can listen to the original version here.
7. Halestorm – Ride the Lightning
The lead singer of Halestorm, Lzzy Hale, has always been a fairly vocal fan of Metallica. When speaking to Revolver Magazine in 2020, she had this to say about the best Metallica song of all time:
“Oh man, oh my gosh! What is the greatest Metallica song ever written? Oh, why must you do this to me? OK, a nice happy medium. I’m gonna go with ‘Fade to Black’ because it kind of has the best of both worlds. It’s not necessarily all valid. I still like the cover of ‘So What.’ There’s just so much.”
This wasn’t just words as Halestorm covered the “Ride the Lightning” song in their 2017 versions EP, “Reanimate 3.0: The Covers EP“. It maintains the trash metal roots of the song while adding some of Halestorm‘s hard rock approach. Furthermore, Hale‘s vocals, while obviously different from Hetfield‘s, are style harsh and full of authority.
You can listen to the original version here.
8. Korn – One (2003)
Metallica received a tribute called MTV Icon back in 2003 to celebrate the band’s twenty years of existence. Several high-profile artists did their respective covers of the group, but Korn outshined the competition. Their rendition of the legendary song “One” is still regarded as one of the best covers of Metallica songs.
Part of the cover’s appeal is how Jonathan Davis and cia. turned it into their own song. There is a strong bass presence and Davis‘ combination of soft and harsh vocals. It is a very compelling performance, especially considering that it was done live.
People can listen to the original version here.
9. Stone Sour – Creeping Death (2015)
Vocalist Corey Taylor has always been known for speaking his mind, and that includes his influences, especially Metallica. He even mentioned in 2022 how the Black Album taught him a huge lesson about musicianship:
“I remember the first time I heard ‘Nothing Else Matters.’ The look on my face — my friend went, ‘Jesus, you really don’t like this song, do you?’ ‘Cause I had the ‘suck’ face. I was just, like, ‘What the hell is this?’ But, of course, over time, man, a good song is a good song, and you can’t deny that. And it taught me a very valuable lesson, that you have to force change on people.”
“I mean, nobody likes stuff that’s different right away. You have to drag them kicking and screaming into where you need to go ’cause that’s the only way you’re gonna get anybody there. Assuming that people are gonna change with you is a lesson in insanity because there’s no way it’s going to happen. You have to make the change and just drag the people along with you.”
Be that as it may, he celebrated his love for this band with Stone Sour‘s 2015 “Meanwhile in Burbank…“, which was a cover album of their favorite songs. This included a tribute to Metallica‘s “Creeping Death,” with crispier production and the inclusion of Taylor‘s trademark singing style.
You can listen to the original version here.
10. Vader – Fight Fire With Fire (2009)
“Fight Fire With Fire” is widely regarded as one of the heaviest and most intense songs in Metallica‘s catalog. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense that Polish death metal outfit Vader, an underrated legend of the genre, made a cover of it. In fact, this is one of the best covers of Metallica songs because it doubles down on the heaviness and intensity.
Vader doesn’t reinvent the wheel with this cover but turns it into a death metal assault. Released as a bonus track in 2009’s “Necropolis” record, it shows the full potential of Metallica at its heaviest. It is also worth pointing out some changes in the solo, adding some melodic undertones to the entire experience.
You can listen to the original version here.
11. Ghost – Enter Sandman (2021)
Ghost has become one of the most successful rock bands in recent years, so their cover of Metallica was always going to be interesting. As a fun fact, James Hetfield helped the band gain prominence back in 2011, stating that he was part of their fan club, even wearing their T-shirts at the time:
“I’m in their fan club. I had no idea what they looked like until I saw the video [of them performing live]. I heard the music first, and I thought it was great, very unique, very melodic and a breath of fresh air for metal. It reminded me a bit of the ’70s kind of rock that I liked as well. So yeah, I love the band.”
Ghost returned the favor ten years later by doing a cover of “Enter Sandman” for “The Metallica Blacklist” compilation. The song goes from the classic metal juggernaut is known as to a smooth, melodic rock song in Ghost‘s style. It was one of the best-received covers of the entire compilation as well.
You can listen to the original version here.
12. Volbeat – Don’t Thread On Me
Volbeat was a breath of fresh air from the early 2000s when they arrived on the scene. Its mix of hard rock and heavy metal made the band’s inclusion on “The Metallica Blacklist” all the more impressive. And the cover of “Don’t Thread On Me” definitely deserved it.
The guys of Volbeat toured with Metallica in 2019, and their leader, Michael Poulsen, had this to say about what he admires about the band:
“They do exactly what they think is right for the band. They don’t compromise. For them, it’s always that it has to be fun for them to go out on the road because they have kids — now grown-up kids — and a private life. So, if they’re going to do this, it’s going to be on their own terms, and it has to be fun. You have to tip your hat off to a band that is still really relevant to the scene and a huge inspiration for a lot of bands, including Volbeat. They’re carrying the metal flag high. Watching them be so strong and find new ways to do things that haven’t been done before is very inspiring.”
The cover itself manages to maintain the rock and metal elements while revamping it into a Volbeat song. Longtime fans of Poulsen‘s band can hear the classic traits of its sound while adhering to some chords and notes of Metallica‘s original track. It is a refreshing take on an underrated track from the Black Album.
You can listen to the original version here.
