When he introduced Black Sabbath into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said: “On any day, the heavy metal genre could just as well be provided with the subtitle ‘Music, which is derived from Black Sabbath’.” But the influence of Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne is far greater. And can be found in cover versions of their songs, which are interpreted as soul, Swedish pop rock and industrial metal. Here are 10 of the best and most surprising cover versions of songs that were originally sung by the Prince of Darkness.
Butthole Surfers, “Sweat Loaf”
The song “Sweat Loaf” of the Texas band from 1987 is hardly a cover version of Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf”. Guitarist Paul Leary gives the original reef a spider -like atmosphere, while the drummer King Coffey and Thersa Taylor hammer on and ignores the text singer Gibby Haynes. And instead, something strange roars that goes down in the miasma.
But the relative captivity of the melody makes the song the perfect introduction to the psychedelic noise of the surfers. A sound that was almost as influential in the underground rock circles of the eighties as Sabbath for the Metal. As Haynes says in the legendary spoken introduction: “By the way, if you see your mother this weekend. Tell her … Satan Satan Satan !!!!”–Joe big
Sir Mix-A-Lot, “Iron Man”
Years before Public Enemy came together with Anthrax, Sir Mix-A-Lot worked with his Noise colleagues Metal Church from Seattle at his debut album “Swass” from 1988. On which he performed a rap rock version of Black Sabbaths Evergreen “Iron Man”. The Bumpasaurus brings the science fiction topics of the song back to the bottom of the facts. “I have childhood scars and the street is my life/the girls laughed, now they beg to become a mix-a-slots woman.” But the rocky Tony Iommi reef leaves the song largely untouched. “‘King of Rock’ by [Run-D.M.C.] Was a big deal. But I wanted to do something harder, metal stuff. I love heavy metal, hard shit, ”said Mix the onion A/V Club. “I am the guy you see at the ozz festival.”–Christopher r Weingarten
1000 Homo DJs, “Supernaut”
If there was one thing that Al Jourgensen from the industrial rock icon Ministry liked as much as parties, then it was to start side projects with silly names. This resulted in a few blasters. But nobody was as bright as their cover version of Sabbaths Vol 4. Classic “Supernaut”. The huge drums, samples and playful guitar solos are awesome. Jourgensen finally sang the official version. But due to label policy, the version with the terrific singing of Trent Renzor from Nine Inch Nails remained on the market for years. Both versions are still a hit in goth clubs.–Jg
Motörhead, “Hellraiser”
Under Metalheads it is generally known that Motörhead front man Lemmy and Ozzy were good friends. At the 2001 SXSWS, Sharon Osbourne said that Lemmy and Ozzy, both of them, loved to watch documentaries together in Osbourne’s house about the Second World War. The two wrote this song together with Ozzy’s guitarist Zakk WYLD. Ozzy’s version (on his album “No more Tears” from 1991) is a solid punch. But Motorhead’s version of 1992 sounds Heavier. With Lemmy’s bass that swings like a demolition bulb. Fittingly, the song appeared on the soundtrack for “Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth”.–Jg
Pantera, “Planet Caravan”
As Panteras “Far Beyond Driven “appeared in 1994, it was the hardest album to date that ever stormed the charts. The Cowboys from Hell, of course, worshiped the Masters of Reality. In the course of their career, they recorded several cover versions of Sab’s“ Electric Funeral ”and“ Hole in the Sky ”. Drive However, ended with a cover version of “Planet Caravan” from 1970. Played on acoustic guitar and congas. A dark psychedelic trip, which at the same time closer to the hippie roots of Sabbath and Panteras Grunge competition Uplugged lay. Pastera bassist Rex Brown describes Dimebag Darrell’s passionate first take as his favorite guitar solo from Pantera ever. – CW
The Cardigans, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”
The cardigans came from Jönköping, Sweden in the early nineties, and were a charming indie pop band that landed a surprise hit with their cute disco pop song “LoveFool”. On paper they were as far from Sabbath as you could be. In fact, the core members of the band began their career with Heavy Metal and recognized the founding band of the genre with their loving lounge pop cover version of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” on their debut album “Emmerdale” from 1994. Two years later they showed how deep their love for Ozzy went when they “Iron Man” on their breakthrough album on the moon ” Coverten, the same album on which “LoveFool” can also be found.–Jon dolan
Metallica, “Sabra Cadabra”
When the most famous metal band of all times published a cover album in 1998, they could not resist the boys to pay tribute with which everything started. Front man James Hetfield has always loved the reef of the song from the album from 1973, and the band played him in the slim, groove-oriented style that she had accepted in the late 1990s, and even added a little of “A National Acrobat”, the A-Side song of “Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath“, Add.
When James Hetfield Sabbath added to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, he remembered how he had discovered the band as a shy nine -year -old. “These monstrous riffs lived in me and expressed feelings that I could never put into words. The dark texts, the rebellious chords and everything else put me in a state of inspiration. She helped me to break through the shell in which I was trapped.”–CW
System of a Down, “Snowblind”
The winding song from the album “Vol. 4” from 1972 has been a favorite has been a favorite for a long time and has already been covered by Converge and Jason Molina. However, the most surprising version comes from System of a Down, which transform the highly exciting crashes of the original and transform it into a bubbling, slowly burning song that is almost impossible to recognize. Serj’s expressionless, almost uncanny performance works so well because it sounds like a crazy one who gives way to herself during a drinking that kept him awake for days. Ozzy and Co. apparently enthusiastic about the unusual approach that they are soad asked, To play the cover song before your appearance in Birmingham. –-Julyssa Lopez
Charles Bradley, “Changes”
The piano ballad “Changes” is an impressive moment of vulnerability in the middle of the dark heavy severity of songs such as “Snowblind” and “Supernaut” on the album published in 1972 Vol. 4. It is a kind of song that leaves a deep emotional impression, as the Brooklyn soul singer Charles Bradley showed when he was on his third album Changes Coverte. Bradley was in the middle of the sixty, a supporter of the classic Stax Records sound with a style that reminded of Otis Redding, and he delivered a profound interpretation of “changes” that turned a song about romantic abandonment into a homage to his deceased mother. –-Jd
T-pain, “War Pigs”
Black Sabbath’s thundering anti-war anthem from 1970 is one of her most popular songs-covered by artists such as Judas Priest, Faith no more, Gov’t Mule and many others. But it is pure magic when the song from Ozzy, the 1970 in Paris His hair shakes on stage, to the singer and rapper T-pain, who performs him live in a club in West Hollywood in 2023. It is even so good that the Prince of Darkness himself described him as “the best cover version of ‘War Pigs’ ever”.–Charisma Madarang