The cover that should not be

While on the subject of bad Maiden covers, Opera IX's take of Rime of the Ancient Mariner makes everything else sound brilliant. In a way, this cover puts a lot of emphasis on the "nightmare" aspect of the story, but that doesn't do the song very much good. Here's Maverick's review of the track:

This Italian band is some strange mix of Black, Doom and Goth Metal, alternating growling vocals with the female voice of a would-be opera singer. On this particular cover, the result is an absolute catastrophe! Putting up with 13 minutes of mindless cavemen grunts and screeches of a woman couldn't sing to save her life is a pretty stressful experience I only endured in order to write this commentary. On the other hand, this is also the opportunity for a great laugh if you're heartless enough to diss this band that's embarrassing themselves with their total lack of musical talent (but I really felt sorry for that woman, though!).
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I don't have much to add to it, although it did make me curious to listen to it the first time I read it. Mav tried to convince me it wasn't worth the effort to find the song, but I didn't listen... he was right, though.
 
Kauha-Apina said:
There were some pretty awful Maiden covers on Kerrang's Maiden Heaven album. Not all of them, some were pretty awesome, like Metallica's Remember Tomorrow, Dream Theater's To Tame A Land and Black Tide's Prowler to name a few.
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Metallica's horrible guitar sound, Kirk's disability to imitate Dave and the lack of a real singer completely destroy the song.
The ''Worst cover'' title on that album I think belongs to Madina Lake for CSIT though.
 
Murder89 said:
Agreed.
Metallica's horrible guitar sound, Kirk's disability to imitate Dave and the lack of a real singer completely destroy the song.
The ''Worst cover'' title on that album I think belongs to Madina Lake for CSIT.
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Ehh ... you actually disagree with Kauha-Apina here, methinks. I can't see how you can interpret "some were pretty awesome, like Metallica's Remember Tomorrow" in any other way than that K-A actually likes the cover.

By the way, I agree with K-A. I like the cover. I don't think Kirk should try to imitate Dave, since they are two different guitarists with different style. However, I prefer Hetfield's solo over Kirk's.
 
Eddies Wingman said:
Ehh ... you actually disagree with Kauha-Apina here, methinks. I can't see how you can interpret "some were pretty awesome, like Metallica's Remember Tomorrow" in any other way than that K-A actually likes the cover.

By the way, I agree with K-A. I like the cover. I don't think Kirk should try to imitate Dave, since they are two different guitarists with different style. However, I prefer Hetfield's solo over Kirk's.
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That's what happens when you try to reply quickly.. :p
Just edited my previous post.Never liked Metallica's version.
 
Eddies Wingman said:
I don't think Kirk should try to imitate Dave, since they are two different guitarists with different style. However, I prefer Hetfield's solo over Kirk's.
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I agree, overall I don't think covers should try to exactly imitate the original songs. We've already heard those, why would we want to hear a bit worse version of them again? Rather remake them in your own way, even if it sometimes ends up - well, unsuccessful...  :p
 
The problem is the sound they chose throughout the song.I think it has nothing to do with Maiden.I know it's their version so basically that's the problem.

I just remembered another horrible cover of Prowler by some huge guy - I think it was Jay Z or something.Can't find the link.Perhaps Fonzbear can find it.

edit:
I got it!!!
It ain't either Prowler or Jay Z though.It's 50 Cent's 22 Acacia Avenue. Enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWQ4tB6Feck.  :p
 
Murder89 said:
The problem is the sound they chose throughout the song.I think it has nothing to do with Maiden.I know it's their version so basically that's the problem.

I just remembered another horrible cover of Prowler by some huge guy - I think it was Jay Z or something.Can't find the link.
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Yeah, doing it your own way doesn't necessarily make it good, and I was agreeing about just that Kirk shouldn't imitate Dave. Metallica version of Remember Tomorrow, well, it doesn't quite work for me either.  :lol:
 
Perun said:
Better than a power metal shrieker....
But well, "everybody loves power metal", so who am I to argue.

/rant
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Yes... Yes we do :D Though I hate to say it but you're right. I've enjoyed Death metal covers more than Power Metal ones. My rules for a cover are: Has to be different enough from the original to actaully called a cover and of course, well done (entirely subjective) a lot of power metal bands, high vocals aside, usually just add keyboards to the piece and call it a day... fuck that.
 
Travis_AKA_fonzbear2000 said:
Not when you have a death metal/screamo singer ruining Bruce's vocals.
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Prowler_108 said:
Thats my point. And they're just an awful band.
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What Perun said, and I disagree with pretty much all of the above statements.  COB is not death metal, their singer is not screamo.  Get your facts right, and you might want to try some (melodic?) death metal, both to broaden your musical taste and to listen to some damn good music.  I also think Bruce's vocals have been ruined much more by many other covers; see Dream Theater's To Tame a Land, for example.  I would also say COB is one of the best bands in the Finnish metal scene, and while they are not 100% original nor that consistent, they make some damn good music too.  Another pretty good cover in the same style is In Flames' Murders in the Rue Morgue and Dark Tranquillity's 22 Acacia Avenue, and I don't even like In Flames very much.  Oh, and the Metallica version is also good, especially the instrumental section.

Now, bad ones: I haven't heard most of the covers mentioned above, but the worst I've heard is The Hip-Hop Tribute to Iron Maiden.  There was a link to it a while back.  Iced Earth's covers (Transylvania, Hallowed, Beast) are actually pretty bad, though they're an excellent band.  I can't think of a better description for them than, well, generic.  Technically it's good, Barlow sings well, but they just don't bring anything new to the songs, even negatively.  The aforementioned To Tame a Land is musically good, but lyrically horrendous. Sorry DT fans, I just don't like LaBrie.  And of power metal covers, Sonata Arctica's Die With Your Boots On is exactly what Onhell said: adding keyboards, a bad Bruce imitation, and a terrible Finnish accent do not a good cover make.
 
Invader, I'm mostly with you on CoB, except that I would argue they haven't been much to write home about for the last few years. Their albums through Hate Crew Deathtoll are quite exceptional, though.

Invader said:
Now, bad ones: I haven't heard most of the covers mentioned above, but the worst I've heard is The Hip-Hop Tribute to Iron Maiden.  There was a link to it a while back.  Iced Earth's covers (Transylvania, Hallowed, Beast) are actually pretty bad, though they're an excellent band.  I can't think of a better description for them than, well, generic.  Technically it's good, Barlow sings well, but they just don't bring anything new to the songs, even negatively.  
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I disagree with that. I found Iced Earth's covers among the few that stick to the original but are distinctive. You could think they're genuine Iced Earth compositions.


Anyway, I'm quite surprised that Killswitch Engage's... ... ... take on Holy Diver has not been mentioned yet. Although, it might rather be left unmentioned.
 
Invader said:
Another pretty good cover in the same style is In Flames' Murders in the Rue Morgue and Dark Tranquillity's 22 Acacia Avenue, and I don't even like In Flames very much.  Oh, and the Metallica version is also good, especially the instrumental section.
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I hadn't heard that one before. I must say it didn't appeal much to me - to my surprise, since I like Dark Tranquility (at least what I've heard of them). I think a song which is as riff-based as 22 Acacia Avenue needs a vocal melody. More melodic songs fit better to growled vocals.
 
Perun said:
Invader, I'm mostly with you on CoB, except that I would argue they haven't been much to write home about for the last few years. Their albums through Hate Crew Deathtoll are quite exceptional, though.

Anyway, I'm quite surprised that Killswitch Engage's... ... ... take on Holy Diver has not been mentioned yet. Although, it might rather be left unmentioned.
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I'm not very familiar with their latest production, but I like Follow the Reaper, Hate Crew Deathtoll, and Hatebreeder quite a lot.  As for Holy Diver, well, I saw it live.  Remembering it taints my memory of Dio, especially as I never saw the original version live.

Eddies Wingman said:
I hadn't heard that one before. I must say it didn't appeal much to me - to my surprise, since I like Dark Tranquility (at least what I've heard of them). I think a song which is as riff-based as 22 Acacia Avenue needs a vocal melody. More melodic songs fit better to growled vocals.
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Well, I'm not a huge fan of the Maiden song (including Bruce's singing), but I really dig Stanne's growled vocals; and I also liked how they made it a bit heavier. To each his own. But, since we seem to be discussing covers by Scandinavian bands, care to suggest a cover by a Norwegian band? :)
 
Invader said:
Well, I'm not a huge fan of the Maiden song (including Bruce's singing), but I really dig Stanne's growled vocals; and I also liked how they made it a bit heavier. To each his own. But, since we seem to be discussing covers by Scandinavian bands, care to suggest a cover by a Norwegian band? :)
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I like his vocals per se, I just don't think they fit this particular song. As for Norwegian bands covering Maiden, I can't think of any right now. I'm not really that deeply into Norwegian metal. I know the big bands like Immortal, Darkthrone, Enslaved, Mayhem and so on, but I don't think any of those have ever covered a Maiden song.
 
Oh my god #1 from the original just made me cry from laughter, that HAS to be the worst cover of any song done by a professional singer (if you want to call her that..).

Oh and I think Children of Bodom's first few albums are awesome (The most recent I've heard from them is Are you dead yet and I could only find a hand full of songs I like). Downfall, Silent night bodom night and Follow the reaper are defiantly not dull songs.
 
Rolf Harris - Stairway to Heaven lol. I'd say the worst cover I have ever heard is every single cover version of Smells Like Teen Spirit. This song should never ever be covered, as nobody even comes close to the original.
 
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