Join us in celebrating Metallica with the five best covers of their hits by black metal bands.
Have songs more black metal in spirit than “Bleeding Me” and “Fade to Black” ever existed?! Of course not! Accordingly, Metallica receive no shortage of appreciation from the black metal community.
To name one example, outstanding guitarist Sagstad (currently of the supergroup Jordsjuk and formerly of Sarkom) is among the talents who participates in the Norwegian Metallica tribute band Metal Militia.
READ MORE: 6 Best Black Metal Covers of Ozzy Osbourne Songs
Interestingly, my two top votes for the crowned kings of avant-garde black metal, Vicotnik of Dødheimsgard and Kark of Dødsengel, are both huge admirers of Metallica. After all, as Vicotnik rightly told me: “What they did was very avant-garde and was very cutting-edge, even some of their ’90s stuff.” He noted that tracks such as “Orion” are comparable with black metal in terms of factors like atmosphere. The master also reminds us: “… there’s probably no band that’s done more for both the metal scene in general and also music composition.”
Meanwhile, the brilliant and ever-eloquent Frater Kark replied thus to our curiosity regarding his love of Metallica:
“Within Metallica, you find the sum of all their influences blended perfectly with their own unique souls. They stand on the shoulders of giants, and therefore themselves became the biggest giant of them all. They are one of the few bands who have wholly embraced their entire creative vision and leave no stone unturned. Timeless and transgressive music is the result of this. Metallica are perfect in their imperfections, divine in their humanity and the giants of times past and present.”
Before diving into our main list, know that some of the other black metal and black-infused artists that have covered Metallica include Imperial Triumphant, Abigail Williams, Wormwitch, Noctuary, Imperio Nocturno and Lykanthrop. Watain even played a bit of “The Call of Ktulu” in concert and we hope they’ll record the full song one day.
Abbath, “Trapped Under Ice”
“Trapped Under Ice,” which first wowed audiences on Metallica’s Ride the Lightning (1984), proved the ideal track for the grim and frostbitten Abbath, the eponymous project of Immortal’s legendary former frontman and more, to conquer. Abbath’s wicked reimagining of “Trapped Under Ice” appears on the third full-length offering, Dread Reaver (2022).
Abbath remains one of black metal’s most iconic rock stars, thus making his homage all the more fitting.
As a band, Abbath have additionally taken on Judas Priest, Bathory and Motörhead, not to mention Immortal.
Mystifier, “Phantom Lord”
Founded in 1989, Mystifier quickly established themselves as one of Brazil’s brutal metal pioneers and these black/death stalwarts continue to spread mayhem to this day.
Mystifier beautifully tackled “Phantom Lord” on Overload 2: Tribute to Metallica (2001) — the track later reemerged as a bonus on a 2012 reissue of Wicca, which debuted in 1992.
These charismatic occultists truly nailed this song, imbuing it with the in-your-face aggression it deserves while also amplifying the sense of magic and enigma.
Borknagar, “My Friend of Misery”
Along with artists such as Lemmy, Sodom, DevilDriver and Doro, the blackened progressive folk veterans Borknagar contributed to Metal Hammer Germany’s Metallica: A Tribute to the Black Album (2011). Borknagar’s captivating reinterpretation of “My Friend of Misery” found therein also serves as a bonus track on the limited-edition digipack version of their ninth album, Urd (2012).
Vintersorg provides the main clean vocals on this cover, though there are some harsh vocals artfully mixed in. All of the exceptional talents showcased mesmerize us with their skill.
ICS Vortex, “Don’t Tread on Me”
As the picks directly above and below, ICS Vortex’s blackened progressive eponymous project recorded their spin on “Don’t Tread on Me” for Metal Hammer Germany’s celebration of Metallica’s 1991 milestone.
ICS Vortex truly did justice (for all) to “Don’t Tread on Me,” giving an admirable performance on clean vocals.
This distinguished singer and multi-instrumentalist is revered for his achievements with the likes of Arcturus, Borknagar and formerly Dimmu Borgir; don’t tread on True Norwegian Extreme Metal.
Finntroll, “The God That Failed”
Helsinki’s folk heroes Finntroll bravely meld components of black metal, death metal and humppa.
Their surprise-packed slaughtering of “The God That Failed” certainly amounts to an unforgettable listen, partially upbeat and yet also quite disturbing. Mainman Vreth’s barbaric vocals delight us, as he and Finntroll transform the classic in question with all of their quirkiness and originality.
During the very same month that the Metal Hammer album premiered, a slightly modified variant of this entertaining track would pop up on the 2011 tour-edition version of Nifelvind — Finntroll’s fifth record, which was unleashed in its original form in 2010. On Nifelvind, “The God That Failed” features a trollish alternative ending, honoring the late comedian Benny Hill.
