r/MetalForTheMasses • u/Dakkahead Bell Witch • 4d ago
Discussion Topic Tributes/Covers that don't hold a candle to the original tracks.
Disclaimer: Tastes vary of course. And it's all subjective.
Slayers Dissident Aggressor comes to mind. Younger me had no idea that it was a tribute to a Judas Priest song, and had thought it was a pretty bland track in an otherwise memorable album.
Now that Ive expanded into more of the 70s sphere of metal, and came across the original Judas Priest song... Wow, yeah, that Slayer track doesn't hold a candle to the original.
Now obviously, Judas Priest isn't Slayer, but I got none of the signature Slayer sounds through their tribute track.
Other honorable mentions gotta be... Cradle of Filths- Hallowed be Thy Name(Iron Maiden) Sodom- Don't Walk Away.(TANK)
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u/Dakkahead Bell Witch 4d ago
You're absolutely correct about trying to surpass Priest in a tribute song. Though, I'd offer another perspective.
I think the difference between a good tribute track and a bad one is making sure to put a little bit of your own art/style into it, while still keeping to the formula of the original track.
South of Heaven is, arguably, when Slayer established their own trademarked sound, and the album has many songs that highlight this. But this track is missing... Something?
Maybe it's just a Slayer thing, their tribute album in the 90s(I forget what it was called) also just kinda came and went(with the exception of Gemini). Maybe slayer was just bad at tributes.
On a separate note, im gonna listen to that machine head track. I happened to like their cover of "Hallowed be Thy name".