Best Rock + Metal Cover Songs of 2023 (So Far)

The Waylon Reavis-led band stays fairly faithful to the original Sepultura metal classic, leaning heavier into a pulsing guitar low-end than the tribal drumming that populated the original. Like many covers, this one was done out of respect. Reavis commented, “In my humble opinion, I feel this is the best tribute I can give to Sepultura and Max Cavalera as a thank you for everything they have given me as a listener throughout the years. Sepultura is one of the reasons I wanted to become a singer/songwriter. I wanted to do them justice by adding a flavor with a new sound, but staying true to what the song is.”

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Not only do Black Veil Brides and Ville Valo make an interesting tour bill this summer, but the two acts managed to find the perfect song and band to cover that falls right between their sounds. The darkly danceable gothy Sisters of Mercy classic “Temple of Love” gets an aggressive update courtesy of BVB and VV. Black Veil Brides’ Andy Biersack confesses, “The very first song I heard by SOM was the ‘92 version of ‘Temple of Love’ and I became obsessed with their entire catalog.” Supposedly the band had been waiting for the right time to cover it, and when the tour with Ville Valo came up, the time finally arrived.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Part punk, part metal, part deathpop, it’s a little hard to put a finger on Norwegian outfit Blood Command, and even more so when they drop an unexpected cover of Belinda Carlilsle’s ‘80s pop hit “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” Apparently the love extends beyond the kitschy cover, with the band also taking on Carlisle’s “Leave a Light on for Me” earlier this year as well. The Blood Command version stays true to the original arrangement, but leans heavier on synths, drums and chugging guitar to amp up the bubbly energy.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Brass Against have put themselves on the map, using horn sections to recreate some of rock’s biggest hits. 2023 has seen them take on Soundgarden and Radiohead, but our pick here is Filter’s “Hey Man Nice Shot,” using the horns effectively in building the tension that the Richard Patrick-led band did so well on the original. Bringing in Samuel Hope for vocals was a solid choice, too, given how signature those Patrick-scream vocals are.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Rising rockers Classless Act have often felt like a throwback to some of the classic rock bands, so they embraced the music of one of their musical forefathers earlier this year with a cover of David Bowie’s “Starman.” Inspired by the Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, singer Derek Day and the band put their stamp on the Bowie classic. They also released a cover of the Bowie-penned Mott the Hoople favorite “All the Young Dudes” as well.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Absolutely fierce! Cliffdiver take the 1977 X-Ray Spex favorite “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” and give it even more attitude — if that’s possible. “It’s the best kind of ridiculous and so humbling to imagine that our little project could be a part of reintroducing a whole new album to X-Ray Spex and a deeper look into the history of women, especially women of color - in punk and alternative music,” says the band. “There’s really no better time for it. As we descend into the capitalist hellscape humanity has created, the message at the heart of the song just becomes more relatable. I think we all need this now.” Turn it up and rock it out.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Daath / Death …. They’re not that far apart, and even less so now with Daath taking on the Death classic, “The Philosopher” earlier this year. Pulling in Ice Nine Kills’ Dan Sugarman as well as Rafael Trujillo, the band does their best to pay homage to the pioneering heaviness of Chuck Schuldiner. The band’s Eyal Levi says, “It's insane to think that it's been 30 years since I first saw the music video for ‘The Philosopher’ on Headbanger's Ball. I loved the song then and I love it now. This is our attempt to honor Chuck's legacy and massive contribution to extreme metal." Jesse Zuretti added, "Chuck and Death paving the way for future extreme metal bands — the best way to pay tribute is to play."

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Steve Perry had THAT voice, one of the ‘70s and ‘80s most powerful rock singers while fronting Journey. Now fast forward to 2023, when two of rock’s most powerhouse vocalists have united to take on the Journey classic “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale joins Chris Daughtry and his band to give the song a cover worthy of the original. It’s also become a rock radio hit, climbing to No. 5 on the Mainstream Rock Chart.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Though a major charting band in their native Australia, Divinyls are primarily known for their 1990 single “I Touch Myself” in other parts of the world. The song gets a very well done, faithful update in 2023 courtesy of The Dollyrots. You might have missed this one as it was a b-side for the band’s new single “Hey Girl,” but as far as covers go, this is one of the better ones you’ll hear this year.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

There’s a lot of love for The Cure this year, with Dope’s contribution coming in the form of a darkly rocked out cover of “Lovesong.” The track actually pairs Dope with Drama Club and features a haunting synth part giving way to an aggressively heavy wall of guitars, giving the song a fresh overhaul.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Drain have been turning heads with their own music this year, but one of the tracks from their Living Proof album is actually a cover song. That would be “Good Good Things,” originally done by the punk icons Descendents. Keeping fairly true to the original, it remains a driving, tension-filled punk song that varies a bit in vocal range beyond the Descendents version.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Who saw this one coming? Electric Callboy dug into the mid-2000s for the international dance pop hit “Everytime We Touch” from Cascada to cover. And initially it feels like they didn’t vary too far off the original …. But then the guttural vocals and heavy chugging riffs kick in. There’s no denying it’s catchy.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Here we have the first of two Black Sabbath “War Pigs” covers, each having their own fresh take on the song. Rockers Eva Under Fire lean into the swing of the open, before singer Eva Marie lets loose with a powerful vocal performance. The band doesn’t vary too far off the original, but the musicianship and vocals definitely shine making this a pretty strong cover.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

You can call it a cover, but it’s more of a reimagining. Fall Out Boy took the idea and music of Billy Joe’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and then updated it with lyrics reflective of what’s happened since the song’s original 1989 release. The group didn’t try to keep it chronological, but did shout out such headline making items as Rodney King, the Oklahoma City bombing, Kurt Cobain, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Obama, Qanon, Y2K, Brexit and Tiger King. Definitely an interesting exercise.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

It’s hard to imagine anyone else doing “Last Resort,” but Falling In Reverse’s Ronnie Radke took on the challenge, turning the song into an emotional power ballad that really tapped into the raw lyrics that Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix initially delivered. Shaddix gave his blessing to the song, and initial reaction was mostly positive as the video for the track shot up to No. 3 on the YouTube chart.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

It’s shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Ghost’s Tobias Forge is a fan of Iron Maiden, so when it came time to do a covers EP for 2023, one of the entries was a pretty spot on take on the Iron Maiden classic, “Phantom of the Opera.” The Ghost version feels a little more synthy, but also has more of a fleshed out instrumental sound.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Guitar great Paul Gilbert had a solitary muse for his 2023 album — Ronnie James Dio. The musician was known for his work with Rainbow, Dio and Black Sabbath, and it’s the Rainbow years that get featured on our pick, “Man on The Silver Mountain,” from The Dio Album. The instrumental cut falls in line with the great guitar playing from the original song.

Original Song: LISTEN HERE

Baltimore rockers Have Mercy take the strummy backing of the classic Smashing Pumpkins song “1979” and lean into heavily, turning it more hypnotic and dreamy in nature with a Dave Grohl-esque lead vocal.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

The experimental side of Imperial Triumphant is in full effect on their unexpected cover of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” from the OK Computer album. The band has done a great job of putting their stamp on it, at times seeming almost unrecognizable from the original. This version features doomy guttural vocals layered over the top of crushing heaviness and pieces of the Radiohead original. It’s a definite headphone journey to get lost in.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Pearl Jam, bluegrass? Well, no, but bluegrass outfit Iron Horse recorded a full album of Pearl Jam covers for the “Pickin’ On” compilation series. One of the highlights of the record is “Better Man,” which makes a pretty smooth transition with the members of Iron Horse rocking out the song on mandolin, guitar, banjo and stand-up bass.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Rather than record a new album, the reunited Midtown decided to go the covers EP route and one of the highlights of that set was the group’s excellent cover of Lagwagon’s “Know It All.” If this doesn’t take you back to a mid-2000s vibe, I’m not sure what will. “It’s a lineage – where Midtown comes from and what shaped us as artists and people,” says vocalist-bassist Gabe Saporta. “We wanted to shine a light on our influences, and keep those influences alive.”

Original Version: LISTEN NOW

Here’s another cover that came about through reverence for a particular artist, as Okkultist shared their admiration for Children of Bodom’s late leader Alexi Laiho while covering “Sixpounder” for their O.M.E.N. album. “We all decided it was necessary to create this tribute, not only song-wise but visually as well, as a gesture of thankfulness to a man who opened so many doors of creativity and technicality, who has inspired so many of us, and who will continue to inspire, throughout the years,” said the band.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Omnium Gatherum covering an ‘80s dance favorite was not on our 2023 Bingo card, but here we are. There must be something about that “steel town girl on a Saturday night” that appealed to the band, as they took the Michael Sembello hit from the Flashdance soundtrack and turned it into what amounts to a still danceable, but gutturally heavy cover.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

What will Poppy do next? The multi-faceted artist has shown her affinity for metal in the past, so her taking on Kittie shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Here, she channels fury, angst and a hell of a lot of energy in her cover of Kittie’s “Spit.”

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Once again, we’ve got an artist sharing reverence to an iconic musician. And in this case, Powerwolf delivered a stellar cover of Alice Cooper’s “Poison” in honor of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s 75th birthday back in February. This will be one of the more spot-on covers you’ll hear this year.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

How big of a year is Sleep Token having? It seems like everyone wanted to spotlight their song “Chokehold” on social media earlier this year, including Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos who provided this vocal cover of the track. Ramos has been on the receiving end of viral adulation, so here he gives homage to this year’s breakout band.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

What do Sabaton and Motorhead have in common? Both acts have a penchant for songs about history. Given Sabaton’s specific fascination delving into historic wars, their cover of Motorhead’s “1916” was a natural choice.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Most covers either typically stay faithful or offer some sort of reinvention. In this case, Silent Skies take the Iron Maiden classic “The Trooper” and turn it into a haunting piano ballad, allowing listeners to fully immerse themselves in the powerful lyrics.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Great music breaks down language barriers. Case in point, the German-language ‘90s hit “Du Hast” from Rammstein has been given a 21st Century update by French Nordic folk collective Skald. And trust us, it doesn’t lose any of the catchiness or ferocity, even with some different instrumentation. If anything, it now has some haunting overtones as well.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

The oft-covered Depeche Mode favorite “Personal Jesus” gets a fresh remake here courtesy of doom metal outfit SOM. This new version relies heavily on guitar distortion, a chugging and hypnotic backing and dreamy vocals from SOM’s Will Benoit. The band didn’t stop with just “Personal Jesus” either, issuing a full EP of Depeche Mode covers called Faith that includes “Enjoy the Silence,” “Policy of Truth” and “Never Let Me Down Again.” “There’s a curiosity and excitement around this collection of music, and the experience of this EP finding its place in the dark magical world of Depeche Mode has been really heartening,” said Benoit.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Squid Pisser are channeling their inner punkness with their cover of the Crucifucks’ “Marching for Trash” and inviting Starcrawler’s Arrow De Wilde to take part in the fun. This one deserves to be played loud, embracing the chaos and rambunctiousness.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Static-X have trafficked in a mix of aggressive rock and industrial beats over the course of their career, and here they’re lifting from a band with a similar aesthetic. Nine Inch Nails broke on the scene in the late ‘80s with “Terrible Lie” from Pretty Hate Machine,and Static-X give it a modern update by upping the tempo and aggression while leaning into the industrial rockness of it all.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Here’s the second “War Pigs” cover on this list and probably one of the year’s most unexpected yet universally hailed covers. It’s rapper T-Pain ditching the auto-tune vocals and showing he’s got some legit pipes as well. By looking at the track listing on his On Top of the Covers collection, you can see he didn’t back down from the challenge, also taking on Journey, Frank Sinatra, Chris Stapleton and Sam Cooke covers. Rock on, T-Pain!

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

There are several covers on this list taking hard rock heavy hitters and scaling them back to haunting piano versions. That’s what you’re getting here with longtime metal vocalist Tarja letting her operatic range soar over a piano and strings version of Linkin Park’s “Numb.”

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Give it up to Tempt, who bring a whole new vibrance and energy to the Queen classic, “We Will Rock You.” It’s no longer the stomp-clap crowd pleaser, but rather a driving, wailing fleshed out rock anthem with some blistering guitar playing. You’ll never dismiss the original, nor should you, but this cover definitely rocks!

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Tribulation stay fairly faithful to the proggy, classic rock track “Vengeance” from Blue Oyster Cult, that is until you get into the more guttural vocal approach which makes the song sound all the more sinister as a result.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

If you ever wonder where Trivium came from, you can probably look at Heaven Shall Burn as an early influence. Frontman Matt Heafy says the band was his introduction to a particular brand of metalcore in the early 2000s, explaining, “This fusion of hardcore ethos and metal sounds blew my mind. He adds, “‘Implore the Darken Sky’ is not only my favorite HSB song, but the one that taught me so much about a sound that needed to be injected into Trivium.” Now, some 21 years after the original song was released by Heaven Shall Burn, Trivium have unleashed a ripping and very faithful cover.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

As previously stated, there’s a lot of love for The Cure this year, including a new tribute compilation titled Just Like Heaven: A Tribute to The Cure. One of the standouts from that set is Velvet Condom’s take on the compilation’s titular hit. The cold wave outfit inject a bit of a shoegazey vibe into their cover, giving it a fresh vibe in the process.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Pop-punk is so 2003 (and yes, 2023 as well). But The Wildfires Projekt have given Yellowcard’s early 2000s favorite a makeover, turning it into a mid-tempo coldwave lament that remains engaging in its new form.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE

Los Angeles rockers Zulu stepped up with a Slipknot cover as part of their recent Spotify Singles offering. The band took on the classic “Wait and Bleed,” pushing the needle and waiting for their tops to blow with this chaotic high energy cover.

Original Version: LISTEN HERE