Metallica are the biggest metal band in the world, and basically have been for nigh on 40-plus years. Their iconic songbook has defined the way we look at heavy music for so long that it pretty much goes without saying that any headbanging musician worth their salt has probably chopped into at least one, if not 72 different classic ‘Tallica riffs over the years.
Just as Metallica have saluted a lot of their favorite bands with an on-point cover — from Mercyful Fate and Misfits to Diamond Head and Motörhead — a number of high-profile acts have put their own unique take on the Big 4 band’s greatest hits.
But what’s the most masterful cover of a Metallica song? We asked Revolver readers this exact question, and these are the top five vote-getters, ranked accordingly.
Motörhead – “Whiplash”
It’s not hard to argue that without Motörhead — along with a few other key UK metal acts — there would be no Metallica. And, indeed, the Bay Area band have shown their love for Lemmy and Co. countless times over — from recording “Overkill” for Garage Inc. to James Hetifield legitimately infusing the late Kilmister’s ashes into an “Ace of Spades”-themed tattoo in 2024.
But Motörhead also paid ‘Tallica back in kind over the years, too. Though certain Revolver readers think their late Nineties “Enter Sandman” cover was pretty dreamy, most voters came out to say that the group’s white-knuckled, gruffly-growled “Whiplash” is what really gets them acting like maniacs.
Grammy voters must’ve agreed, as the cover yielded Motörhead an award for Best Metal Performance back in 2005.
Testament – “Seek & Destroy”
Bringing it back to the Bay, Testament just recently ripped out a cover of “Seek & Destroy” for the upcoming No Life ’Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ’Em All. And by all accounts, the West Coast thrashers put on a commanding display.
While they honor the original anthem with a reasonably faithful arrangement, there are some minor differences that elevate Testament’s rendition. Take, for instance, how the mid-section gallops with a more pronounced, almost NWOBHM-ish kick pedal feel. Guitarist Alex Skolick also runs and guns through his solo section with epic sweeps and squeals.
Korn – “One”
Darkness enveloped James “Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch’s seven-string fretboards when they started into Korn’s performance of …And Justice for All’s “One” at the 2003 MTV Icons’ taping — a TV special that also found the likes of Avril Lavigne, Snoop Dogg and more saluting ‘Tallica’s songbook.
Korn drop the key, yet still conjure the same kind of heaviness and eternal dread of the anti-war anthem. That said, they trim their “One” by a few minutes, and we don’t see either Munky or Head detonate their Ibanez with a Kirk Hammett-issued tap solo. Nevertheless, Jonathan Davis tips the scales with an apropos album art T-shirt choice and a supremely moody vocal turn.
Limp Bizkit – “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”
Limp Bizkit popped-off this Puppets classic for Metallica’s MTV Icon special with a mix salutatory grace and their signature rap-rock swagger.
John Otto leans into his snare with groove-popping fervor, while then-guitarist Mike Smith embraces the madness of Limptallica with chugged-and-creeped finesse. Fred Durst adjusts his flow just slightly through the melodic verses, but eventually sends his middle finger flying, brings the crowd to their feet, and gets them to bark along to the distortedly funky breakdown. A cheshire-grinning Lars Ulrich is losing his mind watching all this go down from the audience.
While they mastered this Bay Area classic with a hot dog-flavored feel, it still feels like Durst could’ve swapped the Yankees hat for a Giants cap for the occasion.
Pantera – “Seek & Destroy” with Jason Newsted
Pantera and Metallica are lifelong friends, having first connected on the mid-Eighties metal circuit and more recently having spent the past few years hitting the world’s biggest stages on the M72 Tour. Over the years, the Cowboys From Hell have hailed ‘Tallica’s eternally raging “Seek & Destroy” as one of their favorites.
There’s a pretty slamming early clip of Pantera covering the cut circa ’84, with founding guitarist Dimebag Darrell going full Hetfield as he riffs and rasps through the tune. Revolver readers, however, are more drawn to a 1994 performance in San Jose, California, that found the Texan groove-metal titans bringing out then-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted to help them out onstage.
“By the grace of the unholy spirit of Satan, we are fuckin’ blessed to fuckin’ have Jason Newsted,” Philip Anselmo grins while introducing the guest bassist, as Rex Brown takes a beat to sip a bottle of water. Newsted and Anselmo screech out the lyrics together in the frontman’s mic, while Dimebag runs wild with the killer riffage. Destruction achieved.