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Editorials

WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

 Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 3:16pm by

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were HereFor some reason metal bands have particularly taken to covering Pink Floyd. Actually, pretty much everyone has taken to covering Pink Floyd because, well, they’re one of the best and most important bands of all time. But of all metal covers of Pink Floyd tunes, “Welcome to the Machine” seems to get the nod more frequently than most. There’s something about that plodding rhythm that is just so visceral and brutal and ripe for metal renditions.

Invisible Oranges recently posted the original along with Queensryche’s version from their 2007 release Take Cover and Shadows Fall’s version from The Art of Balance.

Pink Floyd – “Welcome to the Machine” (Wish You Were Here, 1975)
Shadows Fall – “Welcome to the Machine” (The Art of Balance, 2002)
Queensryche – “Welcome to the Machine” (Take Cover, 2007)

Which do you prefer?

-VN

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  • TJ

    The original is far and away the best. Although I do enjoy the Shads version. Haven’t heard the Queensryche one yet, will check that out later.

    You also neglected to mention how many terrible cover versions of ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ there are. Off the top of my head, I remember Korn butchering it, the Step Kings doing a terrible job, and some mid-90s ‘supergroup’ called Class of 99 also doing a horrible version.
    I don’t remember who was in Class of 99, but I remember the music was a lot shittier than the pedigree of the band led you to believe…

  • Alec Anderson

    The best is clearly the original version. Shadow’s Fall also does a really good jod with it. Geoff Tate needs to slowly back away from the mike cuz he’s butchering the song!!

  • ezra

    I have to agree, The queen comes up short

  • mitch

    agreed.
    how about btbam’s us and them cover?

  • dalenkwint

    I never really liked Queensryche besides a song or two, and the vocals have a lot to do with it. They’re always close but not all the there for me. My point is, Alec is right, Geoff is destroying the vocals. I’m still listening to it, it’s actually pretty good, I’d like to hear it with better vocals though. The shadows fall cover is pretty good, probably better. I don’t recall ever hearing a floyd cover that was even close to good enough. They usually destroy it. ESPECIALLY KORN. WTF were they thinking. I know, it’s korn, but come on!

  • Nick

    Dudes, anybody else remember the awesome cover of “Time”, as performed by Wrathchild America?

  • The Anti-Chris

    Wow, someone else remembers Wrathchild America! Their version is the only Floyd cover I have ever heard that didn’t completely butcher the song.

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  • Stixnstond in L.A.

    Floyd’s, way ahead of the pack.
    Queensryche a distant second.
    Recommended hearing: Dub Side of the Moon – Long Beach City Dub Allstars

  • Me and me

    Checked out Dream Theaters cover of the whole album of Dark Side of the Moon…..Flawless