MEMBERS OF DREAM THEATER TEAM UP WITH MEMBERS OF NAPALM DEATH TO COVER METALLICA. WAIT, WHAT?!?
Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 1:30pm by Axl RosenbergIt’s not that I think that the members of Napalm Death and Dream Theater have a limited musical palette. Quite the contrary; I’d imagine the musicians that make up these particular bands probably have very diverse tastes.
Still. If I found out that Alex Webster listened to a lot of Roni Spektor, I wouldn’t expect a collaboration between the Russian chanteuse and the death metal legend, y’know?
So. Tom Fassnidge sent us this video of Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway teaming up with some of the dudes from Dream Theater to cover Metallica’s “Damage Inc.” It’s an old video – lookit Barney’s hair!!! – but neither Vince nor myself had ever seen it before. And it’s pretty awesome – look at how much fun Petrucci and Portnoy are having! And, yes, I know that DT have covered entire Metallica albums live in concert before. But it’s the “WHAT THE FUCK IS A MEMBER OF NAPALM DEATH DOING UP THERE?” of it all that makes this video truly worthwhile, in my opinion at least.
Extra bonus: for those of us who find James LaBrie to be a big gaping vagina, we now get to see what DT might be like with singer who isn’t a eunuch.
-AR
I’ve heard Barney from ND is a huge Prog Metal fan, which is ironic given ND’s musical leanings. As for the cover itself, it just seems a bit lacking compared to the studio version.
This is old as fuck.
Awesome vid.
I think I like James LaBrie better to be honest.
I’ve always liked Labrie’s vocals.
Normally I would get defensive about someone calling Labrie a “gaping vagina” but then I remember all the garbage shitcore bands you guys blather on about, and I figure…what’s the point?
Well said Tommy. Sometimes its almost as if the guys here at Metal Sucks just walked into metal in the last year or two.
I thoroughly agree. James LaBrie is one of the most fantastic singers I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. My deepest condolences to those who can’t seem to see that.
Agreed…. somewhat. He was outright mind-blowing up until 1994 at least – one of VERY few insanely high-voiced singers with incredible grit high up.
Then that damn food poisoning thing happened, and though he’s improved vastly live since, he’s never really been the same…
I think he is a stronger singer now than he ever was.
I’ve seen them live over the years 7 times, and his voice is more powerful NOW then ten years ago.
As far as the metalsucks crew goes, they seem to like a lot of hardcore and noise type shit, so I can understand why they wouldn’t like DT. The site is called “Metalsucks”.
Dt might not be straight forward metal all the time, but they have been getting heavier over the years, the only way Vince or Axl would be into them is if they started screeching incoherently and had little to no structure within their songs. haachaa!
I don’t think James LaBrie is a vagina. I actually like his voice. And if the rest of the band didn’t want him, they wouldn’t have chosen him to sing for em in the first place. I think he is prog god in the vocalist section.
Yeah, always liked this cover considering its two bands mashed together that you’d think would never happen. Fuckin rules
James LaBrie wore a Napalm Death shirt in the ‘Pull Me Under’ video… this isn’t such a huge surprise.
Sounds great, though… I always liked Dream Theater best when they were playing heavier stuff anyway.
That’s what i came in here to say. LaBrie is a Napalm fan.
there is a quasi decent recording of several covers with ND from before/right after LaBrie became the vocalist….i used to have em somewhere….where are my notes?
This was awesome. Metallica would have been way better if none of them were in metallica and this was just their lineup.
Awesome video. It hit me half way through what was “odd”: One guitar gave it a different spin. Plus, Petrucci hadn’t yet started hitting the weights and protein shakes.
petrucci’s tone sounds like he’s running though an old school digitech uber pedal. the result… watery shit tone. he sounds leaps and bounds better now.
Best part of the footage (which you can barely see on Youtube): John Myung busts out with a huge laughing grin when Barney starts the vocals. A few seconds later, you see Petrucci looking at Myung and smiling as well.
Barney used to write for Metal Maniacs and once gave a Dream Theater album a positive review in which he defended the “pomp- rock” elements in the bands music.
There’s footage from this whole concert floating out there, where they also did covers with Genesis, Yes and Marillion greats, among others
It’s called “5 Years in a livetime” by Rhino records.
“Still. If I found out that Alex Webster listened to a lot of Roni Spektor, I wouldn’t expect a collaboration between the Russian chanteuse and the death metal legend, y’know?”
Isn’t it Regina Spektor, who you are aiming at?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina_Spektor
I was just about to say the same thing…
alot of uds were. we just didn’t want to be THAT person. ya know?
I do have to admit, Myung’s bass sounds awesome, even on this fairly low-quality recording. I know he’s gotta cover for the lack of a second guitar, but he really does justice to Cliff’s bassline.
EPIC FAIL…You’ve been in the metal world and haven’t ever seen this video…Shame on you…haha
People who stick up for James LaCheese are gaping vaginas.
Your a Vagina! Metallica Bitch!…and i never got my White T shirt
Lol at Barneys tucked in shirt
A less than stellar band teaming up with someone else to cover another less than stellar band. How astonishingly unappealing.
Gaping vagina may be going too far for LaBrie; he IS a competent singer, that much is hard to deny. Unfortunately his voice is akin to having magma poured into your ears.
This is from 5 years in a lifetime DVD.
The audio on the DVD is better.
As for JPs tone. It’s not his best but who knows what he is playing through in that club. I don’t think he is even playing through his own Rig.
It’s obviously not mixed with much thought.
It was a live gig at a small club. FOR FUN. Yes playing music can be fun and not about getting perfect recording tone.
You know say what you want about what Metallica has become, but you know you have a really famous band when members of two other famous bands from two completely different metal genres get toghether to cover your stuff.
man I forgot that stuff was on the DVD.
Labrie is ok, he just does not have the range that some of the other progressive singers do. He has gotten stronger the last few albums with the help of his vocal trainer.
The recent ystejam ‘bootleg’ releases and instrumental Black Clouds & Silver Linings demonstrates that the band recognizes a number of their fans enjoy their music without the vocal accompaniment.
Old video, but it’s a good one. Probably going to check out the rest of the DVD sometime.
One easy word:
awesome
Barney looks ridiculous with long hair. Epic cover.
Ironically, from the rumors I’ve heard, James LaBrie is into extreme metal like Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death.
In DT’s liner notes for Awake, they list the usual prog metal suspects and then Napalm Death for some reason. Now we know why.