There’s something undeniably satisfying about a heavy metal band taking a song from another genre—folk, pop, soft rock, whatever—and cranking it up to eleven. It’s like watching a polite kid from the suburbs suddenly walk into school with a mohawk and a leather jacket. You respect the transformation.

Today, we’re diving headfirst into one of my favorite musical subgenres: metal covers of non-metal songs. Not just any covers—I’m talking about those brilliant, sometimes baffling reimaginings that take something soft, sweet, or groovy and inject it with a face-melting dose of riffs, growls, and double-kick fury.

Breadfan: The Gateway Drug

For me, it all started with Metallica’s cover of “Breadfan”. Now, to be fair, the original by Budgie isn’t exactly a ballad—it’s got some bite—but there’s no denying it has that ’70s rock bounce. Then Metallica got ahold of it and said, “What if we set this on fire?” The result is a ferocious, unrelenting version that sounds like it’s actively trying to fight you. I was hooked.

Whiskey in the Jar (Or: Metallica Teaches History)

While we’re on the subject of Metallica, we have to talk about their cover of “Whiskey in the Jar”. Most people associate it with Thin Lizzy, and that version’s a classic in its own right. But Metallica took this 1700s Irish drinking song, threw it in a pit of distortion, and somehow made it feel both ancient and modern at the same time. It’s historical violence, with solos.

Type O Negative: Gloom and Doom, but Make It a Cover

Type O Negative is one of those bands that could cover Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and make it sound sexy, spooky, and slightly dangerous. Their renditions of “Cinnamon Girl” and “Summer Breeze” walk this perfect line—they’re instantly recognizable, but soaked in that gothic doom-metal glaze that only Peter Steele and company could deliver. It’s like someone took your favorite yacht rock song and played it at Dracula’s funeral. Beautiful.

Smooth Criminal? More Like Slam Criminal

You can’t talk about metal covers without bringing up Alien Ant Farm’s “Smooth Criminal”. Is it technically metal? Maybe not by purist standards—but come on, it had crunchy guitars, angry drums, and they made Michael Jackson sound like he could headline Ozzfest. That’s a win.

Cars, But Make It a Death Machine

Fear Factory’s cover of “Cars” by Gary Numan is another gem. They kept the robotic vibe of the original, but injected it with industrial menace. It’s like the song evolved from a synthy hatchback into a steel-plated war rig from Mad Max.

October Noir: Wicked and Wonderful

And then there’s October Noir, who tackled Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and gave it that lush, brooding, romantic metal vibe. It’s somehow heavier and more emotional than the original. Bonus points for making me feel like I should be slow dancing under a blood moon.

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Metal: The Great Equalizer

Here’s the thing—metal has this weird magical ability to metal-ify anything. You could take a nursery rhyme, and if the riff is right, the drums are loud, and someone screams just enough, it’ll sound awesome. There’s something about the genre that’s both malleable and deeply expressive. You can respect the original song while also giving it a whole new life—sometimes a better life.

So now I want to hear from you—what are your favorite metal covers of non-metal songs? Drop your suggestions in the comments, and I’ll build the ultimate playlist of genre-bending, riff-laden transformations.

Bonus points if you find one so obscure or ridiculous that it makes me spit out my coffee.