Top 10 Covers Of Metallica Songs

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Metallica’s influence reaches far beyond thrash metal, which is why artists from very different corners of rock and metal have covered their songs. This list looks at ten covers that either stay close to the originals or reshape them to fit the artist performing them.

# 10 – For Whom the Bell Tolls – Sabaton

Sabaton recorded “For Whom the Bell Tolls” as a bonus track for their 2014 album Heroes. Produced by Peter Tägtgren, the cover was a natural choice for a band whose music often focuses on war and military history. Sabaton keeps the weight of Metallica’s original while pushing it toward the larger, more martial sound associated with their own records.

Read More: Top 10 Sabaton Songs

# 9 – No Remorse – Diamond Head

Diamond Head covered “No Remorse” on Lightning to the Nations 2020, their 40th-anniversary re-recording of the album that helped influence Metallica in the first place. The expanded release included four covers, with “No Remorse” creating a neat full-circle moment after Metallica had spent decades covering Diamond Head songs such as “Am I Evil?” Diamond Head keeps the song aggressive while giving it the sound of the band that helped shape Metallica’s early riff-driven style.

Read More: Top 10 Diamond Head Songs

# 8 – Ride the Lightning – Halestorm

Halestorm included “Ride the Lightning” on the 2017 ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz, the recording keeps the speed and heavy guitar attack of Metallica’s original while putting Lzzy Hale’s voice at the center. The song’s death-row perspective gives Hale plenty of room to lean into its tension without changing what made the original work.

# 7 – Sad But True – The HU

The HU released their cover of “Sad But True” in December 2020. Sung in Mongolian, the version combines Metallica’s slow, crushing riff with the throat singing and traditional instruments that define The HU’s sound. Instead of simply recreating the original, the band makes the song sound completely at home within its own style.

# 6 – The Thing That Should Not Be – Primus

Primus recorded “The Thing That Should Not Be” for their 1998 Rhinoplasty release. Despite the band’s reputation for eccentric arrangements, their version stays surprisingly close to Metallica’s slow and ominous original. Les Claypool’s bass and vocal style still make the recording unmistakably Primus without turning the song into a novelty.

# 5 – Disposable Heroes – Dream Theater

Dream Theater performed Metallica’s entire Master of Puppets album at Razzmatazz in Barcelona on February 19, 2002, including “Disposable Heroes.” The performance was later remastered and officially released in 2021 as Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Master of Puppets – Live in Barcelona, 2002. Dream Theater stays close to Metallica’s arrangement while bringing the precision of John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, John Myung, Jordan Rudess, and James LaBrie to the song.

# 4 – Creeping Death – Stone Sour

Stone Sour covered “Creeping Death” on their 2015 EP Meanwhile in Burbank…, a five-song collection devoted entirely to covers. Corey Taylor attacks the vocal with his own heavier delivery while the band keeps the main structure and thrash drive of Metallica’s original. It is a straightforward cover, but that directness works for a song built around one of Metallica’s most recognizable riffs and live chants.

Read More: Stone Sour Songs Ranked

# 3 – Nothing Else Matters – Miley Cyrus featuring WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith

Miley Cyrus released her version of “Nothing Else Matters” in 2021 for The Metallica Blacklist. The recording brings together WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith behind Cyrus’ lead vocal. The unusual lineup pulls the song away from a standard metal cover and emphasizes the ballad underneath Metallica’s original arrangement.

# 2 – Don’t Tread on Me – Volbeat

Volbeat recorded “Don’t Tread on Me” for The Metallica Blacklist in 2021. Michael Poulsen said the band deliberately chose a song they could transform into a Volbeat track, using the swing already present in Metallica’s original as the starting point. The result keeps the song heavy while bringing in the rhythmic feel that separates Volbeat from a straight thrash-metal band.

# 1 – Enter Sandman – Motörhead

Motörhead’s version of “Enter Sandman” was recorded in 1998 for the ECW: Extreme Music compilation and was later brought back to streaming services with an official video in 2023. Lemmy’s unmistakable vocal makes the song sound rougher and dirtier than Metallica’s polished original, which suits the ECW setting perfectly. It is a simple idea—one legendary heavy band taking on another—and that is exactly why it works as our number one choice.