Photo: By José Miguel Rosas (Flickr: H&H Metal Fest 2014) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
In 2014, thrash metal band Butcher Babies recorded a cover of the song”They’re Coming To Take Me Away,” and released it on their EP Uncovered. Gone from the track was the novelty aspect of Jerry Samuel’s original version. The band’s thrash metal sound easily captured the inherent insanity of the song’s original lyrical ideas and delivered it withe a “grab you by the throat and listen to me attitude.” The band’s Frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, performances on the song echoed the familiar grounds of old school Alice Cooper theatrics. Yet,there is a freshness to the sound of the band clearly inspired by the works of musical groups such as Pantera and Slipknot. While the recording is dynamic, the video really captured the essence of the song and the intent behind the remake.
Butcher Babies are a relatively new band that have taken the metal world by storm over the past few years. The band released two EPs Uncovered in 2104 and Butcher Babies in 2012. The band has also two full length albums to their credit. Their first full length record Goliath was issued in 2012. Their latest full length released entitled Take It Like A Man was released in 2015.
While bands like Pantera, Slayer, Metallica, and Marilyn Manson have clearly served as an inspiration for the band, the group has mentioned in many articles that it was Wendy O Williams of the Plasmatics that served as their greatest inspiration. In fact the name of the band was taken from the Plasmatics song “Butcher Baby.”
The band Butcher Babies feature Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey on lead vocals, Jason Klein on bass, Henry Flury on guitar, and Chris Warner on drums. The band hails from Los Angles California.
The original version of They’re Coming To Take Me Away by Napolean XIV
Updated Jan 7, 2021
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The Butcher Babies have butchered a classic paranoia tune. Their version just sounds loud, ugly too rehearsed and plastic. It’s all show. I find the original version to be actually scarier. It bleeds out a pathos that creeps into the dark regions of your subconscious and unlocks the existential dementia that is inherent in the absurdity of being alive. It’s not screaming at us like the Butcher Babies. It’s Napoleon screaming at his own situation. His own realization of betrayal, and disrespect. And don’t we all feel this way at one time? I know I have. But all of this could be interpreted as just a goof. Ultimately about a guy’s dog no less. Right? I don’t know. The insistent, insane marching beat and the ear candy in the original (like the background sirens and the echo) makes me think there is something else going on here. Napoleon tapped into a very demented, dare I say, melancholy place that is part of the the human condition many fear to dwell in. And he did it with only audio. Would the Butcher Babies version be as effective without the sexy visuals? Just sayin. One great thing about the Butcher Babies’ cover of this song is it may bring a whole new generation and audience to check out the 1966 version.