IDLES are the latest act to share a Metallica cover as part of the expansive 52-track tribute album, The Metallica Blacklist. The English post-punk band have optioned a version of “The God That Failed”, making them the first act thus far on the Blacklist to cover that song.
It’s taken, as with all the songs on the compilation, from Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album – best known as The Black Album. IDLES version was was produced by Mark Bowen, IDLES’ lead guitarist. You can check it out below.
“The God That Failed” is the fifth single IDLES have released in 2021. Coincidentally, it is also their third cover of 2021 – following their version of Sharon Van Etten‘s “Peace Signs” and their take on Gang of Four‘s “Damaged Goods”.
Both singles were released as part of bigger projects: Van Etten’s Epic Ten, which saw her enlist seven acts to cover the songs from her 2010 debut album Epic; and Gang of Four’s The Problem of Leisure, which saw the band’s surviving members put together a tribute album for the late Andy Gill.
Outside of covers, the band also shared a previously-unreleased new song, “Sodium”, as part of the soundtrack album for the DC Comic Dark Nights: Death Metal. The band also shared a remix of their 2020 single “Model Village”, featuring a new verse and vocals from rapper slowthai.
The full Metallica Blacklist tribute album is set for release on September 10. Other acts who have contributed to the project include St. Vincent, Biffy Clyro, Phoebe Bridgers, Mac DeMarco, Weezer, Rina Sawayama and Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor.
The Metallica Blacklist is a fitting and limitless homage, one that features bands who’ve shared stages with Metallica alongside artists who are younger than the original album. It’s a truly staggering, at times mystifying assemblage of musicians, dozens of whom have little to nothing in common other than the shared passion for the music that’s united them for this album: 1 Album. 12 Songs. 53 Artists. Unlimited Possibilities.
