Drummer Charlie Benante of Anthrax, guitarist Alex Skolnick of Testament and Suicidal Tendencies bassist Ra Diaz have teamed up once again for a remote video cover of a Rush classic. The trio were joined by Crobot vocalist Brandon Yeagley for their latest cover “Red Barchetta,” which originally appeared on Rush’s 1981 album Moving Pictures.
The group’s take on the progressive rock classic opens up softly with a sound that emulates the original, before their heavy metal take on the song kicks in. Diaz’s signature metal drumming matches well with the instrumentation, which juxtaposes the melodic elements of Rush with moments of aggressive guitar riffs, while Yeagley emulates Rush’s singer Geddy Lee’s vocal style.
The four had previously performed the cover of Rush’s “Freewill” earlier this year, which they covered alongside the Beastie Boys’ classic “Check Your Head.” Skolnick and Diaz had previously worked on the Rush covers “YYZ,” and “La Villa Strangiato.”
This latest cover was dedicated to the late Little Richard, the rock n roll pioneer who passed away two days ago. While Little Richard’s style of rock was quite different from Rush’s the band felt that he paved away for the group, and many other artists who emerged after him.
“It’s safe to say (and we’re sure the boys from Toronto would agree) that Little Richard blazed a trail for all of us with a force that perfectly fits the subject of ‘Red Barchetta’ – a high powered sports car from the same time period in which Little Richard was first emerging as an artist. This song is dedicated to him and we hope it brightens up your day,” Benante wrote in the YouTube description for the video.
Benante teamed up with Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, and his former Stormtroopers of Death bandmates Dan Lilker and Scott Ian for remote cover of Discharge’s “Doomsday” and “The Final Blood Bath” earlier this year. The Stormtroopers of Death bandmates also covered remote covers of the Stormtroopers of Death songs “Chromatic Death” and the introduction of “March of the S.O.D.” He also teamed up with Living Colour vocalist Corey Glover for a cover of Living Colour’s “Funny Vibe.”
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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