Hardcore band Show Me the Body released their own version of the Beastie Boys classic “Sabotage”. This version features a heavier sound than the original with heavier drums in the intro that pound through the speakers. Julian Pratt’s raspy vocals in this tie in the hardcore punk feel to a classic.
The video itself fades in and out between concert footage and footage of protests. The music video makes frequent references to an ongoing war between Armenia and Azerbaijan that resumed years ago when Azerbaijan seized land previously under Armenian control.
The entire theme of the video is defiance and to call out corrupt systems in government, just the same as the song all those years ago. The scenes of protests often depict protesters throwing things at military and police forces while also being pushed back by riot shields. In the middle of the video an Armenian soldier appears on screen with the words “the war is not over” on the bottom of the screen while the video cuts to a shot of a turned over tank still proudly flying its flag overtop. It is important to remember that this song was written as, and again is performed here as political commentary made from the band to the greater public.
Just after the song’s 30th anniversary last year, Show Me the Body looked to deliver a hardcore version of a 90s classic while still paying homage to the original, they did just that. Whether or not you may have heard of Show Me the Body, “Sabotage” is a universally known song that would also serve as a great jumping off point for a deeper dive into the band and their discography.
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