Since their formation in the 1980s, Metallica has inspired artists from all different kinds of genres. The band’s wildly successful self-titled album is about to turn 30 and to celebrate, Metallica asked some contemporary musicians to take on covers of their music for the benefit album The Metallica Blacklist. So far, Miley Cyrus teamed up with Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith for a rendition of “Nothing Else Matters.” Now, St. Vincent and Jason Isbell try their hand at very different versions of Metallica’s track “Sad But True.”
For her cover, St. Vincent performed with grumbling guitars, crashing snares, and a throaty lyrical delivery reminiscent of a Nine Inch Nails song. But for Jason Isbell’s version, the musician took the song in a very different direction. Rather than emulating a ’90s alt-rock sound, Isbell transformed the track into a jangly country ballad.
About his cover, Isbell wrote: “Pretty proud of how this turned out. I hoped the song would work as a Hill Country stomper, and I do believe it did. So much fun.”
Along with St. Vincent and Jason Isbell, some of the other musicians who appear on 53-track The Metallica Blacklist include Mac DeMarco, Rina Sawayama, Weezer, Pup, Corey Taylor, Cage The Elephant, J Balvin, Moses Sumney, The Neptunes, Portugal The Man, Phoebe Bridgers, My Morning Jacket, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Idles, and Kamasi Washington. Along with sharing music, each of the artists have been invited to choose a different charity that a portion of the proceeds from the LP will be donated to.
Listen to St. Vincent and Jason Isbell’s “Sad But True” Metallica covers above.
The Metallica Blacklist is out 9/10 via Blackened Recordings. Pre-order it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.