Kerr’s approach seems more melodic than James Hetfield’s unapologetic growl, adding to the sonic contrast in the song further as the vocals flow between the bass and the drums rather than competing with them. Their cover also differs from the original in its vocal style. The tone of the bass seems more open and higher-pitched in these sections, sounding very aggressive and almost mechanical, especially over the lower rumble of the background riff. After deciding that Kirk Hammett’s on the original were ‘truly untouchable,’ Kerr ‘reimagined’ them in his own style which creates some great variation and modernity. The main change Royal Blood have made to ‘Sad But True’ is reworking solos. The song’s signature element makes the track feel increasingly powerful when the onslaught resumes This feature is accented by the muted strums on the lowest string of the bass in time with the snare drum which the duo have placed higher in the mix than Metallica did, advancing the overall heavy and hostile sound. The song’s signature element, sudden stoppages followed by explosive snare rolls to bring it back in, creates a great variation in dynamics which makes the track feel increasingly powerful when the onslaught resumes. Thatcher’s high-powered drumming fronted by his fierce snare drum hits is the main contributor to the huge rock sound of the track and combines with the bass to give it its pulsing feel. This feat appears more impressive when it is considered that the Brighton outfit only has two members compared to Metallica’s four. Mike Kerr’s pedal augmented bass guitar renders the already low-pitched riffs more intimidating and voluminous, which in conjunction with Ben Thatcher’s ferocious percussion creates an immensely powerful sound that rivals that of the original. This seems to be a wise choice, as the track’s heaving and driving melodies and thunderous drumming make it similar to the band’s own style, especially on their first two albums. On their version of ‘Sad But True’ however, Royal Blood have stayed close to Metallica’s formula while adding a few signature touches to great success.
In some contributions to The Metallica Blacklist, a compilation of covers from Metallica’s The Black Album to celebrate its 30 th anniversary, artists have reworked tracks to their own style and genre, leaving some almost unrecognisable.
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