Metal Musicians Team Up for Hardcore ‘I Would Die 4 U’ Cover
No matter how many Prince covers you’ve heard — and there are plenty to choose from — you’ve probably never heard anything quite like this blistering new hardcore rendition of “I Would Die 4 U,” spearheaded by Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe and a slew of other metal and hardcore stalwarts.
The bludgeoning cover of the Purple Rain single comes courtesy of Two Minutes to Late Night, the heavy metal-themed talk show and YouTube channel. “I Would Die 4 U” marks the 41st installment of their ongoing “Bedroom Covers” series, which typically invites modern metal acts to cover rock and pop legends such as the Rolling Stones, Rush and Bjork, to name a very select few.
Aside from Blythe, the “I Would Die 4 U” cover also features members of other prominent hardcore and metal bands including Gorilla Biscuits, Harm's Way and Dillinger Escape Plan.
If you go into this cover with no context, it may be difficult to identify exactly what you’re hearing at first. It’s chock-full of explosive breakdowns, dissonant guitar squeals and massive, larynx-shredding gang vocals. Once your ears adapt though, the song’s unmistakable, infectious chorus cuts through all the chaos. It’s enough to make a headbanger out of the staunchest skeptic.
The “Bedroom Covers” are fueled by Patreon donations. Each artist who participated in “I Would Die 4 U” donated their fee to Dallas Hope Charities, whose mission is “providing food, shelter, and services that instill dignity, stability, and hope for all.”
We can’t help but think a wildly inventive polymath like Prince would appreciate the ingenuity of this cover.
You can listen to Blythe and Co.'s hardcore Prince cover below.
Hear Randy Blythe and Co.'s Hardcore Cover of Prince's 'I Would Die 4 U'