SHADOWS FALL BARK AT THE SHRINE OF JAKE E. LEE

No riff is as tasty as an ’80s metal riff (pick one) and the Shadows Fall tandem of Matt Bachand and Jon Donais are two of the tastiest classic-style riffers in metal today. Put the two together and you’ve got Kobra Kai, an ’80s cover supergroup that also features current and ex-members of Fates Warning, All That Remains and Dark Day Sunday. So it couldn’t’ve been much of a stretch for Bachand and Donais to take their passion for ’80s metal to the big leagues by covering a song with one of the tastiest riffs ever, “Bark at the Moon;” shit, they probably already knew it.

Apparently the Shads’ cover of the Ozzy classic has been burning up the radio charts of late, but I hadn’t heard it until this live video landed in my inbox. I like how for the most part it’s a straight cover but Bachand and Donais still infuse hints of their distinct Shadows Fallian guitar style into Jake E. Lee’s masterful riffage. And while Brian Fair ain’t the best singer on the block, he sure sounds better than Ozzy “teleprompter” Osbourne these days… and he remembers the lyrics, too. Yes, folks, this is how it’s done. Yes yes, ya’ll.

-VN