T-Pain’s Cover of “War Pigs” is Awesome and the Haters Need to Apologize

That headline probably pissed off metal purists and crusty ass gatekeepers everywhere but I do not give a shit. T-Pain’s cover of Black Sabbath‘s 1970 classic “War Pigs” — as the kids say — fucking slaps.

Uploaded on YouTube a few hours ago to coincide with the release of his covers album On Top of the Covers, the rapper and auto-tune aficionado’s take on Ozzy‘s style and delivery is spot on without being an exact carbon copy. The dude’s got vocal chops (as he always has) and at times it sounds like the British singer by way of Luther Vandross. And it’s without any use of auto-tune.

What really got me was the almost Faith No More-esque intro, which is great considering Mike Patton and the boys famously covered “War Pigs” on The Real Thing back in the early 90s. T-Pain’s cover also takes some liberties with the guitar solos and where they’re placed within the song at times, making it an interesting listen to anyone intimately familiar with the original song. It’s close enough to the original, yet manages to diverge enough from that source material to make it his own. It’s wildly fun to listen to.

This rendition of “War Pigs” isn’t the only rock song he’s got on the album. He’s also got a version of Journey‘s “Don’t Stop Believin’” that absolutely kicks ass as well. It’s so fun to hear these songs done in a genuinely unique way by an artist that doesn’t traditionally operate in the rock or metal space.

While the more gatekeepy edge lords among us will complain that it’s making one of our more beloved songs and turning it into a pop song, I’d say that’s a good thing. Maybe these tracks grab someone who’s never listened to rock or metal and gets them to try it out. Maybe they become fans of our music and start coming to shows, leading to more money for bands and then everyone benefits. A real “rising tides raise all boats” kind of situation.

So yeah. Take a listen to the two tracks below, but pay particular attention to the “War Pigs” cover. It’s real fuckin’ good.