Doc Coyle Makes His Solo Debut by Channeling Michael Douglas in Cover of Aerosmith’s “Livin’ On The Edge”
Let’s just get this right out into the open — God Forbid and Bad Wolves guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle is talented as fuck. Not only can he shred, but this dude is a damn good singer, a stellar podcast host, and an excellent former MetalSucks columnist, if I do say so myself. Blend all that with the fact that he’s down to Earth and a fellow Jersey guy? Fuhgeddaboudit.
So when he reached out a couple days ago to give a heads up that he’s putting out his first release as a solo artist with a cover of Aerosmith‘s 1993 hit “Livin’ On The Edge”, you bet your ass it was getting covered on this site.
Officially released earlier today, Coyle’s take on the song manages to keep some of the original’s charm intact while infusing a more modern edge. This isn’t a cookie cutter cover — Coyle did what every good cover needs to do and made it his own, complete with chunky riffs and some added heft to his vocals.
In addition to guitars and lead vocals, Coyle also programmed the drums and synths found on the track. To fill out the sound, he got his Bad Wolves bandmate Kyle Konkiel to play bass and add some screaming to the mix.
As for why he chose to cover Aerosmith, Coyle said it naturally comes from his love of the band and memories of growing up with MTV in the ’90s.
“The story of how I came to cover Aerosmith’s classic tune “Livin’ On The Edge” is a peculiar one. I am a massive Aerosmith fan, but as an avid teenage MTV viewer, I truly identify with the records they made during the 90s. During the pandemic, I recorded an instrumental of the song for Bad Wolves, but we didn’t have a singer. It was suggested that I lay down vocals for the song. I was intimidated but also enthused by the opportunity. Ultimately the band did not want to release the song, so I decided to keep it for myself.”
Meanwhile the video, directed by Myles Erfurth, sees Coyle channeling Michael Douglas’ performance in the classic 1993 psychological thriller Falling Down — only instead of letting one bad day push him deeper into darkness, he finds himself in pleasant scenarios with the people he meets along the way. Just like the music itself, it’s a great riff on the source material that manages to highlight the kind of guy Coyle seems to be.
Looking back on the process that led to today’s release, Coyle said he felt compelled to give it a shot, even though he admitted that a solo stint was never really a consideration.
“Making this song and video has been a real passion project of mine. I’ve never seen myself as a solo artist and I’m not even sure if I still do. What I do know is there is something that told me to make this, and is telling me to make sure people can hear and see it to the best of my ability. And like everything else I do – give it 100%. Whether 10 people or a million people check it out, this feels fun and special, and I just hope those who do experience the song get something out of it.”
Coyle may be heading out on his own as a solo artist with this Aerosmith cover, but that doesn’t mean he’s finished kicking ass in God Forbid and Bad Wolves. On the contrary. Bad Wolves recently announced that they’re touring with Pop Evil later this year. You can check out those dates down below.
Oh and don’t forget that God Forbid’s playing the upcoming Metal Injection Festival in Brooklyn next month. They’ll be playing a special Gone Forever set, so you definitely don’t want to miss that, so get your tickets today.
Bad Wolves & Pop Evil Tour
11/6 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
11/7 Pittsburgh, PA Roxian
11/8 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
11/9 Albany, NY Empire
11/10 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
11/12 Cleveland, OH TempleLive
11/13 Indianapolis, IN Vogue
11/14 St Louis, MO Red Flag
11/15 Huntsville, AL Mars Music Hall
11/16 Mobile, AL Soul Kitchen
11/17 Tuscaloosa, AL Druid City
11/19 Fort Smith, AR TempleLive
11/20 Wichita, KS TempleLive
11/22 Springfield, MO Gillioz
11/23 Milwaukee, WI Rave II
11/24 Omaha, NE Admiral
11/26 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl
11/27 Ft Wayne, IN Piere’s
11/29 Columbus, OH The Bluestone
11/30 Lexington, KY Manchester Music Hall
