Mustard Gas and Roses, otherwise known as M.G.R, the side project of Michael Gallagher formerly of defunct post-metal band Isis, covered Joy Division’s “Exercise One” on their new EP We Are One. The cover leans on overdriven guitar twisting the song into a more metal framework. The heavy guitar pushes open the song like a large wall of sound, with each guitar part given a different voice, adding to the creeping melody.
When Gallagher’s baritone vocals begin, the guitar takes a backseat and lets the deep vocals give gravity to the thick arrangement. Mustard Gas and Roses does a good job at filling in the full sonic range of this song to make it sound bigger. The melody is hazier with the blending of all the instrumentals, but the vocals are crisper giving a modernized feel to a song by a classic rock band.
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