“Battery” is the opening track of Metallica’s classic Master of Puppets. Taking a cue from Ride the Lightning‘s “Fight Fire with Fire,” “Battery” uses the then unusual (in thrash metal) tactic of starting with a slow acoustic opening before the pummeling begins.
Esodic are a Jordanian thrash metal band who have been together for over 20 years. Because of where they are from, they have not released a lot of music over this period, managing only a few singles and EPs. After some lineup changes, they moved to LA and so they are able to make more music now.
Esodic begin their cover with an acoustic intro, much like with Metallica’s intro. But the difference is they use traditional Arabic instruments, the oud and the qanun, backed with various percussion. And these instruments continue playing when the guitars, bass and drums first come in, playing that same melody from the acoustic intro.
When the song takes off, it is very much prime Metallica at first. But there are two big differences from the original. First, the oud and qanun pop back into the mix repeatedly. Secondly, the vocals on this version are much harsher and more growly than James Hetfield’s original. (The vocals are provided by one of their newer American members.)
The cover ends with a particularly brutal climax featuring blast drumming and screaming growls. It’s both a fitting tribute to the power and inspiration of classic Metallica and a nice arabesque spin on their sound. Check it out:
