Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Midweek Music Box: Heavy Metal 8-bit Covers



Yes Virginia, there is a Metal Claus, and he is here to rock--in 8-bit, chip tune awesomeness!  Heavy metal can come in all forms from your standard head banging ball, to Sir Christopher Lee rocking out some Christmas tunes:

Image result for heavy metal NES
Seriously, this is a real thing! An awesomely real thing! Check it out!

So let's do something a little different for Midweek Music Box. Let's take time to recognize a few chip tune covers of some of the best (but by no means not all) of what heavy metal music has to offer. I don't need to really say too much of the songs themselves; however I will offer my brief thoughts on what I like about them. At the end of this article, please click the links leading to the artists behind these interpretations; 8 Bit Universe and Omnigrad.

Enter Sandman:

Enter Sandman 8 Bit by 8 Bit Universe

Let's start with Metallica, because of course we're going to start with Metallica! Practically everything they put out is instantly classic metal. Wouldn't this make epic last stage music? I mean seriously, the driving rhythm Enter Sandman would kick all sorts of butt. If you kept losing lives and had to restart said final level, wouldn't it be worth it to hear this track from the beginning? I hate losing and starting over in games, but sometimes the music makes it tolerable. A loop of this as I try to reach the end boss? Yes please.


Symphony of Destruction:

Symphony of Destruction 8-bit by Omnigrad

Again more, music that would rock in some form of a last stage for a game. Maybe part two of said stage? It's a little more "mellow" in comparison to the Enter Sandman 8-bit, but really, it works not just as an interpretation, but as something you can see as a calm before the storm situation. Not that Symphony of Destruction is calm mind you, just it gets you pumped in the right way.



Du Hast:
Du Hast 8 Bit by 8 Bit Universe



By itself, Du Hast stands as a heavy metal song for the ages. Transformed into an 8-bit track, this track sounds so much like it belongs in a boss battle. I've always had a love for rhythm of this song, and it is no less glorious in 8-bit. If some one were to do a game mod or 8-bit homage game, I'd want this to appear as the music for the final boss battle of the game.



Final Thoughts:

Seriously, as I listen to these various interpretations, I feel like they all belong in final stage of some unpublished NES game. As I said before, we need a game mod or some 8-bit style game where these things are featured. Not only do the individuals who did the 8-bit interpretations deserve credit for their tribute, but they deserve credit for making tunes I'd love to hear in a video game. In my music review for Blackthorne, I mentioned everything about the tunes conveyed that heavy metal feel. Obviously this is true more-so with actual heavy metal tunes turned into chiptunes, but it's worth mentioning because of how well the tunes have been done here. I instinctively know they are songs I've heard before. However, I can't help but picture a game like Mega Man where you progress through Dr. Wily stages at the end of the game, or maybe a Ghosts N' Goblins-esque game where you fight the devil himself.  

So big shout out to the artists of these songs who deserve your follow on Twitter, YouTube, or cash when they've made the track available for download:

8 Bit Universe Info:


Du Hast 8 bit available HERE FOR DOWNLOAD

Enter Sandman 8 bit available HERE FOR DOWNLOAD


Omnigrad* Info:



*User hasn't uploaded anything new in two months, but their other stuff is pretty awesome. Check out their channel, increase their view count, and maybe they'll make more!

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