The five best covers of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’
Bands can approach the complex nature of protest music in a number of different ways. Some take a grounded approach, others look at the big picture, some lean on the delicate side of sound, and others destroy barriers with distortion and chaos. We could debate for hours about what the best protest songs are, or we could just save our breath and admit they’re ‘I Can’t Write Left Handed’, ‘What’s Going On?’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’.
Here, we will focus specifically on the latter, as Black Sabbath’s anti-war song is one of the most iconic, destructive and resonating tracks ever written. Everything about it is drenched in rebellion; from Tony Iommi’s heavy guitar lines, Geezer Butler’s damning bass, Bill Ward’s banging percussion or Ozzy Osbourne’s infectious vocals, every single second of the track feels like the sound of revelation, bottled, shaken and smashed.
There is a lot about Black Sabbath which is iconic, as they were one of the main building blocks of heavy metal; however, this song is one of the most pivotal moments in their discography. Because of the weight it carries, many others have tried covering the track to prove they are worthy of the words of Sabbath, but few of them have succeeded in nailing it.
That being said, there are some exceptions. Many bands have been up to the task, putting their own spin on the song while still respecting Sabbath’s original. These are five of the greatest covers of ‘War Pigs’ out there.
The greatest covers of ‘War Pigs’
T-Pain
Yes, who would have thought that you would see T-Pain at the top of this list? Well, the correct answer is anybody who has been paying attention. While the vocalist might be famous for his use of autotune on R&B tracks such as ‘Bartender’ and ‘Booty Wurk’, he showed on his album On Top of the Covers just how powerful his vocals actually are.
While this album has plenty of great covers, the most exciting and surprising track on there is ‘War Pigs’. T-Pain hits those hard-to-reach notes without breaking a sweat and manages to add an element of grit into his voice that complements the heavy metal nature of the song. Not to mention, his backing band nailed the instrumental from start to finish. If you haven’t heard this cover, do yourself a favour and get on top of it as quickly as possible.
Jack Black
While Jack Black’s rendition of this track might just be a quick snippet on a talk show, it’s always nice to be reminded that one of the funniest men on the planet is also one of the greatest vocalists in rock. If there is anybody who can come close to matching both the charisma and vocal capability of Ozzy Osbourne, it’s Black.
From the moment he utters the song’s first line, it becomes clear that Black has everything under control and is ready to make those iconic vocals his own. His ability to make challenging singing sound effortless is a talent few artists can flaunt.
Post Malone, Slash, Chad Smith and Chris Chaney
Talk about a supergroup. Post Malone is steadily cementing himself as an incredibly versatile artist; whether it’s rapping, fronting Nirvana, singing country or performing his own rendition of ‘War Pigs’ alongside some of the biggest names in rock, there doesn’t seem to be a challenge that he isn’t up for.
Alongside Post Malone, you have instrumentation from some of the best names in rock. The way Slash dominates elongated guitar solos on this song is head-spinning. He takes the already excellent guitar work of Tony Iommi and makes it his own while also still paying homage to the work of Iommi; it is a truly amazing spectacle.
Brass Against
Is there anything that could make the sound of ‘War Pigs’ come across even bigger? Yeah, you’re right, a full brass band. While this cover might not be to everyone’s taste, especially those loyal to the heavy metal nature of Black Sabbath, the huge impact that Brass Against makes with this track is a real spectacle.
Their rendition is true to the song’s original sound but with some more instruments added. It feels like the original on steroids. Everyone is over the top and exaggerated, making for a chaotic, melodic, and full-bodied listen.
Ruthie Foster
A lot of what makes ‘War Pigs’ such a good protest song is that it’s drenched in heavy metal. The track’s violent nature is reflective of the violence it stands against. As such, many artists who try to take the song and put their own spin on it, which is removed from metal, often end up falling flat. Ruthie Foster is an exception to this rule.
While the drums in her song are a bit more funk-driven, and the introduction of harmonicas and steel string guitar gives it a more folk/blues influence, all of the elements come together incredibly well. Foster’s dynamic vocals also mean that there are still plenty of emotions contained in the cover.
