Lazywall, a Moroccan alternative rock band known for blending rock with traditional North African influences, released an Arabic cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” just two days ago (September 27, 2025). This version incorporates Arabic lyrics and instrumentation like the guembri (a traditional bass lute) alongside bass and vocals by band member Nao. It’s available on their official YouTube channel, with around 620 views and growing interest, including a reaction video from fans.

Apocalyptica (1998) An iconic cello-metal instrumental from Inquisition Symphony. As one of the earliest major covers, it’s a staple in classical-metal crossovers, with tens of millions of YouTube views.

Post Malone (2018) A stripped-down acoustic live cover performed on tour. Known for its heartfelt delivery, it bridges hip-hop and rock, amassing significant online buzz and views.

Gregorian (1999) A Gregorian chant-style version from Masters of Chant. This ethereal tribute transforms the ballad into a meditative piece, popular in ambient and crossover playlists.

Staind (2003) A heavy acoustic-rock cover performed for MTV Icon: Metallica. Aaron Lewis’s gritty vocals make it a staple in nu-metal tributes, with enduring popularity.

Bif Naked (2002) A punk-rock cover with raw energy, from her album Purge. It’s a high-energy tribute popular in alternative rock circles.

Die Krupps (1997) An industrial-metal version from The Final Remixes. One of the oldest covers, it adds electronic aggression, appealing to industrial fans.

First to Eleven (2020) A full-band rock cover with female vocals, gaining traction on YouTube for its faithful yet fresh energy. It’s frequently cited in fan lists of best modern takes.

My Morning Jacket (2021) A psychedelic-rock reworking from The Metallica Blacklist, with dreamy guitars and vocals. It’s highlighted for its creative deviation from the original.

Lucie Silvas (2005) A pop-acoustic single from Breathe In, which charted in Europe (e.g., top 40 in the Netherlands). It’s a softer, radio-friendly homage that emphasizes the song’s romantic lyrics.

Chris Stapleton (2021) A soulful country-acoustic take from The Metallica Blacklist, praised for its raw vocals and emotional depth. Fans often call it superior to the original in discussions, with strong streaming numbers.

Phoebe Bridgers (2021) An indie-folk reinterpretation from The Metallica Blacklist, featuring haunting vocals and minimal production. It’s celebrated for its introspective vibe and appeals to alternative audiences.

Steve’n’Seagulls (2015) A bluegrass-folk live cover with banjos and quirky instrumentation. Known for its humorous yet skillful viral appeal, it has millions of YouTube views.

Darius Rucker (2021) A country-rock version from The Metallica Blacklist, blending Rucker’s soulful voice with twangy guitars. It’s a fan favorite in country-metal crossovers.

Dave Gahan (2021) An electronic-tinged take from The Metallica Blacklist by the Depeche Mode frontman. It’s a dark, synth-driven homage that stands out for its new wave influence.

Macy Gray (2001) A soulful, jazzy rendition emphasizing emotional delivery. Featured in various compilations, it’s noted for its unique vocal stylings and R&B twist.

Mon Laferte (2021) A Latin-infused ballad from The Metallica Blacklist, sung in Spanish with passionate vocals. It brings cultural diversity to the tributes.

Dermot Kennedy (2021) An acoustic-folk cover from The Metallica Blacklist, focusing on intimate storytelling. Popular for its modern singer-songwriter approach.

Mickey Guyton (2021) A country-soul version from The Metallica Blacklist, with powerful vocals and emotional resonance. It’s a standout for its genre-blending tribute.

Shakira (2011) A live medley blending “Nothing Else Matters” with her song “Despedida” from The Sun Comes Out World Tour. The emotional, bilingual performance highlights her vocal range and has garnered millions of views.

Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, Chad Smith (2021) From The Metallica Blacklist, this star-studded rock-pop rendition blends piano, cello, and orchestral elements for a dramatic reimagining. It’s one of the most high-profile tributes, with millions of streams and views.

Similar to her artistic creations, the EP is heavily influenced by her Spanish heritage. Traditional Spanish music alongside America’s long history of Latin pop marks the EP. Her dedication to experimentation and discovery, however, is pushing her beyond generic reproduction of the genre. That is mainly the case due to the tracks’ diversity in style, themes, and music, despite the EP consisting of only 5 tracks. 

Collaborating with producer Lloyd Miller of Spirit Song Studios for the EP, Michellar‘s lyrical focus alongside Miller’s dedication to producing positive and meaningful music, with Miller coming from a mainly faith-music background, underlines songs like Ave Maria. The song aims to take the traditional hymn beyond Christian exclusivity, imagining prayer without and beyond specific religions, making the song a mix between a prayer and metatext on what prayer can be. 

From there, the EP moves to traditional love songs with “Samba with Me” and “If It’s Only for One Night”, the latter a highlight of the EP. With a Spanish version set for release on the 25th this July, the song’s raw simplicity doesn’t hinder the mix of different cultural influences, between country and 70s/80s Spanish Music reminiscent of Julio Iglesias. Both songs share a certain summer-breeze quality that lovingly passes over the listener, bringing with it a sense of nostalgia to a long-gone time, a quality that can also be appreciated in the EP’s cover painting.

Harmoniously, the remaining tracks cover completely different grounds. “The Deep”, featuring Christina Rntd, is an existential interrogation of the self and an affirmation of freedom with a haunting, determined melody. On the other hand, “California Fields” distantly echoes Eagles’ “Hotel California” in both its musical style and its love-hate relationship with the city and the power it holds over all who enter, while adding a layer of ecological awareness that haunts the song, especially in light of the recent wildfires. 

Michellar‘s latest singles have prepared her well for her first EP. Diverse musically and thematically, Michelle also brings to it a history of artistic endeavors that leave their mark on the music’s soulfulness. In this manner, Michellar will prove herself to be as good a musician and songwriter as she is a painter. Light and emotionally sincere, the EP is a fitting soundtrack for our summer nights. 

A vibrant musical collective based in the heart of Houston, Texas, Ritmo Lokura is a band shock-full of talent and of style. ‘Te Lo Digo A Ti’ is the title of the group’s latest genre-defying single. A blend of reggae and latin music, with no small amount of soul, pop, and ska thrown in the mix. The results are electrifying and groovy.

During the song’s relatively normal runtime of little under 4 minutes, the group manage to squeeze in a sizable instrumental guitar intro that’s way too sweet and soulful for words to describe. Right afterwards the song begins to reveal its stylistic acrobatics. With a beat that’s solid and rocking, brushing off against the syncopated, upbeat-heavy rhythm guitar part, funky and tight, the song boldly shows off its lack of regard for conventional genre boundaries. A rather fruity organ part flows through the song, soloing to its heart’s content, adding a rather distinctive flavor to the fresh cocktail of sounds going alongside it. 

With its snappy drums, juicy bass, balanced guitar parts, and rather intricate build, ‘Te Lo Digo A Ti’ flows with extreme ease. Adding the rich latin vocals and ultra-charismatic horns to the mix only makes the song that much more special. A stunning release from Ritmo Lokura. 

With rhythmic changes in the songs and instrumental breaks keeping the listener interested, the chorus functions as a melodic anchor. Particularly prominent in the percussion, the drum and bass influence give the softer layers of funk and salsa a quick, almost frenzied vitality. These genre fusions remind me of previous genre-bending musicians like Santana, who similarly combined rock with Latin influences, or even The Mars Volta, with their experimental attitude to rhythm and structure.

“Glow” has classic as well as experimental instrumental options. Electric guitars drive the rock basis; their sharp, snappy riffs provide the song an edge. Congas and timbales, among other Latin percussions, fit perfectly with the conventional drum set to provide the track with the rich grooves and rhythmic intricacy needed in salsa music.

The careful instrument layering of the production is one of its strongest features. Whether it’s the percussion sections giving the song a joyous, festival-like air or the funky basslines supporting the music, the band doesn’t hold back when letting each component shine. Synthesizers and effects also have an electronic undercurrent, maybe about drum & bass and its electronic foundations. The music feels new yet classic because of this fine balance of acoustic and electronic components.

The vocals in “Glow” have soulfulness and power. Reminiscent of legendary Latin rock performers like Juanes or Charly García, the lead singer’s voice has a gritty yet warm sound. Although the message matches the intensity of the song, it also exudes jubilation and empowerment in tone.

Lyrically, the song’s theme is about inner light release and self-discovery. “Glow,” the recurring refrain, exhorts listeners to discover their shining qualities and share them with others. This universal message of self-empowerment takes on an especially joyful tone when matched with the dynamic instrumentation. 

The sound of TribalMixtura in “Glow” replies to the fusion techniques of musicians such as Carlos Santana, who likewise combined rock guitar work with Latin rhythms. Especially in the syncopated rhythms and bass-heavy grooves, the fusion of funk components also reminds one of bands like Jamiroquai. Still, the Brazilian “coco” influence lends the song a distinctive taste that distinguishes it from more popular Latin-rock fusion.

Though TribalMixtura keeps things more anchored in organic, live instrumentation, the modern touch added by the drum and bass undertones draws connections with electronic musicians like Roni Size or even Pendulum. Combining these genres makes “Glow” a genre-defying song attractive to listeners of Latin music, rock, and even electronic genres.

Though the band’s emphasis on asking “Everybody to Glow” implies that the visual parts of the song are probably as vivid and varied as the music itself, the review did not specifically address the music video. Reflecting the band’s worldwide influences, the music video may have strong images, vivid colors, and a cosmopolitan look.

Tribal Mixtura‘s “Glow” is a vivid celebration of sound and self-expression. The song is a remarkable mix of genres—rock, salsa, funk, drum & bass, and Brazilian coco—brought together with professional production and contagious enthusiasm. Perfectly complementing the joyful character of the music, the lyrics stress self-empowerment and inspire the listener to embrace their inner light.

Fans of genre-blending bands such as Santana, Jamiroquai, or The Mars Volta will find “Glow” to be an interesting listen that tests limits while nevertheless honoring its cultural heritage. A unique release in 2024, TribalMixtura has created a tune that not only inspires people to dance but also shines. 

Ahmed, can you tell more about how it all started?

I started playing drums at the age of 16 and my first experience was with Metal music, with all its variations like Rock, Black and death metal.

On the other hand my cousin Tamer Tawfik was a big reason for me to be a musician, he is an opera singer and he has always pushed me to listen to different kind of music like (Opera , Jazz, Latin, Tango and even Rock music.)

I’ve been in love with music ever since I was a kid and my mom was the first one who noticed that I’ll be a drummer because I’d stroke anything with spoons and forks haha, I don’t remember that exactly but she told me the whole story about it later. Finally I got my first drum kit when I was 16 years old, I started playing to all the songs that I know, like Hey You by Pink Floyd, Fade to black and Master of Puppets by Metallica and finally Trust and Symphony of destruction by Megadeath, then my cousin Tamer told me that he got an album for a drummer called Dave Weckl, I listened to him and I was shocked because he had a lot of variations in the same song and he is so creative with his grooves, from that moment on I decided to take drum lessons, to be able to play like him. My cousin recommended Mr. Muhammed Saa’d for me, he is the drummer of the Cairo opera house orchestra. I went to Muhammed and started my first drum lesson, but after 2 lessons Muhammed told me that we wouldn’t be able to keep going because he is very busy with his masters and studies, so I decided to keep going on my own with books & CDs.

4 years later, I went to Mr. Amr Yousef and he changed me completely. I started listening to Latin, Jazz and Fusion. I took 7 lesson with him. I don’t know why I used to take few sessions with every teacher. After this I went on my own way with more books, DVDs and CDs till this moment. One day, I went to watch Amr Yousef’s performance with Sahra, and I was attracted to the band’s trend with all its energy and variety in rhythms and styles, but due to some issues between Amr & Sahra, he left the band and he recommended me to them and of course I was very happy with this step because it would make me take out all my energy and ideas for the drumming. Now I am still with Sahra.

Why did you choose to play the drums?

First, it’s a gift from Allah. Second, I loved the beats and the rhythms more than anything because they gave me power more than any other instrument, but for sure I can’t deny that I am in love with the Guitar, Sax and Piano. Third, it looks so sexy on stage, haha, I am really in love with the view.

Ahmed, what genres of music do you play? and why did you choose these genres?

I have no specific kind of music but the kind I like playing most is Fusion because it lets me play different kind of beats and music at the same time, and I hate to be limited to one genre, because I like to play different variations in my music and in my drumming style. So let’s say world music, but sometimes when I’m home I like to play some death and thrash metal stuff for some bands like Lamb of God, Necrophagist, Decapitated, In Flames, Testament and Pantera. I know that I am crazy, but I really love this music.

What troubles did you face at the start? How did you face them?

Hm, my real troubles were all about drums, not my parents or my friends at all. Let’s begin with the sound: I wanted to get the sounds I heard from Dave Weckl especially and my favorite drummers in general, and for sure at that time I didn’t know anything about the kinds of woods or how to tune my drum kit, but after a while a very good friend of mine talked to me about these things, after that I got the Dave Weckl’s teaching video “Back To Basics.” On the other hand I had a very big problem with practicing and it was all about speed and goodness! I wanted to be a very fast drummer and very good too as quickly as possible, which was a very wrong idea of course, then I understood that I must take my time practicing and listening to many kinds of music to be that good, and I am working on it until now. 

Tell me about the bands you played with, the bands you are currently in and the first band you ever played with.

Man that’s a lot, but okay let’s start with the first band I played in, it was “HELIUM” we covered lots of artists, like Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Alice cooper, Annihilator and MEGADETH.

**Note: IT’S A CRAZY BAND.

I played with many local and international bands and projects. Let’s begin with the local bands: (Nagham Masry, The Riff band, Rashad Fahim, Salalem, Limousine, Sirens, and Forgotten Notes) and different international projects such as Music Matbakh, Darrell John Kennedy and Ruba Sakr who’s a singer from Jordan, and I have recorded an album with Yacoub, a bassist from Jordan.

My current bands are: Sahra, Eftikasat, The Percussion Show and The 19th band, who have a very strange formation, which is:

Guitars: Ousso and Marwan shaaban
Bass: Hameed Sabry.
Vocals: Amr Yehia, Adham Roshdy, Shehab and Shady Ahmed.
Drums: Me.

What was your feeling when you were on stage for the first time?

To be honest I don’t want to remember that day again in my life, (laughing) Look, it was a very strange feeling, I was so afraid, my legs couldn’t carry me, my blood pressure was dropping, but I can’t deny that this feeling went away after the second track we played, when the people began to interact with us, oh man that was a very hard day, thank God that day passed.

Did you ever expect that you would reach that level and be one of the best drummers in Egypt?

I didn’t expect this question from you, but anyway I always practice to be a good drummer, because I want to have my unique style in drumming, but to be honest I didn’t expect this position in this period of time, Thank God. 

How do you see the music scene in Egypt in general and the rock and metal scene in particular?

I am so happy for the evolution in the music scene in general, we now have many bands in Egypt playing different styles of music, and of course I am so happy with the efforts in festivals like Cairo Jazz Festival and S.O.S. Music Festival, and no one can deny all the efforts done by El Sawy Culturewheel. As For the rock and metal scene, I don’t know how they’re going now because I am so far from it with the bands I am in now, but I remember the last 2 concerts I played with Sirens and I think the metal concerts are much better than before, the respect for the musicians is much better and the organization of the concerts is very good and the venues are better than the old ones.

Who is your drummer idol?

Actually, I have some idols in my life which I really learned a lot from, the first is (MIKE PORTNOY) the drummer for (DREAM THEATER), he is my rock drummer idol and as for the other styles of music like Fusion or Jazz or Latin they are (Dave Weckl), (Dennis Chambers) and (Marco Minnemann)

What are your plans for the future?

Hmm, my plans for music are to practice more and more to be a very good drummer and musician and I hope that I can play in any of the international festivals. As for my personal life, I want be a helpful person and to be successful in my work.

What would you like to say about the music scene and to your fans?

For the music scene : “I am very proud of the current bands in the scene, you guys are really awesome and never stop it, never ever, and keep on going with more stuff and more different kinds of music.”

For my fans: “I am very happy to play to people like you, and to anyone who wants to be a musician or a drummer, never give up and always remember that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.”