I cringed when I first heard that Cleopatra Records was releasing an all heavy metal covers album of classic Michael Jackson songs. My first thought was 'does this really have to happen?', but in the end, it's a reality so might as well deal with it. So, how does this assortment of metal singers & musicians do here you ask? Read on.
Testament's Chuck Billy lends his gruff delivery to a somewhat wooden yet dark take on "Thriller". It's not the most exciting way to start this set, but it does the trick for setting the tone. Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria struggles to hit the high notes on "Man in the Mirror", and despite some acrobatic bass from Billy Sheehan, the arrangement isn't all that exciting either. The first real home run here is "The Way You Make Me Feel", with Whitesnake's Doug Aldrich lending some massive riffing & soloing over which Fishbone's Angleo Moore really nails the vocal. Sevendust's Lajon Witherspoon also really does a great job on "Black or White", as does former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick who cranks out some sizzling funk-metal licks. I was really looking forward to "Beat It", and it's given an interesting, almost industrial feel, with Priya Panda's quirky vocal and Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal of Guns 'N Roses injecting a wild solo that might not rival Eddie Van Halen's but still does the trick. "Billy Jean" sees Living Colour's Corey Glover delivering a solid vocal, but the arrangements are plodding and uninspired, despite some tasty licks from Motorhead's Phil Campbell. Elias Soriano of Nonpoint does a credible job on the funky metal of "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", which also has some sizzling guitar work from Bob Kulick, who does most of the guitar on this album and really is the MVP of the project.
Doug Pinnick of King's X tries his best on "Rock With You", but I think despite his best efforts this song needed a gentler touch, and the arrangement is nothing special. "Dirty Diana" is almost unrecognizable, which in itself is almost a good thing, but Fozzy's Chris Jericho is straining at times and doesn't quite deliver what we've come to expect from him. Some heavy riffs from Kulick though which gives this version a real crunchy feel. The first real surprise in this set comes on "Bad", as a fired up Paul Dianno (ex-Iron Maiden) really spews some venom over cranking riffs from Kulick and a sizzling solo from Dio/Giuffria/Budgie axe-slinger Craig Goldy. Classic metal act Icarus Witch does an almost 'Disturbed' styled take on "They Don't Care About Us", while War's Lonnie Jordan croons his way through a bland version of "Never Can Say Goodbye". Ironically, the strongest piece here is Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal", the only track previously available and somewhat of a minor hit for the band over a decade ago. They really gave this song a unique twist but still kept the integrity of the original intact.
Some hits, some misses, so whether you think that Thriller-A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson needed to be made or not, the reality is that it's here and worth a listen for curiosity's sake if nothing else. Whether any of these versions will be a semi-breakout hit like "Smooth Criminal" was for Alien Ant Farm years ago remains to be seen, but I'm betting that Cleopatra is really hoping for it.
Track Listing
01 – "Thriller" – Chuck Billy (Testament)
02 – "Man In The Mirror" – Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandria) & Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big)
03 – "The Way You Make Me Feel" – Angelo Moore (Fishbone), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), & Rudy Sarzo (Queensrÿche)
04 – "Black Or White" – Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS), & Tony Franklin (The Firm)
05 – "Beat It" – Priya Panda (Diemonds) & Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (Guns N' Roses)
06 – "Billy Jean" – Corey Glover (Living Colour) & Phil Campbell (Motörhead)
07 – "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" – Elias Soriano (Nonpoint)
08 – "Rock With You" – Doug Pinnick (King's X)
09 – "Dirty Diana" – Chris Jericho (Fozzy)
10 – "Bad" – Paul Dianno (ex-Iron Maiden) & Craig Goldy (Dio)
11 – "They Don't Care About Us" – Icarus Witch
12 – "Never Can Say Goodbye" – Lonnie Jordan (War)
13 – "Smooth Criminal" – Alien Ant Farm
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