Since the dawn of mankind, when the first caveman dipped his chocolate in another one’s peanut butter, mixing things has been a time-honored tradition. We combine flavors, sounds, images, and sometimes the mixture transcends the sum of its parts. But we know, deep in our lizard brain, that some things are so fundamentally opposed to one another that the merest hint of contact between them could bring us all to our doom in a fiery, screaming cataclysm.
Had you asked me yesterday, I would have said that a cappella and heavy metal was without a doubt one of those combinations. It is a failing of mine that if someone says “this is horrific, you must not look”, then I am COMPELLED to click that link. I have to see it for myself. Because hey, if people really do win the lottery, then maybe it won’t be a mind-flaying dose of psychic horror THIS time. I’ve never won the lottery, but today, I discovered Van Canto. They’re a 6-piece German group featuring a drummer and five vocalists who do a cappella covers of heavy metal songs. And I’ll be damned if they don’t rock that shit out. It doesn’t hurt that each singer is good enough to front their own band. They cover songs by the likes of Metallica, Iron Maiden, Nightwish and MANOWAR! Yes, they are the Kings of a cappella Metal.
Behold, Metallica’s “Battery” by Van Canto:
Be seeing you.
Brian.
ps. Because not ALL combinations are good, and because I do not really love you, there’s this:
The Hellsquids International Input Junkie Experience 