Bring You to Your Knees

A Tribute to Guns N’ Roses (Law of Inertia)
by Vinnie Apicella

Make no mistake, not one of these bands sounds remotely similar to G N’ R. Then again, who has since the day they swept themselves under their own rug of recklessness?

Zombie Apocalypse gets the opening nod doing G N’ R’s first hit, “Welcome to the Jungle.” Featuring members of Shai Hulud, Zombie Apocalypse effectively tears apart the original blueprint and leaves a nearly indecipherable mess of fast-paced noisecore after the familiar intro. In fact, three of the first four tracks, “…Jungle,” Haste‘s version of “You’re Crazy,” and Unearth‘s “It’s So Easy,” are far-flung stretches of brutality, bordering on hardcore and doom. Bands like Vaux and Break The Silence temper things with milder, truer-to-life versions “14 Years” and “Night Train.” Them guys in Break The Silence sure can sing.

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” was an age-old classic when G’N’R covered it, and save for Sheryl Crow’s touching rendition a few years back, it makes sense in the hands of the right players. Here, Most Precious Blood gives it a shot and mixes well the percussion with fresh guitar lines, but the snarling, sneering vox do little but irritate. Time In Malta‘s version of “November Rain” rates higher because they bring more to their song; more melody, arrangement, inserted dissonant guitar riffs, minor keyed melody lines where percussion once lay, and somehow, it still sounds true to the original. Then there’s “My Michelle” by The Dillinger Escape Plan, and all bets are off. It sounds like The Dillinger Escape Plan doing “My Michelle,” but catch onto that chunky guitar sound!

Also worthy of mention are Eighteen Visions and Every Time I Die, of all people, doing considerate versions of “Paradise City” and the only claimant from Lies, “I Used To Love Her.” Overall, Bring You To Your Knees will do that, and blacken a few eyes in the process.
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