Review APOCALYPTICA “Plays Metallica, Vol. 2”

Apocalyptica first gained attention in 1996 when they released “Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Chellos”, a collection of cover versions of Metallica songs. It was the starting point for the band that brought the cello into heavy metal. It wasn’t just something innovative, it showed the passion and determination of a band that pushed the boundaries of the genre.

The classically trained musicians followed their hearts, which beat for both classical music and the roaring sound of heavy metal. Nearly three decades later, Apocalyptica are an established force in heavy metal.

Today, Apocalyptica look back on their early days and it was the anniversary of “Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Chellos” that sparked the idea to do it again. Simply titled “Plays Metallica, Vol. 2”, Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivilaakso, Paavo Lötjönen and Mikko Sirén recorded ten songs, all covers of Metallica classics. And as the guys have built up a friendship with the thrash metal pioneers, there are guest appearances from James Hetfield and Rob Trujillo. “One” is a song that features both Metallica members. With Hetfield being the narrator and not the singer, the song gets a completely different vibe. It becomes much darker and is a goosebump moment on the album.

With “St. Anger” Apocalyptica have also rearranged one of the later Metallica songs and I’m almost tempted to say that it sounds better than the original version. As you would expect, Apocalyptica give each of these ten songs their own trademark sound, while still keeping it close to the original. This is true for “Blackened” as well as for “The Call of Ktulu”. The latter is a melancholic interpretation of the instrumental from “Master of Puppets”. Here the band pays homage to Cliff Burton, which adds a very emotional factor to this release.

“Plays Metallica, Vol. 2” is a nicely done continuation of what made Apocalyptica the talk of the town back in 1996. The new chapter also distinguishes itself from the first release. While it was a group of young and hungry musicians who started a challenging endeavour in 1996, the latest release shows a band that is still young at heart. At the same time, the guys have added all their experience to the mix and sound more mature, while the rebellious heart still beats strong.