Hear Chris Stapleton Cover Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’

Country star Chris Stapleton covers hard-rock giants Metallica in an expansive new anniversary set, putting his blowtorch vocal on the epic anthem, “Nothing Else Matters.” And epic it remains.

Sharing the blistering cover on Thursday (August 12), Stapleton’s version of the doom-rocking hit clocks in at more than eight minutes long, and puts his Kentucky drawl in a bold new setting.

The track is part of The Metallica Blacklist, an upcoming album marking the 30th anniversary of Metallica’s watershed self-titled LP, known around the world as “the black album.” Stapleton may seem like an unlikely contributor, but he’s hardly alone, with fellow country hitmakers Mickey Guyton, Jon Pardi and Darius Rucker also included, plus pop favorites like Weezer, Elton John, J Balvin and more. The massive tribute features 53 artists — with 12 versions of “Nothing Else Matters” alone — but Stapleton’s take is especially intriguing for country fans.

Placing his bourbon-soaked growl in a dark-and-dreary context, Chris Stapleton actually sounds right at home on the tune, who’s heartbroken headspace that would fit just fine in a Nashville writing room. His crunchy-but-twangy guitar work adds even more roadhouse-rocking flavor to the track, with a lengthy blues-guitar solo stretching out the low-down vibe in the song’s second half. The track eventually fades out to the sounds of police sirens wailing in the distance, completing the song’s hopeless presentation. Check it out above.

The Metallica Blacklist arrives on September 10, and all profits will be split between Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation and a charity selected by each artist.

THE METALLICA BLACKLIST TRACKLIST:

1. Enter Sandman – Alessia Cara & The Warning
2. Enter Sandman – Mac DeMarco
3. Enter Sandman – Ghost
4. Enter Sandman – Juanes
5. Enter Sandman – Rina Sawayama
6. Enter Sandman – Weezer
7. Sad But True (Live) – Sam Fender
8. Sad But True – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
9. Sad But True – Mexican Institute of Sound feat. La Perla & Gera MX
10. Sad But True – Royal Blood
11. Sad But True – St. Vincent
12. Sad But True – White Reaper
13. Sad But True – YB
14. Holier Than Thou – Biffy Clyro
15. Holier Than Thou – The Chats
16. Holier Than Thou – OFF! 
17. Holier Than Thou – PUP
18. Holier Than Thou – Corey Taylor
19. The Unforgiven – Cage The Elephant
20. The Unforgiven – Vishal Dadlani, DIVINE, Shor Police
21. The Unforgiven – Diet Cig
22. The Unforgiven – Flatbush Zombies feat. DJ Scratch
23. The Unforgiven – Ha*Ash
24. The Unforgiven – José Madero
25. The Unforgiven – Moses Sumney
26. Wherever I May Roam – J Balvin
27. Wherever I May Roam – Chase & Status feat. BackRoad Gee
28. Wherever I May Roam – The Neptunes
29. Wherever I May Roam – Jon Pardi
30. Don’t Tread on Else Matters – SebastiAn
31. Don’t Tread on Me – Portugal. The Man
32. Don’t Tread on Me – Volbeat
33. Through the Never – The HU
34. Through the Never – Tomi Owó
35. Nothing Else Matters – Phoebe Bridgers
36. Nothing Else Matters – Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, Chad Smith
37. Nothing Else Matters – Dave Gahan
38. Nothing Else Matters – Mickey Guyton
39. Nothing Else Matters – Dermot Kennedy
40. Nothing Else Matters – Mon Laferte
41. Nothing Else Matters – Igor Levit
42. Nothing Else Matters – My Morning Jacket
43. Nothing Else Matters – PG Roxette
44. Nothing Else Matters – Darius Rucker
45. Nothing Else Matters – Chris Stapleton
46. Nothing Else Matters – TRESOR
47. Of Wolf and Man – Goodnight, Texas
48. The God That Failed – IDLES
49. The God That Failed – Imelda May
50. My Friend of Misery – Cherry Glazerr
51. My Friend of Misery – Izïa
52. My Friend of Misery – Kamasi Washington
53. The Struggle Within – Rodrigo y Gabriela