Covering famous metal songs in the style of other popular metal artists has become a favorite pastime of many YouTubers, and creator Denis Pauna delivers the goods yet again with a blistering cover of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" as reimagined by King Diamond.

The sprawling, multi-part title track off Metallica's 1986 magnum opus offers ample opportunity for reinvention for those who are bold — and talented — enough to accept the challenge. Pauna clearly studied both bands' unique characteristics and idiosyncrasies before making his latest cover, which transforms the breakneck thrash classic into a galloping metal anthem.

Pauna says in his video description that he aimed for a hybrid of King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, drawing influence from beloved Mercyful Fate records Melissa and Don't Break the Oath. And damned if he doesn't pull it off, nailing King Diamond's signature falsetto, vibrato-laden scream. (The production is impressively accurate too, capturing the warm, British guitar tones and booming, reverb-drenched drums.) Pauna even nails the hybrid image, donning King Diamond's iconic corpse paint and a denim vest full of '80s metal patches, including Exodus and Iron Maiden.

This is not Pauna's first remix rodeo. He uploads reimagined metal covers on a weekly basis, ranging from "What If Metallica Wrote [Megadeth's] Rust in Peace" to "What If Alice in Chains Wrote [Slayer's] Raining Blood." In fact, he’s already given "Master of Puppets" the gothic metal treatment, reimagining it in the style of Type O Negative last year.

Pauna's latest cover should whet King Diamond fans' appetites for new music. The singer recently told Eddie Trunk that King Diamond and Mercyful Fate are making good progress on new albums, both of which will hopefully come out next year.

If King Diamond Wrote Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’

 

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