Review: Devilskin – Barracuda (Heart Cover)

New Zealand’s Devilskin are back at it, putting out a crushing new single. Well, sort of new. It’s a cover of the beloved Heart classic, “Barracuda”.

While remaining faithful to the song, Jennie Skulander’s vocals are simultaneously sultry and haunting, sharing a quality with Ann Wilson of Heart. Paul Martin’s bass-line is hard-driving and physical; You can feel it, especially when his groove with Nic (Martin, drums) locks in. That pounding, driving rhythm of the original song is found here, and it’s faithful to its core. The guitarwork by Nail (Tony Vincent) is also incredibly faithful to the original, but the grittiness of it gives the song a modern sheen.

A fantastic cover, and likely a precursor to a fantastic new album on the horizon! Also, if they tour the US, I think I could speak for many of us and want to see them play this cover.