Metallica Release Three New Covers of ‘The Unforgiven,’ Plus Rough Mix of ‘Black Album’ Cut

Metallica have released three new covers of their song “The Unforgiven,” as well as a rough mix of the track, in anticipation of their upcoming massive Black Album 30th-anniversary campaign.

The covers of “The Unforgiven” offer three distinct takes on the track. Indie rock outfit Diet Cig deliver a searing version that’s fairly faithful to the original, while sister duo Ha*Ash channel classic country and traditional Mexican music while singing in both English and Spanish.

The last cover comes from Shor Police — the duo of Bollywood composer/producer Clinton Cerejo and singer-songwriter Bianca Gomes — and Indian rappers Divine and Vishal Dadlani. The trio turn the song into a booming industrial cut tinged with elements of metal, hard rock, and rap.

The three covers of “The Unforgiven” will appear on The Metallica Blacklist, a massive compilation featuring 53 artists covering their favorite songs from The Black Album. Metallica has shared a handful of covers already, including takes on “Sad But True” by St. Vincent and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “Enter Sandman” by Juanes, and a version of “Nothing Else Matters” by Miley Cyrus, Watt, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, and Chad Smith.

Along with The Metallica Blacklist, Metallica will also release an array of studio rarities and live tracks. Accompanying the covers of “The Unforgiven” is one of those outtakes, a rough mix of the song recorded on May 14th, 1991.