Earlier this week, following the death of Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan, the heavy-metal outfit Bad Wolves revealed that the singer had been set to lay down vocals for a cover version of her alt-rock band's 1994 hit "Zombie," Now, Bad Wolves — which comprises former members of DevilDriver, In This Moment and God Forbid — have shared their take on the haunting song as a tribute to the late singer-songwriter, who passed away January 15th from as-of-yet-unspecified causes.
Here's how the collaboration came about: Shortly after recording their own reinterpretation of the Cranberries hit for their upcoming debut album, Bad Wolves received an exciting message from Dan Waite, a friend of O'Riordan's, who just so happened to work at their label. He'd passed the band's "Zombie" cover along to the singer, who was a big fan. "Dan sent me a message like, 'She loved it, and she wants to sing on it,'" Vext told Rolling Stone. "It made my year just to have that kind of validation."
Bad Wolves'"Zombie" cover mostly stays true to the original, although frontman Tommy Vext has made some slight lyrical adjustments: "It's the same old theme since 1917" — a reference to Ireland's Easter Rising insurrection — has been changed to "It's the same old theme in 2018."
"Her lyrics in that song still reflect social unrest, political turmoil and humanity's persistence in modern struggles," Vext told Rolling Stone. "The reasons might change, but there's still collateral damage with people's struggle for power and freedom.
Bad Wolves' "Zombie" cover is available now through major streaming outlets, with proceeds benefiting O'Riordan's three children.
