Is this the single best Pantera cover ever done?

[PhloridaMan]

So, Leo Moracchioli, Ola Englund and Delta Empire did a cover of Pantera's The Underground in America. I am definitely a fan of most of the stuff Leo does but usually he adds his own twists and messes around quite a bit which is what I think makes them enjoyable for me, this one however really made me sit back for a minute and just go wow just because of how true it is to the original and the fact that I can close my eyes and basically feel like I am listening to Dime, Vinnie, Rex and Phil... I honestly can not ever remember hearing a more well done cover of a Pantera Song, ever. Curious what everyone else thinks?

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to get the player to show up in the post... Here is the link below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcGs1DKyiAw

 

[D-Rock]

It's obviously a great cover, but the vocal tone does not sound like Phil, the guitar playing sounds like a digital copy without that Dimebag soul, and the drumming I can't put my finger on but it does not sound like VP.
Excellent none-the-less and better than I can do.

 

[maddnotez]

So badass. Love Pantera. Honestly at the time I did not like much of the later stuff but now I love it just as much as Vulgar and CFH.

It's obviously a great cover, but the vocal tone does not sound like Phil, the guitar playing sounds like a digital copy without that Dimebag soul, and the drumming I can't put my finger on but it does not sound like VP.
Excellent none-the-less and better than I can do.

Have to disagree, absolutely sounded like Phil in his prime. Yeah, not exactly but pretty damn close to me. Also feel that Ola captured everything Dime did. The production may not be identical but they did a hell of a job to me.

 

[maddnotez]

Ok I may have spoke to soon. Ola did a great job but yeah, it is not dime and now listening to the original I can hear the lack of "soul" for certain. I still do think the vocals sound a lot like Phil though.

 

[PhloridaMan]

Guys... Let's not lose sight of the fact that this is a COVER. It's not intended to be 100% how it sounded on the album (however anyone who follows Ola knows he has access to the same gear Dime used as seen in some of his previous videos.)

I feel like some of the differences in the album recording and this, can be attributed to tape vs digital recordings and how squeaky clean you can really get things today.

But that's not the point. It's a cover and it's the damn best cover of any Pantera song I have ever heard. No it's not 100% identical, but it doesn't have to be. I think you guys are looking way too deep into it when you should be taking it for what it is.

 

[SpiderWars]

Very cool, thanks for posting that. I'd not heard of Leo but after watching that and the very enjoyable Sultans of Swing cover he did with Mary Spender...I like this dude. Obviously very talented. I'll be watching more of him.

 

[the4thlast1]

Great job on the cover, one of my favorite Pantera songs !

 

[RaceU4her]

thats the most underrated PanterA song and definitely a good cover. Ola dosent quite have that dimebag "chunk" in his palm mutes but thats being super picky. i wish i had the drum track, id like to give that a whirl

 

[D-Rock]

Guys... Let's not lose sight of the fact that this is a COVER. It's not intended to be 100% how it sounded on the album (however anyone who follows Ola knows he has access to the same gear Dime used as seen in some of his previous videos.)

I feel like some of the differences in the album recording and this, can be attributed to tape vs digital recordings and how squeaky clean you can really get things today.

But that's not the point. It's a cover and it's the damn best cover of any Pantera song I have ever heard. No it's not 100% identical, but it doesn't have to be. I think you guys are looking way too deep into it when you should be taking it for what it is.

If you read the OP, it says "wow just because of how true it is to the original and the fact that I can close my eyes and basically feel like I am listening to Dime, Vinnie, Rex and Phil..."
So this thread actually is about how true sounding or even exact it is to the original, and comments will reflect that claim. It's a fantastic cover, but not as close to the original as the OP so boldly suggested.

 

[PhloridaMan]

Guys... Let's not lose sight of the fact that this is a COVER. It's not intended to be 100% how it sounded on the album (however anyone who follows Ola knows he has access to the same gear Dime used as seen in some of his previous videos.)

I feel like some of the differences in the album recording and this, can be attributed to tape vs digital recordings and how squeaky clean you can really get things today.

But that's not the point. It's a cover and it's the damn best cover of any Pantera song I have ever heard. No it's not 100% identical, but it doesn't have to be. I think you guys are looking way too deep into it when you should be taking it for what it is.

If you read the OP, it says "wow just because of how true it is to the original and the fact that I can close my eyes and basically feel like I am listening to Dime, Vinnie, Rex and Phil..."
So this thread actually is about how true sounding or even exact it is to the original, and comments will reflect that claim. It's a fantastic cover, but not as close to the original as the OP so boldly suggested.

I also clearly stated that my reason for feeling this way was because "I am definitely a fan of most of the stuff Leo does but usually he adds his own twists and messes around quite a bit which is what I think makes them enjoyable for me"

You're looking way too far into what I said.

 

[rottingcorpse]

Note the Randall X2 head. Dime tone in a box. I got a couple of these heads and they crush! They even have l.e.d.s that you line up to get his tone.

 

[maddnotez]

Note the Randall X2 head. Dime tone in a box. I got a couple of these heads and they crush! They even have l.e.d.s that you line up to get his tone.

But did they record with a Behringer mixer?

 

[rottingcorpse]

Note the Randall X2 head. Dime tone in a box. I got a couple of these heads and they crush! They even have l.e.d.s that you line up to get his tone.

But did they record with a Behringer mixer?

No,but Darrell often used a channel strip from the old console that was used at Pantego sound for its EQ.

 

[maddnotez]

Note the Randall X2 head. Dime tone in a box. I got a couple of these heads and they crush! They even have l.e.d.s that you line up to get his tone.

But did they record with a Behringer mixer?

No,but Darrell often used a channel strip from the old console that was used at Pantego sound for its EQ.

Yeah, Glen Fricker said it was a Behringer and that was used because they were not happy without that in the studio for the guitar tones.

Pretty awesome if you think about it. In a million dollar studio with the best of the best gear and they go home to get the $40 item.

 

[PhloridaMan]

FWIW I just got a BEHRINGER Xenyx 1202 off fleabay for 29 bux last week. Been playing with what Fricker said on it with a pair of SM57s this week and man what a difference from how I was doing things. Works super well.

 

[RaceU4her]

Mackie mixer they said dime used

 

[maddnotez]

Mackie mixer they said dime used

Ah my bad. Got it mixed up as he recommended both. But either way same rule applies.

 

[RaceU4her]

I saw that video glen did and was meaning to pick up a small mixer to mess with, maybe I’ll grab one this weekend

 

[Kordoba]

That was excellent, thanks for posting!

 

[ke2]

Re:
Sounding like the original singer is impossible.
The voice is so unique in its timbre that it's used as a security measure.
Of course a different singer isn't going to sound exactly like Phil, hell even Phil doesn't sound like Phil
Nitpicking about minute stuff like that, never made anyone dance.

It's a hella good version, made by awesome musicians. Everyone sounds like themselves, not just these guys. You can practice ANYTHING down to the smallest detail, but as long as someone else did the original, it's never going to be 100%.