Name: Panic Cell
Release: Crazy (Single)
Release Date: Out Now
Website: www.paniccell.com
Despite their best efforts to keep it secret, even the most die hard of metal heads will have at least one band or solo artist outside of the metal genre that they can’t quite stop themselves having a soft spot for. Now seems like as gooder time as any for me to come out of the cast iron heavy metal closet and admit that for me this has always been Seal.
So you can imagine my intrigue when I heard that Panic Cell were to be covering Seal’s “crazy”.
Now in light of recent efforts by several heavyish bands such as “A Day To Remember” to name but one, the question “how is this going to work” did come to mind. After listening to the track I quickly got my answer…very well! In fact I would go as far as to say that this dwarfs other bands recent attempts.
The first thing I noticed was how the band have not tried to distance the track from the original instead, perhaps out of respect, they have managed to blend the two together perfectly.
Panic Cell’s effort starts in a very similar fashion with an acoustic intro before stamping their own mark as the heavy power chords and drums change the direction. This is made stronger as singer Luke Bell’s trade mark vocals kick in, clearly harsher than Seal’s but which groove in keeping with his version. The initial test of mr bell’s vocals comes at the first chorus where I, as I expect many will be, was wincing with anticipation wondering “will he hit the high notes?”. Again the answer is a resounding yes as the front man handles business with no trouble at all.
The connection with the original track is maintained throughout the verses. Where guitarists Hart Virdee and Nathan Wood still use Seal’s tune but transfer it brilliantly into their heavier riffs all the time in keeping with how the song was originally intended but bringing their own artistic slant to the table.
By far the most impressive display of the marrying of the tracks starts at the pre chorus before the final rendition of the tracks iconic chorus. In a much more gradual process than the intro the band again uses acoustic guitars in some ways an identical fashion to it’s predecessor, but never leaving it’s audience in any doubt as to who they are listening to. This then grows in intensity slowly transgressing into electric becoming increasingly heavier until it breaks once again into the satisfying power chords and strong vocals which really make this track their own.
Panic Cell even manage to include a guitar sollo which is used to great effect before they finish in style launching into the heavy outro. Shredding the riffs and Luke bell repeatedly using the lyrics “Oh yeah!” in a way that only a handful of singers on planet Earth could get away with without looking like a burke!
I am tempted to use this track as an example to any heavy band thinking about a cover version in the future, however for the mean time I will simply say this is how it should be done…check it out now!
Reviewer: Estin Micklewright
