Dolores O’Riordan was due to record on this metal version of “Zombie” the day of her death
American metal band Bad Wolves is donating all proceeds on the sale of their cover of The Cranberries classic “Zombie” to the three children of Dolores O’Riordan, the Irish band’s lead singer who passed away on Monday.
O’Riordan was due to record a vocal for the cover on the day of her death and was said to be excited about the new take on one of her most popular songs. Bad Wolves decided to release the cover this week without her vocals, in tribute to a singer they had looked forward to collaborating with.
"We could have shelved it, but I don't think it would have done justice to what we were trying to accomplish," frontman Tommy Vext told Rolling Stone.
Read more: Listen to a spine-tingling Irish-language tribute to The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan
American metal band Bad Wolves.
"Now the song has a weight and a depth to it that no one outside of being this close to it could possibly imagine. It almost feels like we had to do it. It feels like we're compelled to have her work continue on through us."
The band did make some changes to the lyrics, replacing the reference to the 1916 Easter Rising with a line about having the same issues in 2018, as an attempt to update the song. O’Riordan originally penned the song in 1993 in response to an Irish Republican Army attack that killed two children, referencing back to the violence that had torn apart lives in Ireland since the time of the Easter Rising.
Read more: Dolores O’Riordan seemed “full of life” just hours before she was found
Bad Wolves “Zombie” cover:
"Her lyrics in that song still reflect social unrest, political turmoil and humanity's persistence in modern struggles," Vext said.
"The reasons might change, but there's still collateral damage with people's struggle for power and freedom."
O’Riordan had first come across Bad Wolves’ cover of “Zombie” when her friend Dan Waite, who works at the band’s label, sent the recording to her.
"Dan sent me a message like, 'She loved it, and she wants to sing on it,'" according to Vext.
“It made my year just to have that kind of validation."
"Zombie" was one of Dolores O'Riordan's most famed songs.
The band didn’t know whether O’Riordan had intended to sing backup vocals on the cover or to replace some of the lead vocal and ultimately, would never find out.
"I was really hoping to meet her, say thank you for everything – for her music and her willingness to contribute and her approval," he added.
"It was unfortunately something that I didn't get to experience."
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